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Rolling out Russia’s Red Carpet
Mardi Byers nominated for Russia’s most prestigious theater award The Golden Mask
Making her return to Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater, Mardi Byers brings back her much lauded portrayal of Marie in Berg’s Wozzeck, for which she has received this year’s Golden Mask nomination in the category “Best Female Role in an Opera”. Russia’s national theater award and highest artistic accolade, established in 1994 by the Theatre Union of Russia, recognizes excellence in all genres of theater art encompassing drama, opera, ballet, modern dance, operetta, musical, and puppet theatre.
Also nominated for “Best Opera Production”, Wozzeck performances on March 11th and 13th are part of the annual Golden Mask Festival, Russia’s largest and most prominent performing arts festival, which runs from January 4th through April 14th, and closes with its highly publicized awards ceremony on April 15.
Read reviews from Opera News and The Herald Tribune
See the pics
The Year of the Diva
Announcing the 2010-2011 Season
The upcoming season continues to showcase the “Grace Kelly of the Opera World” in her signature and most acclaimed “prima donna” roles. Following her triumphant performance at The First Night of the BBC Proms as the First Soprano Soloist in Mahler’s 8th Symphony, Mardi will make her highly anticipated debut with Finnish National Opera on September 17th, starring in the title role of Verdi’s Aida. In October she takes the role of the Ethiopian princess to Theater Basel in a new production directed by Spanish stage director Calixto Bieito. The Fall also sees the reprise of the title role in Ariadne auf Naxos and Marrietta in Korngold’s Die Tote Stadt at the Nürnberg State Theater.
‘Mardi Byers wears the title role of the caricatured Diva like a second skin and begins to float on soprano clouds.’
Die Abendzeitung
The spring brings performances of Die Tote Stadt at Stadtheater Bern, and on June 4th Mardi returns to her signature role of Floria Tosca. Starring as Puccini's heroine at the Nürnberg State Theater, she reprises the title role in which she made her operatic debut, earning her critical and public acclaim, and launching her international career.
Mardi Byers as The Hit Single on NPR's World of Opera
Broadcast live frorm the Bolshoi, NPR World of Opera declares "The young American soprano Mardi Byers shines in the challenging role of Marie." Listen to her singing Marie's Lullaby on NPR's Hit Single list.
Mardi Byers “soars” at The First Night of the Proms
Marking her UK- debut LIVE on the BBC
Mardi Byers joins the ranks of the finest names in singing by opening the BBC Proms in London's Royal Albert Hall to critical acclaim. British press declares her performance of the 1 st Soprano in Mahler's Symphony No. 8 as “ecstatic and powerful”.
“Mardi Byers was particularly good as the penitent sinner, bringing a heartfelt, tender note into the din” - writes The Telegraph. Wearing an original gown exclusively designed for this event by star Swiss fashion designer Ida Gut, and performing with BBC Orchestra under the direction of Jiří Bělohlávek, “Mardi Byers soared over the massed choirs” of over 400 adult and children's voices in this “Symphony of a Thousand.”
From Moscow to London
Mardi Byers conquers the far corners of Europe
"The Grace Kelly of the Opera World" (Die Welt) makes her UK debut singing Mahler's Symphony No. 8 at the BBC “First Night of the Proms” at the Royal Albert Hall in London on July 16 th 2010. She will open the BBC's 150 th anniversary celebration of Mahler's birth with live broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Two.
This comes on the heels of her eagerly awaited return to the Bolshoi Theater as Marie in Berg's Wozzeck, for which the New York Times described her as ” a memorable Marie, singing with a wealth of vocal colors.” Performance dates are April 30 th and May 2nd.
See Mardi´s Moscow pics...
2009 - Mardi Byers´ breakthrough year
Starring on Europe 's major stages:
Bregenz Festival, Bolshoi Moscow, Bayerische Staatsoper Munich, and the Hamburgische Staatsoper
Mardi Byers is quickly becoming the Aida of choice in Europe. Following her celebrated debut in the role at the Staatstheater Nürnberg, she spent the summer rescuing numerous Aida productions throughout Europe . Her successful jump-in at the Bavarian State Opera under the baton of Daniele Gatti, the Bremen Seebühne, and in Grahm Vick's production at the Bregenz Festival, gained her much recognition, and have led to her invitation to star in the role in Finnish National Opera's 2010 season production.
With Verdi Mardi opened the 2009 season in her much awaited Hamburger Staatsoper debut singing the role of Amalia in Simon Boccanegra. In the spring she debuted in the challenging role of Marietta from Korngold's Die Tote Stadt with the Staatstheater Nürnberg, where she also recently made her Wagner debut as Elizabeth in Tannhauser earning critical acclaim. On the heels of her highly praised debut at Moscow 's Bolshoi Theater as Marie in Berg's Wozzek, she closes this eventful year with Beethoven's celebrated Ninth Symphony with the Stuttgarter Philharmoniker led by Gabriel Feltz.
Russia calling! The reviews are in...
Mardi Byers makes her long awaited Debut at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow
Mardi Byers stars as Marie in the new 2009/ 10 production of Alban Berg’s Wozzek, hailed as "a powerful and skillful soprano – a chilling combination of stylistic perfection with zealous singing artistry." (Kommersant Daily)
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"Meister-singing" as Elisabeth in Nürnberg
"Mardi Byers shines in her role debut..." (BR Klassik) at the Nürnberger Staatstheater in the new 2009/ 10 production of Tannhäuser
"Brilliant in all of her vocal nuances" (Fränkischer Tag) in her role debut as Elisabeth in Richard Wagner´s Tannhäuser. Mardi Byers sings in a new production directed by Rosamund Gilmore and conducted by Christof Prick.
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Mardi Byers debuts at the Bregenz Festival
Making a huge "splash" as Aida in the 2009 production on the world’s largest floating stage
After starring in the leading Role of Verdi´s masterpiece at the Staatstheater Nürnberg and the Seebühne Bremen, she enjoyed enormous success in the new David Pountney 2009 Production. “I have never heard Aida sung so beautifully than at Bregenz on Friday. It was an honour to be in the audience and well worth the trip from the Uk to hear your beautiful voice…” an audience member commented in Mardi's GUESTBOOK
AudioPlayer
Mardi Byers at The
First Night of the BBC Proms:
Symphony of a Thousand
Mardi Byers on
