Members Function

MEMBERS FUNCTION CHRISTA MAYER: Conversation with a Bayreuth Mezzo Interviewed by Sophie Burns, RWS Young Artist Awardee 2019 What is it like to be a practicing Wagnerian singer at Bayreuth and around the world? Sophie Burns met fellow mezzo soprano Christa Mayer at the Bayreuth Festival 2019 which she attended as the RWS Young Artist Award recipient. Now, on behalf of the Society, Sophie has the opportunity to ask Christa what it is like to be a successful Wagner performer, how Bayreuth compares to other opera houses, and what goes into being a performer in opera and concerts - from the perspective of a young singer taking her own steps forward with her career. The interview will be held live via Zoom, with Christa in Bayreuth and Sophie in Berlin. We are fortunate to be able to speak to Christa on the opening day of the 2021 Bayreuth Festival. Photo: Christa Mayer as Erda at Bayreuth, 2008 Date and Time: Sunday 25 July 2021 06:00 PM Australia/Melbourne Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84628354206?pwd=UXBEcXg5cGI2U3FlOFpsQWxTRUVFZz09 Meeting ID: 846 2835 4206 Passcode: W@gner2021 Cost: Free for members and guests; donations to the Society appreciated. You should be able to join the meeting just by clicking the link above; otherwise, you can join with the meeting ID and passcode. Please join the session 5-10 minutes before the start time to resolve any technical issues. No bookings required but if you have any questions for Christa or need more information on the event, please send an email to [email protected] by Friday 23 July. Photo: Christa Mayer as Erda in Seville, 2011 in La Fura dels Baus’ production of the Ring Cycle Page 1 of 2 Registration Number: A0004004P ABN: 62057122885 PO Box 7367, Melbourne VIC 3004 BIOGRAPHIES Mezzo Soprano CHRISTA MAYER studied voice at the University of Music and Theatre in Munich. She attended the class of Lied interpretation with Helmut Deutsch and the opera course, taking part in performances at the Prinzregententheater Munich, and graduated with 1st class honours. In 2000 she was a prize winner in the ARD International Music Competition, the International Robert Schumann Competition and was awarded the Richard Strauss Plakette. Starting with the 2001/2002 season Christa Mayer has been an ensemble member of the Saxon State Opera in Dresden, where she has been performing amongst many others the roles of Cornelia in Giulio Cesare, Orlando in Orlando; Erda in Das Rheingold and Siegfried; Fenena in Nabucco, Didon in Les Troyens, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, Quickly in Falstaff, Fricka in Die Walküre, Gaea in Daphne and Adelaide in Arabella. She has been engaged at the Opera Houses in Berlin, Munich, Tokyo, Seoul, Dallas, Florence, Barcelona, Venice, Valencia, Bilbao, Düsseldorf and Hamburg. Christa is successful as a concert singer and performs across Europe in numerous concerts: Bach’s Weihnachtsoratorium, Matthäuspassion and Mass in B minor, Mozart’s Requiem, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis and 9th Symphony, Händel’s Messiah, and Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder, Symphonies 2&3 and Lied von der Erde. Christa has performed at the Schubertiade Schwarzenberg, the Bad Kissingen Summer Festival, the Schleswig- Holstein Music Festival and the Lucerne Festival and has worked with most acclaimed conductors including Sir Colin Davis, Zubin Mehta, Herbert Blomstedt, Riccado Chailly, Marek Janowski, Semyon Bychkov, Fabio Luisi, Daniele Gatti, Peter Schneider, Jonathan Nott and Simone Young. In 2008 Christa made her debut at the Bayreuth Festival and since then has performed regularly the roles of Erda, Waltraute, Mary and Brangäne under the baton of Christian Thielemann. In 2021/2022 Christa Mayer will appear at the Easter Festival in Salzburg, the Bayreuth Festival and at the Munich State Opera and will be singing in concerts in Paris, Vienna and Reykjavik. Sophie Burns is a mezzo-soprano from Melbourne, Australia. After making her Italian debut singing Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Sophie has since continued her career performing across Europe and Australia in a wide range of operas, concerts, and competitions. She is currently based in Berlin, Germany. In 2018, Sophie was accepted into Opera de Tenerife’s Opera (e)Studio, which allowed her to make her professional Spanish debut singing the role of Zulma in Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri. This also allowed her the honor of working closely with Artistic Director Giulio Zappa and performing for the world-class soprano Mariella Devia in masterclass. In the following year, Sophie made her debut at Teatro Comunale di Bologna, reprising the role of Zulma under the baton of Maestro Nikolas Nägele. Most recently, Sophie was engaged to sing the role of Giovanna in Verdi's Rigoletto, returning once again to the prestigious stage of Opera de Tenerife with the production directed by Mario Pontiggia and conducted by Giuseppe Finzi. Sophie has been fortunate to perform in masterclass for several world-class musicians since moving to Europe; Mariella Devia, Luciana Serra and Giulio Zappa to name a few. This coming August Sophie will perform in Daniela Barcellona's masterclass to take place in Milan singing the repertoire of Bel canto composers Donizetti and Rossini. A keen linguist, Sophie has also spent many years honing her Italian, French and German; all of which she is able to speak to a high degree. Page 2 of 2 Registration Number: A0004004P ABN: 62057122885 PO Box 7367, Melbourne VIC 3004 .

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