ORF-E
German
1 x 58 min
Worldwide  

Lithuanian soprano Asmik Grigorian was born in Vilnius and studied at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. She was a founding member of Vilnius City Opera and was twice awarded the “Golden Cross of the Stage” (the highest award for singers in Lithuania): in 2005 for her debut as Violetta and in 2010 for her portrayal of Mrs. Lovett Sweeny Todd. She won an award at the International Opera Awards in 2016 and was Singer of the Year in 2019. She has made a name for herself as both concert and opera singer since her international career began with a triumphant performance of “Madama Butterfly” at the Royal Swedish Opera, where she proved herself as both singer and actress. “Fedora” at the same house and “Wozzeck” at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam followed. In 2017, she made her Salzburg Festival debut in “Wozzeck,” followed by “Salome” at the 2018 Salzburg Festival (Romeo Castellucci and Franz Welser-Möst), which was acclaimed by audiences and critics alike. This role earned her the 2019 Austrian Music Theater Award for Best Female Lead. In the 2019/20 season, despite pandemic-related restrictions, Asmik Grigorian again sang the role of Manon Lescaut at the Frankfurt Opera and the Bolshoi, as well as Chrysothemis in Elektra at the Salzburg Festival (directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski and conducted by Franz Welser Möst). Also at the Salzburg Festival she sang Shostakovich’s 14th Symphony and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony under Riccardo Muti. In 2020/21 she interpreted Rusalka at the Teatro Real Madrid and Madame Butterfly, her debut at the Vienna State Opera. She made her concert debut at the Paris Opera. Also a debut was her Senta in the Flying Dutchman at the Bayreuth Festival. She returned to the Salzburg Festival for Elektra. The 2021/22 season kicked off with her debut at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden with Jenufa, at the Vienna State Opera as Elisabetta in Don Carlos under Franz Welser-Möst and as Manon Lescaut under Nicola Luisotti. Other engagements take her to La Scala in Milan (Pique Dame under Valery Gergiev), to the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, where she debuts as Jenufa, and to the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden (Pique Dame under Kirill Petrenko). Asmik Grigorian works with world-leading conductors such as Valery Gergiev, Gianandrea Noseda, Vasily Petrenko, Franz Welser-Möst, Yves Abel, Vladimir Jurowski, Kirill Petrenko, Oksana Lyniv, Markus Stenz, Mikhail Tatarnikov, Alan Gilbert and Michael Tilson-Thomas. Grigorian’s debut album of songs by Rachmaninov will be released in 2022, accompanied by pianist Lukas Genusias (Alpha Classics). She will also sing an excerpt of the songs at the Taggenbrunn Festival.

1. In the Silence of the Secret Night / В молчаньи ночи тайной (V molchan′i nochi taynoy) Lento (D major) op.4 no.3
2. Do Not Sing, My Beauty / Не пой, красавица (Ne poy, krasavitsa, pri mne) Allegretto (A minor) op.4 no.4
3. Child! Thou Art as Beautiful as a Flower / Дитя! Как цветок, ты прекрасна (Ditya! kak tsvetok ty prekrasna) Andante (E♭ major) op.8 no. 2
4. The Dream / Сон (Son) Allegretto (E♭ major) op.8 no.5
5. These Summer Nights / Эти летние ночи (Eti letniye nochi) Allegro (E major) op.14 no.5
6. Oh, Do Not Grieve! / О, не грусти! (O ne grusti) Andante (F minor) op.14 no.8
7. Spring Waters / Весенние воды (Vesenniye vody) Allegro vivace (E♭ major) op.14 no.11
8. Believe Me Not, Friend! / Не верь мне, друг! (Ne ver′ mne, drug!) Allegro moderato (C major) op.14 no.7
9. I Wait for Thee / Я жду тебя (Ya zhdu tebya) Largo (F major) op.14 no.1
10. Twilight / Сумерки (Sumerki) Lento (E minor) op.21 no.3
11. They Answered / Они отвечали (Oni otvechali) Allegro vivace (D♭ major) op.21 no.4
12. How Fair this Spot / Здесь хорошо (Zdes′ khorosho) Moderato (A major) op.21 no.7
13. Fragment from Musset / Отрывок из А. Мюссе (Otryvok iz A. Myusse) Allegro non tanto (F♯ minor) op.21 no.6
14. No Prophet I / Я не пророк (Ya ne prorok) Moderato (E♭ major) op.21 no.11
15. How Painful for Me / Как мне больно (Kak mne bol′no) Allegro mosso (G minor) op.21 no.12
16. Lilacs / Сирень (Siren’ ) Allegretto (A♭ major) op.21 no.5
17. Let Us Rest / Мы отдохнём (My otdokhnyom) Lento (D minor) op.26 no.3
18. He Took All from Me / Всё отнял у меня (Vsyo otnyal u menya) Tempo Moderato (F♯ minor) op.26 no.2
19. Dissonance / Диссонанс (Dissonans) Non Allegro. Agitato (E♭ minor) op.34 no.13
20. Vocalise / Вокализ (Vokaliz) Lentamente. Molto cantabile (C♯ minor) op.34 no.14