Brenda Rae
Brenda Rae is a regular guest at the world’s leading opera houses in a portfolio of demanding principle roles. As a former member of the ensemble of Oper Frankfurt, Brenda Rae amassed an impressive repertoire including Violetta (»La traviata«), Lucia, Konstanze (»Die Entführung aus dem Serail«), Amina (»La sonnambula«), Giulietta (»Les Contes d’Hoffmann«), Zdenka (»Arabella«), and Gilda (»Rigoletto«) which she added in Hendrik Müller’s new production. Zerbinetta (»Ariadne auf Naxos«) has become one of her most celebrated roles, leading to house debuts at the Staatsoper in Berlin and Hamburg as well as further performances at Bayerische Staatsoper. Elsewhere, Rae debuted at Opernhaus Zürich as Konstanze under Riccardo Minasi, English National Opera as Berg’s »Lulu« in William Kentridge’s production, Opéra national de Paris as Anne Trulove (»The Rake’s Progress«), Seattle Opera as Semele, and the 2011 Glyndebourne Festival as Armida (»Rinaldo«), which was part of the BBC Proms and released on DVD by Opus Arte. Further roles include Elvira (»I puritani«) at Oper Frankfurt, and her first Amenaide (»Tancredi«) at Opera Philadelphia. Brenda Rae made her US operatic stage debut at the 2013 Santa Fe Opera Festival as Violetta and has since returned as Norina (»Don Pasquale«), both Mme Vladimirescu and Mme Herz (»The Impresario«), Cunegonde (»Candide«) and Lucia. Brenda’s continued collaboration with Bicket has brought her house debut at Lyric Opera of Chicago as Ginevra (»Ariodante«), and performances as Handel’s »Semele« on tour with The English Concert to London, Paris and New York. Brenda Rae gives a string of high-profile debuts this season including as Adina (»L’elisir d’amore«) for her debut at Teatro Real Madrid in Daminao Michieletto’s production and her long-awaited debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Poppea (»Agrippina«) under Harry Bicket, broadcast live to cinemas around the world as part of The Met’s Live in HD programme. Future projects include her debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. On the concert platform, Brenda Rae joined the orchestra of Teatro alla Scala on two occasions singing Mozart, most recently under Zubin Mehta, and in recital, is a regular guest of the celebrated Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg and Wigmore Hall in London. Brenda Rae appears on several recordings including Wagner’s »Die Feen« and »Ariadne auf Naxos« (both on Oehms Classics), Milhaud’s »The Oresteia of Aeschylus« (Naxos; nominated for a Grammy award), Lowell Liebermann’s »Little Heaven« (Albany Records) and Offenbach’s »Fantasio« released by Opera Rara.