Performers - Bellini Opera Foundation

Lidia Doroshina–graduated from the Music University in Taganrog, Russia then attended the Donesk Conservatory in the Ukraine. She was accelerated through the Conservatory finishing her studies at the top of her class in four years; and graduated with degrees for piano, piano teaching, and concert master for instruments, voice and chamber music. She then taught piano, accompaniment and ensemble for 30 years at the Music University in Taganrog and was head of the piano teachers at the University. She has performed as a soloist, and accompanied many artists, both instrumentalists and vocalists. She presently teache piano privately, She is a member of the Southwest Florida Teachers Association. The Florida Music teachers Association, the Southwest Florida Symphony Society, and the Naples Music Club and the official accompanist of the SWF Italian Opera Society.

Joseph Calleja is already one of the tenors most sought after by leading opera houses on both sides of the Atlantic. His voice has routinely inspired comparisons to “legendary singers from earlier eras: Jussi Björling, Beniamino Gigli, even Enrico Caruso” (Associated Press). The Maltese tenor’s recent successes include role debuts at the Metropolitan Opera, where he “gave his all, singing with ardor, stamina, and poignant vocal colorings and winning a rousing ovation” in the title role of Bartlett Sher’s new Tales of Hoffmann (New York Times), and at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, where, almost “steal[ing] the show” (Independent), he proved himself a “thrilling Adorno” (Financial Times) opposite Plácido Domingo in Simon Boccanegra.

In the 2010-11 season, Calleja takes on three signature roles at the Met: Rodolfo in La bohème, Edgardo opposite Natalie Dessay in Lucia di Lammermoor, and the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto, the role in which he made his house debut in 2006. Additional upcoming highlights include the role of Pinkerton in Houston Grand Opera’s new, season-opening production of Madama Butterfly; his Canadian recital debut at Toronto’s Roy Thompson Hall; and the release of his next recording for Decca, an album of Italian and French arias. On the other side of the Atlantic, Calleja returns to two of Germany’s most prestigious houses—Munich’s Bayerische Staatsoper for L’elisir d’amore and La bohème and Berlin’s Deutsche Oper for Lucia—and gives a concert of opera arias in Istanbul, Turkey. The tenor ends the season on tour with the Metropolitan Opera in Japan, singing Edgardo opposite Diana Damrau’s Lucia.

Last season, along with impressive role debuts as Hoffmann and Adorno and a third as Ruggiero in La rondine in Frankfurt, Calleja sang Rodolfo at the Staatsoper Hamburg and Vienna Staatsoper; Macduff in Verdi’s Macbeth with the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich; and Nemorino in a new L’elisir d’amore at Tokyo’s New National Theatre. His numerous concert appearances included recitals in France, Romania, Japan, and his native Malta.

Calleja’s engagements have placed him in 28 leading roles and taken him to virtually every major European city, a remarkable achievement for a 32-year-old. He made his Covent Garden debut as the Duke of Mantua, and soon returned to sing Alfredo and Macduff, as well as in concert as Nicias in Massenet’s Thaïs. At the Vienna Staatsoper he has performed Elvin in La somnambula, Arturo in I puritani, Verdi’s Duke, Rodolfo, Alfredo, and Nemorino, and the title role of Roberto Devereux. He sang Tebaldo in Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi at the Konzerthaus in Vienna alongside Anna Netrebko and Elîna Garanèa in concert performances recorded by Deutsche Grammophon and released in early 2009. Calleja appeared with Zurich Opera as Verdi’s Duke and Elvino, and at the Salzburg Festival as Tebaldo in concert performances conducted by Ivor Bolton. The Duke of Mantua was the vehicle for debuts with the Bayerische Staatsoper, Netherlands Opera, Welsh National Opera, and Deutsche Oper Berlin, where he has since sung Arturo and given his first performances in the title role of Gounod’s Faust. Audiences at Barcelona’s Gran Teatre de Liceu first saw him as Nemorino, and he debuted as Rodolfo with Dresden Semperoper and Frankfurt Opera, where he returned for his role debut as Roméo in Roméo et Juliette. Calleja’s German debut was as Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni at the Regensburg Festival, a role he reprised for his debut with the Teatre Principal, Majorca. His first appearance at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro was in the role of Lind in the world premiere of Azio Corghi’s Isabella. Highlights of recent seasons also include performances as Alfredo in a new production of La traviata at the Opera National du Rhin, Strasbourg; Ernesto in Don Pasquale in Brussels; Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia in Liège; Fenton in Falstaff at the Teatro Regio Torino; Edoardo di Sanval in Verdi’s Un giorno di regno in Bologna; the Duke in Rotterdam and Copenhagen; Rodolfo at the Bregenz Festival; and Leicester in Maria Stuarda in Stockholm and Parma.

Calleja made his United States debut as Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi at the Spoleto Festival. He appeared as Macduff with Seattle Opera and debuted with both Los Angeles Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago as Alfredo in La traviata. At the Metropolitan Opera in New York, he has sung Verdi’s Duke, Macduff, and Nemorino. Further U.S. appearances include Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia, the Duke of Mantua for Washington Opera, and Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor for Minnesota Opera. In 2000, when he was a mere 22 years old, he made his Canadian debut in Toronto as Rodolfo in La bohème.

An exclusive Decca recording artist since 2003, his first two albums of opera arias, The Golden Voice and Tenor Arias, captured critical and popular acclaim, and prompted Riccardo Chailly, with whom he collaborated on the first recording, to comment, “For some time I have not heard such a talent at this young age, with a sound harking back to a quality I thought we had long lost.” Both albums won Editor’s Choice in Gramophone magazine, and the Observer described Calleja as “a rare discovery, evoking memories from Caruso to Domingo with the suppleness of his tone and the expressive, highly individual lyricism he brings to even the most familiar material.”

Also in great demand as a concert artist, Calleja has toured throughout Germany in recitals and solo concerts, and with soprano Anna Netrebko. Additionally, he has appeared in opera galas including Leipzig, the Hampton Court and Faenol Festivals in the UK with Bryn Terfel, and at the Sejong Cultural Center in Seoul, Korea. Calleja has sung Rossini’s Stabat Mater at the Festival de Música de Canarias; Verdi’s Messa da Requiem with Riccardo Chailly, Gianandrea Noseda, and Juri Belohlavek at London’s BBC Proms; and Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass at the Salzburg Easter Festival.

Born in Malta in 1978, Joseph Calleja began singing at the age of 16, training with Maltese tenor Paul Asciak. He made his professional debut in Malta in 1997 as Macduff in Macbeth and won an award in the Belvedere Hans Gabor competition later that year. He went on to win the 1998 Caruso Competition in Milan and was a prizewinner in Domingo’s Operalia the following year.

A very versatile performer, Lisa’s credits include Mercedes in Carmen with the San Diego Opera, repeating the role with Michigan Opera Theatre; Lola

in Cavalleria Rustincana with the Pine Mountain Music Festival; Flora in La Traviata with the Dorian Opera Theatre in Iowa; Hansel in Hansel and Gretel with the Adrian Symphony, and Zita in Gianni Schicchi with the Verdi Opera in 2006. She performed the title role of La Cenerentola while touring with the Utah Opera Studio, Lisa has been critically praised as “a great Flora, with striking good looks and a fine voice, “and a lively and likeable Carmen” (Il Giardino Lirico). In 2008, she performed in the Sarasota Opera production of Boris Godounoff along with the Italian Basso, Ferruccio Furlanetto and in the Michigan Opera theatre’s production, A Little Night Music. Visit her on line at lisaagazzi.com.

Lara is a student at Central Michigan University with a double major in Vocal Performance and Music Education. Lara began performing at the age of three, influenced by older siblings; all with a flair for singing and a love for the stage.

Born and raised on Grosse Ile, Michigan, Lara has thrilled audiences with her versatile and vibrant performances. Whether it be singing or breathing life into a character, Lara’s genuine passion for the stage has endeared her to young and old alike. In the past year, Lara has presented four voice recitals, and made many soloist appearances for a variety of charity, collegiate and community events. As a member of three different church choirs, Lara maintains a busy schedule.

As an up and coming lyric-coloratura soprano, Lara has gained recognition through numerous competitions and scholarships. Most recent include: 2010 Wayne County Young Artist Award, 2010 Detroit Hungarian Arts Scholarship, 2010 Delta Kappa Gamma Scholarship, 2010 American Guild of Music Broadway Champion and Classical Champion and won the 2010 title “Young Vocal Artist”, by Delta Iota of Delta Omicron, Central Michigan University.

Kimberly Swan is a native of Livonia, Michigan. A graduate of the University of Michigan and the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, Kimberly holds two degrees in vocal performance. She has appeared in supportive and leading roles in operas and musicals over the past twenty years; some of these venues include the Bay View Music Festival, the Verdi Opera Theatre, Musica da Camera and the Great Lakes Lyric Opera. Kimberly has also appeared as the soprano soloist with the Michigan Gospel Singers in numerous concerts throughout Europe. Some of the countries toured are France, England, Switzerland and Scotland.

To further her studies, in 1992 Kimberly attended the International Institute of Vocal Arts in Italy where she studied and performed numerous operatic programs. Since returning to the area, Kimberly has established a private vocal studio that provides individual lessons to more than sixty students. In addition to private instruction, Ms. Swan has also instructed students on the collegiate level as an Assistant Professor of Voice at both William Tyndale College and Madonna University.

Kimberly currently appears in the Metro-Detroit area with the Verdi Opera Theater, the Great Lakes Lyric Opera, the Detroit Choral Artists, The Tyndale Artists Ensemble, Fifth Season Ensemble and Musica da Camera. A devote believer in healthy vocal production, she also holds several seminars and clinics for various choirs and youth organizations, to promote interest in good vocal technique and in the vocal arts.

For more information on Kimberly Swan, please visit her website at www.KimberlySwan.net.