Silvia Tro Santafé – Mezzo Soprano

“Thrilling top notes; dark resonance below; unfailingly expressive.”  The Times

Spanish Mezzo-soprano Silvia Tro Santafé has established a major reputation with audiences and leading opera houses over the world. Her repertoire ranges from the Baroque to the 21st century, but above all she is recognised as one of today’s finest exponents of Rossini and the Bel Canto. Her Rosina (“big warm notes which, as the voice ascended, opened out to reveal a shining secure top” Washington Post) and Cenerentola have been heard in Vienna State Opera, Berlin, Zurich, Amsterdam, Washington, Palermo, Bologna and Munich and her Italiana in Teatro alla Scala, Teatro Real Madrid, Amsterdam and Zurich. Seria roles include Arsace SEMIRAMIDE (Napoli – “nella parte di Arsace è apparsa la migliore per fluidità di canto e adesione al personaggio” La Repubblica) Malcom LA DONNA DEL LAGO and, recently recorded for Opera Rara, Arsace AURELIANO IN PALMIRA (“technically impeccable and generous of tone” The Guardian). Over the last seasons her repertoire has extended to Bellini’s Adalgisa NORMA in Berlin and Brussels (“Silvia Tro Santafé fait merveille,elle évolue en souplesse sur toute la tessitura: l’aigu s’envole clair et tender et ses duos avec Edita Gruberova respirent d’une subtile harmonie d’inflexions communes” Le Soir), Romeo CAPULETI at the Munich State Opera and Isoletta LA STRANIERA in Moscow. Her Donizetti repertoire includes Orsini LUCREZIA BORGIA, in Brussels, Munich and recorded with Edita Gruberova, Sara ROBERTO DEVEREUX, Giovanna Seymour ANNA BOLENA, and most recently Elisabetta MARIA STUARDA at the Opera Liceu in Barcelona (“Her interpretation grew through the performance, showing the hate, the evil of the character with a fearless passion” El Pais).

She has recorded and performed many of the greatest roles of the Baroque including the title roles of XERXES (Champs Elysées) RINALDO (Berlin State Opera) ARIODANTE (Barcelona) and has appeared as Polinesso ARIODANTE (Salzburg Festival, Paris Opera) Tolomeo GIULIO CESARE (Netherlands Opera). Recent concert performances have included Verdi REQUIEM (Hamburg) Rossini STABAT MATER (Royal Liverpool Philharmonic).

Recent highlights of her wide repertoire on CD and DVD include Händel’s DEIDAMIA (Netherlands Opera – “sang like a god, with a warm voice suffusing both her legato and dazzling coloratura, a combination of Horne and Berganza” Mundo Clásico “If heroism is measured in vocal terms, the palm goes to Silvia Tro Santafé for her firm, vibrant singing of Ulisse” New York Times) to Massenet’s DON QUICHOTTE (La Monnaie – “une Dulcinée souveraine – par la puissance, par la couleur, par la precision du contrôle…” La Libre). Her recent solo recital discography was acclaimed, SPANISH HEROINES (Signum Classics “Et avec quelle puissance d’émotions elle l’emporte! Juste la voix sur de grandes lignes mélodiques, entrecoupées d’envolées lyriques. Une magnifique interpretation” Harmonia Mundi “an impressive voice and sound vocal technique” International Record Review) and ROSSINI MEZZO (Signum “attacking the myriad notes with accuracy, with no suggestion of cheating by insertion of aspirates. To these strengths can be added her breath control…impressive” Record Review  “a most impressive recital” Gramophone Magazine)

Future plans include a return to the Teatro Real Madrid for productions of Mozart LUCIO SILLA and Donzetti ROBERTO DEVEREUX and a return to the role of Charlotte WERTHER in Las Palmas and to the role of Orsini at the Munich State Opera.

January 2015