Nadia Krasteva mezzo-soprano
Born in Sofia, Bulgaria, Nadia Krasteva has established herself as one of the most exciting mezzo-sopranos of her generation, with performances at such leading theaters as the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Vienna State Opera, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Dutch National Opera, Berlin State Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Paris Opera, Zurich Opera, Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia, Semperoper Dresden, Theater an der Wien, Arena di Verona, Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, and Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.
In the current season, Krasteva makes her debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as Maddalena in Rigoletto, after which she will sing Ulrica in Un ballo in maschera at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and Amneris in Aida at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires.
Krasteva began the 2016/17 season with her debut at the Teatro Regio di Torino as Dalila in Samson et Dalila, after which she made both her role and house debuts as Princess de Bouillon in Adriana Lecouvreur at the Teatro Colon. She also appeared in Munich as the Foreign Princess in Rusalka, Princess Eboli in Don Carlos, and Preziosilla in La forza del destino.
Krasteva’s engagements for the 2015/16 season included Maddalena in Rigoletto and Ulrica in Un ballo in maschera at the Vienna State Opera, Princess Eboli in Don Carlos at the San Francisco Opera, Sofia Opera and Teatro Auditorio San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Dalila in Samson et Dalila at the Sofia Opera and National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, and Azucena in Il trovatore at the Bavarian State Opera. In the 2014/15 season, she sang Eboli at the Metropolitan Opera and Semperoper Dresden, Maddalena/Giovanna in Rigoletto and Preziosilla at the Bavarian State Opera, and Dalila at the Sofia Opera. Her engagements from the 2013/14 season included Amneris in Aida at the Teatro alla Scala and Berlin State Opera, Olga in Eugene Onegin, Adalgisa in Norma and Giulietta in Les contes d’Hoffmann at the Vienna State Opera, and Preziosilla at the Bavarian State Opera and Munich Opera Festival.
Other roles in Krasteva’s repertoire include Venus in Tannhäuser, Sara in Roberto Devereux, Marina in Boris Godunov, Leonor de Guzman in La Favorite, and Suzuki in Madama Buterfly. She has also performed as the title role in Carmen at the Vienna State Opera, Arena di Verona, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Dutch National Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, Bolshoi Theatre, Latvian National Opera, Sofia Opera, St. Margarethen Opera Festival, Savonlinna Opera festival, and Riga Opera Festival.
Nadia Krasteva graduated from the National Academy of Music in Bulgaria and subsequently studied in Rome with Anita Cirquetti. She began her professional career in Bulgaria in 2001, debuting in such roles as Carmen, Maddalena, and Fenena in Nabucco. One year later, Krasteva received an invitation to join the Vienna State Opera, where she soon became one of their leading mezzo-sopranos. She was a member of the ensemble of the Vienna State Opera from September of 2002 to June of 2012, making her stage debut as Fenena and gradually performing more than thirty roles, including Princess Eboli, Leonor de Guzman, Sara, Preziosilla, Marina, Olga, and Suzuki.