| Deborah Riedel |
 Deborah Riedel - Soprano Australian born soprano Deborah Riedel studied at the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music in Sydney where she won several major singing awards enabling her to continue her studies in Europe. Operatic work in Australia includes Leonora Il Trovatore, Mimi La boheme, Violetta La Traviata, the four heroines Les contes d’Hoffmann, Marguerite Faust, Donna Anna Don Giovanni, title roles in Maria Stuarda, Tosca and Norma for Opera Australia; Leila Les Pêcheurs de perles, Micaela Carmen and Marguerite Faust for the Victoria State Opera; Marguerite for Opera Queensland, and Tosca for the State Opera of South Australia. She made her US debut in 1994 as Amina La Sonnambula for the San Diego Opera and has since performed Donna Anna, Adina L’elisir d’amore, Violetta, Alice Ford Falstaff for the company. Further US engagements include Donna Anna at the Metropolitan Opera and Ellen Orford Peter Grimes and Donna Anna for the San Francisco Opera. In Europe Deborah has performed Teresa Benvenuto Cellini, Marguerite for the Grand Théâtre de Genève; Teresa for the Opéra National de Paris; Countess Le nozze di Figaro for Opéra de Montpellier; Donna Elvira Don Giovanni for Opéra de Bordeaux and Aix en Provence; Leonore Fidelio for Opera de Tours; Teresa for Opera di Roma; Violetta for De Nederlandse Opera; Donna Anna for the Bayerische Staatsoper and Wiener Staatsoper; Mimi, Donna Elvira and Freia Das Rheingold for the Royal Opera Covent Garden, and Marschallin Der Rosenkavalier and Tosca for Welsh National Opera. Deborah appears frequently as a concert artist in Australia and has sung with all of the State Symphony Orchestras, the Australian Pops Orchestra, the Australian Chamber Orchestra and at the Melbourne Festival. Engagements include Strauss' Vier letzte lieder with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven’s Ah perfido and Ninth Symphony with the SSO under Edo de Waart, Jonas Sendung with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Neeme Järvi, Poeme pour Mi with the SSO and Simone Young, Gala Concerts in Melbourne and Sydney under Richard Bonynge and guest soloist with Jose Carreras on his Australia wide tour. In Europe her numerous concert engagements include Mahler’s Symphony No 8 with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Mark Elder, Britten’s War Requiem in London and with the Czech Philharmonic and Gerd Albrecht, Tippett’s A Child of our Time with the LSO and at the BBC Proms with the New York Philharmonic under Sir Colin Davis, Missa Solemnis with the Czech Philharmonic and Sir Charles Mackerras and Britten’s Spring Symphony in Copenhagen with Donald Runnicles, Poeme pour Mi with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and at the Concertgebouw and Beethoven’s The Accession of Leopold II with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under Sir Charles Mackerras. Recent performances include her highly successful role debut as Sieglinde in SOSA’s new production of Die Walküre for which she was the recipient of a Helpmann Award (recorded by Melba Recordings), the title role in Semiramide at the Wildbad Festival in Germany under Richard Bonynge, ‘Best of British’ concerts with the APO at the Victorian Arts Centre, concerts with the Puccini Festival Australia along with an appearance with Opera Australia in their New Year’s Eve Gala under Richard Bonynge. Deborah also sang at the Cayman Islands Festival, returned to Welsh National Opera to reprise Tosca and performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and Vaughan William’s Sea Symphony with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. 2007 highlights included title role Turandot for Opera Australia, Amelia in Un ballo in maschera for State Opera of South Australia and a follow up solo recording with Richard Bonynge for Melba Recordings. Highlights in Deborah’s 2008 diary will include performances at Opera in the Vineyards, a Wagner Gala with The Queensland Orchestra and a Beethoven program with the Sydney Philharmonia. 2008 Schedule The Queensland Orchestra, Sieglinde in Act 1 of Wagner’s Die Walküre, 29 March Sydney Philharmonia, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, 29-30 August Opera in the Vineyards, Hunter Valley (South Australia), 11,18,25 October Press quotes: "The Marschallin is sung by Deborah Riedel with a Lehmann-like vocal style and acted with aristocratic dignity in Act 3. She managed very skilfully the change of mood in Act I from the joys of adulterous love to being a philosopher about the passing of time." "[Deborah Riedel] sang magnificently throughout." La Traviata, San Diego Opera, 1997: "[Deborah Riedel] reminded me of a young version of Bonynge's wife, Australian Joan Sutherland. Riedel showed excellent vocal ornamentation during the first act's 'Ah, fors'e lui' aria and brought the house down minutes later with her shiver-inducing 'sempre libera'. La Bohème, Opera Australia, 1997: "The warm, full voice of Deborah Riedel's Mimi was glorious." Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Opera Australia, 1996: "...radiant singing of Australia's own up-and-coming prima donna. Her big, luscious soprano, like Dame Joan Sutherland's before her, is one of the few voices today capable of tackling all the roles, each requiring a different type of voice, with such distinction." "...unqualified success in the four roles...a fine strong voice...winningly beautiful." Don Giovanni, San Francisco Opera, 1995: "Deborah Riedel won well-deserved cheers for her intensely dramatic Donna Anna, an auspicious debut...Riedel revealed a high degree of vocal beauty and polish." Melba Recordings performances: |