Maria Luigia Borsi Interviewed During "La Bohème" At Atlanta Opera

A portrait of Maria Luigia Borsi by Brad Repp

"The masterpiece by Puccini introduces us to Mimì and Rodolfo, young lovers living in Paris in the nineteenth century. Their group of bohemians (poets, painters, philosophers) traverses the emotional landscapes of love, poverty and ultimately, loss. This production by General & Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun will bring a grand cinematic approach to one of the greatest operas of all time. Italian soprano Maria Luigia Borsi portrays Mimì. Tenor (and fellow Italy native) Gianluca Terranova plays her lover, Rodolfo. American soprano Leah Partridge sings the role of Musetta and baritone Trevor Scheunemann will portray Marcello. Theo Hoffman sings the role of Shaunard. Arthur Fagen, Carl & Sally Gable Music Director of the Atlanta Opera, will conduct." [Source] For ticket information, visit the Atlanta Opera website. Listen to the interview with Maria Luigia Borsi by clicking here. Hear the soprano sing "Donde lieta usci," from Act III of La Bohème, after the jump.

Katia Ricciarelli Claims Gambling Keeps Her Calm & Serene

Opera Zenith: Katia Ricciarelli with Plácido Domingo in 1972 when they recorded duets together for RCA.

In a recent telephone interview, soprano Katia Ricciarelli admitted that going to the casino keeps her in a wonderful state, unless she gets asked for an autograph: "'Spero ancora nell'amore e non chiedetemi autografi mentre sono al video poker.' La cantante, ospite del programma radiofonico I Radioattivi, rinnega di avere il vizio del gioco e specifica che è solo un divertimento, perché 'mi dà adrenalina come il gioco ai bambini ma non sono malata, non lo pratico per mesi. Tra tutti i giochi mi diverto solo con il video poker, mi dà calma e serenità ma purtroppo ti vengono a chiedere gli autografi e in quel caso guardo tutti con occhi cerulei.'" [Source] Listen to the full interview, and hear a recording of the soprano's professional debut from 1969, after the jump. 

Learn more about the diva's journey from poverty
to performing on the great opera stages of the
world by purchasing her book here.

"Born at Rovigo, Veneto, to a very poor family; she struggled during her younger years when she studied music. She studied at the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory in Venice, won several vocal competitions in 1968, and made her professional debut as Mimì in La bohème in Mantua in 1969, followed by a 1970 appearance in Il trovatore in Parma. In the following year, she won RAI's 'Voci Verdiane' award. Between 1972 and 1975, engagements followed in the major European and American opera houses, including Lyric Opera of Chicago (1972); Teatro alla Scala (1973); Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (1974); and the Metropolitan Opera in 1975. In 1981, she began a decade-long association with the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, thus broadening her repertoire of Rossini's operas. Beside her many opera performances, she also appeared as Desdemona in Franco Zeffirelli's film version of Verdi's Otello in 1986, alongside Plácido Domingo. In 2005 she won the best actress prize Nastro d'Argento, awarded by the Italian film journalists, for her role in Pupi Avati's La seconda notte di nozze. In 1991 she founded Accademia Lirica di Katia Ricciarelli, and, since 2003, she has been Artistic Director of the annual summer Macerata Opera Festival. In 2006 she participated in the reality show La fattoria (Italian version of The Farm) on Canale 5. In 1986 on her 40th birthday, she married Pippo Baudo, a television personality, and filed for divorce in the summer of 2004." [Source]

Tribute: Margaret Juntwait Interviewed By Deborah Voigt At The MET

Margaret Juntwait (left) gets interviewed by Deborah Voigt.

"As the Met’s beloved radio host for more than ten years, Margaret Juntwait interviewed countless operatic artists for the company’s Saturday Matinee Radio Broadcasts and for Metropolitan Opera Radio on Sirius XM. A few months before Juntwait died, soprano Deborah Voigt turned the tables on her, interviewing her about what it means to be the voice of the Met. Listen to the interview from December, 2014." Read the Metropolitan Opera's full statement on the passing of Margaret Juntwait, and see a video of her singing 'I Dreamed a Dream' from Les Miserables, after the jump. Funeral services for Margaret Juntwait will be held Saturday, June 6, 11:15 a.m. at Church of the Presentation (271 West Saddle River Road Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. A memorial service in New York will take place at a date TBD. The family requests in lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Save the Met Broadcast Fund, the Manhattan School of Music, or New York Public Radio.

Marilyn Horne Chats With Vatican Radio In Italy For Master Classes

La Dolce Vita: Marilyn Horne ponders the knowledge she has acquired as a singer
and tries to pass it on to the future of young artists through master classes.

"Since retiring from the operatic stage, Ms Horne has dedicated herself to teaching promising singers of the future. Just over twenty years ago she launched the Marilyn Horne Foundation which provides opportunities for young singers to give recitals. The renowned Mezzo Soprano was recently in Rome to give a series of Masterclasses at the American University of Rome. The classes were part of the University’s inaugural Summer Vocal Institute and saw singers come from all over the world to take part. But for Marilyn Horne, how does being a teacher differ from performing as an opera singer? She told Vatican Radio’s Lydia O’Kane, 'first of all I have to try to remember all the things I have learned as a singer, so it’s really very much giving giving giving and pulling pulling pulling!' Looking back at her extraordinary singing career she says, 'it was my life, I knew practically nothing else except singing since the time I could talk, so it’s my soul, my life, my everything, tied to the music of course, not just singing but the great great music that I’ve had the pleasure to perform.' Ms Horne also says that she feels blessed to have had the career she has had. 'As we say I’ve had a great go and I feel that I’ve been very privilege to have the kind of life that I did.'" [Source] Listen to the full interview by clicking here. For more about the American University of Rome, click here.

Listen To Jessye Norman Discuss "Marvelous Living" On NPR

The soprano signing copies of her book in the Metropolitan Opera gift shop. (Photo: Rex Bonomelli/Facebook)

"When it comes to singers, there have been few voices considered as majestic as soprano Jessye Norman's. The celebrated opera singer from Augusta, GA, has meticulously built a career on her own terms, choosing her projects intelligently and carefully guarding her vocal resources, which have often been described as a force of nature. Now the 68-year-old artist can add author to her list of accomplishments. Norman has written a memoir, Stand Up Straight and Sing! From experiencing racism as a child to watching the fall of the Berlin Wall to her storied opera career, Norman talks with NPR's Rachel Martin about the book, her life and her music with an openness rarely heard before in her interviews." Listen to the audio by clicking here. [Source] Additional audio interviews for WQXR can be heard below: