Aleksandra Kurzak

On 26 May 1999, Kurzak made her opera debut in the role of Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro alongside her mother as the countess at the Wrocław Opera,[7] where she was a soloist for two seasons (2000-2002).[3] In 2001, she performed Hanna in Moniuszko's The Haunted Manor at the Polish National Opera in Warsaw. She also returned to the role in January 2007 when the production was again revived.[8]

In the 2001/02 season she joined the Young Artists' Programme of the Hamburg State Opera, and then became an ensemble member from the 2003/04 season.[9] After successful performances as Gilda in Rigoletto and the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute, she gained recognition and was subsequently engaged in various roles including Blonde in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Adele in Die Fledermaus, Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro.[10] In 2004, she performed Marzelline in Fidelio.[11] In 2005, she performed Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare and Servilia in La clemenza di Tito.[12] After Fraarte in Handel's Radamisto in May 2007,[13] she embarked a freelance career.

Kurzak received international attention when she debuted at the New York Metropolitan Opera as Olympia in The Tales of Hoffmann in December 2004,[14] and at the Royal Opera, London as Aspasia in Mitridate, re di Ponto in July 2005.[15] She also debuted at the Bavarian State Opera, performing Cleopatra, Adele, Rosina in The Barber of Seville and Fiorilla in Il turco in Italia. She returned to the Royal Opera in the following seasons as Norina in Don Pasquale, Adina in the premiere of Pelly's production of L'elisir d'amore, Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, and Matilde in Matilde di Shabran.[16] Besides Gilda being her signature role,[17] she also performed Ännchen in Der Freischütz at the Salzburg Festival, Norina in at the Teatro Massimo,[18] Blonde in Die Entführung at the Metropolitan Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago.[19] In 2008 she debuted at the Vienna State Opera as Rosina.[20] In 2009, she portrayed Aspasia again at the Palacio de la Ópera in A Coruña and Welsh National Opera, and was later featured in Don Giovanni as Donna Anna and Tancredi as Amenaide at the Theater an der Wien.[21][22]

In 2010, she debuted in the role of Violetta in the Polish National Opera's premiere of La traviata, which revived in later seasons with her in the same role.[23] In October, she debuted as Lucia at the Seattle Opera and was then named 2010/11 "Artist of the Year" by the company for the performances.[24] Despite the success as Violetta and Lucia,[25][26] she performed primarily lighter roles such as Fiorilla,[27] Rosina,[28] Adina,[29] Marie in La fille du régiment,[30] and some Mozartian roles such as Donna Anna and Susanna,[31][32] with Gilda remaining her most frequent role.[33] In 2011, she debuted at the Los Angeles Opera as Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte in September and returned to the Metropolitan Opera as Gretel in Hansel and Gretel in December.[34] In 2012, she opened Gounod's Roméo et Juliette as Juliette at the Verona Arena and returned to Covent Garden in a revival of Pelly's production of L'elisir d'amore.[35] In September 2013, she went on maternity leave, withdrawing from Rigoletto opening in November at the Metropolitan Opera. She was replaced by Irina Lungu and Sonya Yoncheva.[36]

Kurzak returned to stage in performances of L'elisir d'amore at the Bavarian State Opera in May 2014. She portrayed her role in various productions of the same opera including Pelly's production at her Paris Opera debut and Sher's production at the Metropolitan Opera.[37] She continued to give performances as Gilda in various venues such as the Royal Opera House and Vienna State Opera,[38] as Marie at the Teatro Real and Norina at the Zürich Opera House.[39] She further debuted as Adèle in Le comte Ory at La Scala and returned into a revival of Hansel and Gretel at the Metropolitan Opera.[40] In 2015, she debuted at the Deutsche Oper Berlin as Violetta in La traviata and returned to Il turco in Italia at the London Royal Opera, for which she won the Best Female Singer in the Bachtrack Opera Awards.[41] She then performed the title role in Maria Stuarda at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.[42]

In 2016, besides reprising Lucia at the Royal Opera,[43] she made several role debuts including Rachel in La Juive at the Bavarian State Opera, Nedda in Pagliacci at the Zürich Opera House, Mimì in La bohème at the Berlin State Opera.[44] In 2017, she debuted as Micaëla in Carmen and Alice Ford in Falstaff at the Opéra Bastille,[45] Liù in Turandot at the Royal Opera, Vitellia in La clemenza di Tito at the Palais Garnier.[46] In 2018, she debuted as Desdemona in Otello and reprised Liù at the Vienna State Opera.[47] She went on to perform Desdemona at the Hamburg State Opera and Paris Opera.[48] She also performed Nedda at the Metropolitan Opera, Violetta at the Opéra Bastille, and debuted as the title role in a concert performance of Luisa Miller at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo.[49][50] The year 2019 saw her performance as Micaëla at the Metropolitan Opera, as Violetta at the Verona Arena, and as Nedda in various venues.[51][52][53] She also debuted as the title role in an open-air concert performance of Madama Butterfly at the Parade Square in Warsaw and as Elisabetta di Valois in Don Carlo at the Paris Opera.[54][55]

In 2020, Kurzak gave performances as Violetta at the Metropolitan Opera and at the Royal Opera House.[56]

Kurzak was frequently featured in Carl Orff's Carmina Burana as the soprano soloist.[57] In February 2015 she took part in Szymanowski's Stabat Mater conducted by Ingo Metzmacher at the Berliner Philharmonie and Wiener Musikverein.[58] On 20 November 2016, she performed in Nowowiejski's oratorio Quo Vadis at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw,[59] where she returned for Verdi's Requiem conducted by Jacek Kaspszyk on 27 September 2019.[60] She is also an interpreter of songs by Chopin.[61][62][63]

She was featured in the 2011 Napa Valley Festival del Sole[64] and was a guest performer at the 2012 Semperopernball.[65]