American mezzo-soprano Tara Venditti has been acclaimed on four continents as a
“consummate singing actor” (Frankfurter Rundschau) in a wide-ranging repertoire spanning over four centuries’ worth of music. In the 2016/17 season, Ms. Venditti made her company debuts with Florida Grand Opera in the title-role
CARMEN and with Sarasota Opera in her role debut as Isabella
L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI. Other recent engagements for Ms. Venditti include both her Parisian debut and Théâtre du Châtelet debut in France’s premiere of Sondheim’s
PASSION, covering Natalie Dessay in the role of Fosca and performing the role of Fosca’s Mother, Aldonza
MAN OF LA MANCHA for Portland Opera (US) and Olga
EUGENE ONEGIN with Hawaii Opera Theatre.
Sought after for her “sultry voiced” (London Evening Standard) interpretation of the title-role CARMEN, a role Ms. Venditti has performed more than 100 times in productions with Opera Holland Park (London), Staatstheater Mainz, two separate productions at Staatstheater Darmstadt, Theater Bremen, Theater Freiburg, Theater Münster, Kentucky Opera and most recently with Florida Grand Opera. Ms. Venditti’s “incandescent” portrayals of this role have been hailed by audiences and critics alike in sold out-performances.
In recent seasons, Ms. Venditti has made debuts with several major international opera houses and orchestras, including Teatro alla Scala as Frasquita (mezzo-version) CARMEN under the baton of Maestro Gustavo Dudamel, rejoining the maestro for an ensuing concert version of the opera in Caracas with the Simón Bolívar Orchestra; Royal Opera House Covent Garden in the title-role of Handel’s TAMERLANO with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under the baton of Maestro Ivor Bolton; Capella Cracoviensis (Krakow) under the baton of Maestro Alessandro De Marchi in the title role of Handel’s Solomon and Opéra-Théâtre de Metz as Ophélie in the world premiere of Pierre Thilloy’s LE JOUR DES MEURTRES. Other opera companies with which Ms. Venditti has appeared as a soloist include Opéra National de Lyon, New York City Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Opera Memphis, Opera Birmingham, the Center for Contemporary Opera, American Music Theater Festival, Connecticut Grand Opera and Theater Bielefeld.
At Staatstheater Nürnberg, Ms. Venditti’s roles have included Mère Marie DIALOGUES DES CARMÉLITES, Suzuki MADAMA BUTTERFLY, Hänsel HÄNSEL UND GRETEL, Lola CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA, Siebel FAUST, Aldonza MAN OF LA MANCHA, Rosina IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA, Maddalena RIGOLETTO, Olga EUGENE ONEGIN, Orfeo ORFEO ED EURIDICE (Gluck), the title role in DIE GROSSHERZOGIN VON GEROLSTEIN and the roles of Flosshilde and Schwertleite DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN, conducted by Philippe Auguin. This production also toured to the Beijing Music Festival, where it was the first ever Ring Cycle performed in China, going on to earn a “Best of the Fest” award for the ensemble.
A champion of 20th and 21st century repertoire, Ms. Venditti is a first choice among composers and new music organizations, having participated in premieres of numerous new works in New York (including New York City Opera’s CENTRAL PARK TRILOGY), Philadelphia, Green Bay, Memphis, Santa Fe, and most recently Staatstheater Darmstadt’s production of Luigi Nono’s epic work PROMETEO (July 2015). Ms. Venditti has proven herself a unique interpreter of the music of Kurt Weill. In 2015 she debuted with the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna at the Wiener Konzerthaus with a compelling program of Weill’s “Radio Music”, including his cantata written for radio performance The Ballad of Magna Carta. She also bowed at the Israeli Opera Tel Aviv as Leocadja Begbick in AUFSTIEG UND FALL DER STADT MAHAGONNY, conducted by David Stern.
In keeping with her great affinity for song and chamber music, Ms. Venditti and duo partner, pianist, Prof. Dr. Kristin Ditlow, performed three concerts entitled “Alive!” in 2016 featuring works of living composers, in Darmstadt, Germany and at Chatter Albuquerque, New Mexico. Ms. Venditti was a guest artist in residence for a week at the University of New Mexico for Lectures, Masterclasses and Private lessons for their Vocal and Composition Departments.
