Multi-Cultural Coloratura Soprano Will Represent Armenia At Eurovision

Mary-Jean O'Doherty at the Paris Opera Awards

"Opera singer Mary-Jean O'Doherty who is representing Armenia in the 2015 Eurovision contest is revealed to be an Australian citizen. She will enter the upcoming Eurovision song contest as a member of Armenian supergroup, Genealogy. However, talented Opera singer Mary-Jean O'Doherty has been revealed to be an Australian citizen who was trained while living in Sydney. While actually born in Houston, Texas, the performer was born to an Australian father and a Greek-Armenian mother, giving her a very global heritage. Due to her heritage and the fact that ARIA Award-winner Guy Sebastian was announced as the Australian representative last week, Mary-Jean was eligible for selection elsewhere. She was personally picked by the first lady of Armenia, Rita Sargsyan to join the group made up of six members, all from different continents. Only formed this year in support of the annual singing competition, Mary will perform alongside Armenian native Inga Arshakyan, Vahe Tilbian from Ethiopia, American Tamar Kaprelian, Stephanie Topalian from Japan and French-born Essaï Altounian. Mary completed her studies in the States and graduated from high school and college in North Carolina, before receiving a Bachelor Of Music degree in voice and flute performance. She moved back to Australia to continue her music career where she won the ABC Symphony Australia Young Vocalist Award in 2007. The next year she was the first ever recipient of the Australian International Opera Award. Genealogy released the single earlier this week that they will be performing at the competition in Austria this May, 'Don't Deny' which has been received positively by critics." [Source] Watch three performances by the soprano after the jump.

Trapped At Home By Blizzard Juno? Enjoy Catalani's "La Wally"

"La Wally is an opera in four acts by Alfredo Catalani, composed on a libretto by Luigi Illica, and first performed at La Scala, Milan, on 20 January 1892. The libretto is based on a hugely successful Heimatroman by Wilhelmine von Hillern (1836–1916), Die Geyer-Wally, Eine Geschichte aus den Tyroler Alpen (literally: "The Vulture-Wally: A Story from the Tyrolean Alps"). The Geyer-Wally is a girl with some heroic attributes. Wally is short for the name Wallburga. (There may have been an actual young woman Wallburga Stromminger on whom the legend is based.) She gets her 'geyer' or 'vulture' epithet from once stealing a vulture's hatchling from her nest. Von Hillern's piece was originally serialized in Deutsche Rundschau, and was reproduced in English in 'A German Peasant Romance,' in The Cornhill Magazine, July 1875. The opera is best known for its aria 'Ebben? Ne andrò lontana' ('Well, then? I'll go far away,' act 1, sung when Wally decides to leave her home forever). American soprano Wilhelmenia Fernandez sang this aria in Jean-Jacques Beineix's 1981 movie Diva – a performance at the heart of the thriller. Catalani had composed this aria independently as Chanson Groënlandaise in 1878 and later incorporated it into his opera. The opera features a memorable operatic death in which the heroine throws herself into an avalanche. It is seldom performed, partly because of the difficulty of staging this scene, but Wally's principal aria is still sung frequently." [Source] The synopsis of the opera, a performance of Akiko Nakajima singing Chanson Groënlandaise , and a clip of Wilhelmenia Fernandez singing the famous aria from the film Diva, can all be found after the jump. And if you're interested in visiting Tyrol, consider staying at a luxury resort by clicking here.

Anna Netrebko Goes Leafy Green For The Garden Theme Of "Life Ball"

Russian soprano Anna Netrebko returns to her second home state of Austria for Life Ball 2014 in Vienna that has a theme of "Garten der Lüste." She attended last year and got some personal time with former President Bill Clinton. We look forward to pictures of her with this year's performer, Ricky Martin. "The Life Ball in Vienna is the biggest charity event in Europe supporting people with HIV or AIDS. The event is organized by the nonprofit organization AIDS LIFE, which was founded in 1992 by Gery Keszler and Torgom Petrosian. AIDS LIFE supports aid organizations devoted to helping people who are HIV-positive or have AIDS. The team entrusted with the allocation of funds thoroughly examines each petition. Moreover, it is an explicit goal of AIDS LIFE to raise public awareness." [Source] Full-length photo of the ensemble is after the jump.

Austria's "Life Ball" To Host A Galaxy Of (Opera) Stars Tonight

Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczała perform at last year's gala concert for Life Ball.

"Tickets for the Red Ribbon Celebration Concert 2014 presented by Novomatic available on www.burgtheater.at or www.culturall.com! Stars of the opera like Anna Netrebko, Vesselina Kasarova, Jennifer O'Loughlin, Juan Diego Flórez, Piotr Beczała, Yusif Eyvazov, Luca Pisaroni, Ambrogio Maestri and Ildar Abdrazakov lend their voices to the good cause. The soloists are accompanied by the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Cornelius Meister. Fashion icon Vivienne Westwood will create the stage design of the concert. Red Ribbon Celebration Concert 2014 - May 30, 2014, concert beginning: 8 p.m. at Burgtheater, Universitätsring 2, 1010 Vienna." More information about the star power attending the event, as well as photos from this year's theme Garten der Lüste [including the NSFW David LaChapelle posters....], after the jump.