Maija Kovalevska
Singer
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In 2006, Maija Kovalevska won international acclaim as Donna Elvira in a new production of Don Giovanni (directed by Daniele Abbado) in Verona and Reggio Emilia , as first prize winner of the Operalia competition, and as Mimi in a new production of La Bohéme, where the Spanish news paper El Pais wrote: "With her extraordinary interpretation, 27-year-old Maija Kovalevska continues the tradition of Tebaldi, Freni, Los Angeles. Her voice has everything that this part [Mimi] requires: complexity, technique, profound phrasing, a beautiful timbre and above all she is very young, which not only gives additional personality to her staging but also to her voice. For a good reason, Kovalevska recently won the first prize at the Operalia, celebrated in the Palau de les Arts." She also won acclaim as Mimi (conducted by Placido Domingo, opposite Rolando Villazón) in her sensational debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Maija Kovalevska, born in Riga in 1979, studied at the J. Vitols Latvian Music Academy under Anita Garanca and obtained her Masters degree in June of 2005. Between 2002 and 2005 she received several scholarships, including ones from the J.Vitols Latvian Music Academy, Latvian Creative Society, Richard Wagner Society, Nikolai Ghiaurov, Regione E. Romana with Mirella Freni, and various awards such as the Paul Sakss Opera Distiguishing Award and the Latvian Grand Music Award 2004. Furthermore she won the second prize at the Third International J. Vitols Vocal Competition and the first prize at the 10th International Riccardo Zandonai Competition for young Opera Singers. Currently she is also studying with Mirella Freni. In the 2002/2003 season, she made her operatic debut as Giannetta in L'Elisir d'Amore in Kuldiga, followed by Saffi in The Gypsy Baron and Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana at the Opera Festival Sigulda and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni for her debut at the Latvian National Opera in Riga. In the 2003/2004 season she appeared with the Latvian National Opera (Mimi in La Bohème, Liù in Turandot); Opera Festival Sigulda (Leila in Les Pêcheurs de Perles); and she was a soloist for Mahler's Symphony No. 2 in Riga conducted by Andris Nelsons. In 2005/2006, she made her Italian debut as Donna Elvira in a new production of Don Giovanni in Verona conducted by Abbado; she also performed Donna Elvira at the Teatro Filharmonico, Teatro Reggio Emilia, and Kristiansand Opera Festival (new production): and appeared as the Countess in a new production of Le Nozze di Figaro at the Latvian National Opera. During the 2006/2007 season she performed Mimi in a new production of La Boheme at the Palau de la Música in (conducted by Xian Zhang), then performed Mimi (conducted by Plácido Domingo) and Euridice in a new production of Orfeo ed Euridice (conducted by James Levine) at the Metropolitan Opera. She also performed Teresa in a new production of Benvenuto Cellini at the Salzburg Festival, conducted by Valery Gergiev. Engagements for the current season include the Countess in a new production of Le Nozze di Figaro at Tokyo's New National Theater; her Los Angeles Opera debut as Mimi in La Bohéme, the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro at the Staatsoper Berlin; Micaela in Carmen at the Metropolitan Opera; and Tatyana in a new production of Eugene Onegin, conducted by Marek Janowski, at the Glyndebourne Festival. Future engagements include: 2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011 2011/2012 Photo © Donato Tota c/o Kurt-Walther Schober |