A Grand Wichita Opera Debut

Since earning a bachelor’s degree in vocal music education from Wichita State, Joyce DiDonato ’92 has soared to international fame.

This Kansas-born mezzo-soprano, whose 2001 debut at Italy’s world-famous La Scala opera house earned her immediate and hearty praise, has garnered accolades from every corner of the globe.

Her critically acclaimed appearances have won over audiences in Amsterdam, Geneva, London, Milan, Munich, New York, Paris, San Francisco and Tokyo.

This spring, she will star in the Wichita Grand Opera production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia.

DiDonato says, “What a thrill it is for me to ‘come home’ to Wichita! Since leaving WSU in 1993, I’ve travelled the world singing for countless strangers, working on my craft and building up a number of performances in the process. However, even though I may sing in London and Paris and New York, there is nothing quite like coming home and singing for family. I’m honored to be returning, and hope that the fruits of my great education at WSU will be on display — I’d hate for my professors to think I hadn’t learned properly!”

Among her many plaudits are the 2007 Beverly Sills Award, presented to Metropolitan Opera soloists who have proven themselves to possess an “extraordinary gift,” France’s coveted Diapason d’Or de l’Année and the Richard Tucker Foundation Award.

DiDonato, who also has been recognized by the WSU Alumni Association with the 2006 WSU Young Alumna Award, credits her alma mater with providing her “phenomenal performance experience. Most importantly, WSU faculty instilled in me a joy in music, a joy in singing.”

DiDonato’s voice and charismatic stage presence consistently earn her rave reviews. Opera News describes her as “elegant, unaffected and enchanting,” while The Times (London) notes, “It is a remarkable package that DiDonato offers: a mezzo cast in milk chocolate, so smooth and agile that it can reach up to a diamond-bright soprano as well as sink to a rich, chesty alto.” Critics have called her technique “fearless” and described her performing ability as ranging from “playful eroticism, to imploding self-delusion, to near-catatonic depression.”

George Gibson, WSU professor emeritus of music who has helped launch many Wichita State vocal students into the world of opera, describes DiDonato and her talents this way: “Her voice is vibrant, well focused and tremendously agile. Those qualities alone distinguish her among mezzos, but she can also sing the long lyric lines — a combination that is extraordinary when paired with her wonderful range, stage presence and acting ability.”

DiDonato is particularly admired for her interpretations of the works of Handel, Mozart and Rossini. Her signature roles include Angelina in Rossini’s La Cenerentola (Cinderella) and Rosina in The Barber of Seville. Her Rosina thrilled audiences in New York and on cinema screens worldwide — The London Sunday Times called her “the best Rosina around.”

Rosina is the role she will play in her professional debut in Wichita. “Wichita Grand Opera is proud to continue the tradition of bringing Kansas born superstars back home to Kansas,” says Parvan Bakardiev, wgo general director. For the past two seasons, WGO brought world-renowned Samuel Ramey ’68 to Wichita to perform. Bakardiev adds, “We were pleased to have given Samuel Ramey his professional debut in his home state, and we are equally pleased to give Joyce DiDonato the same opportunity. This is once again a major coup for Wichita as we continue to present the biggest and the best for our audiences.”

DiDonato will portray Rosina April 25 and 26 in WGO's production of Rossini’s comic masterpiece, which unfolds the tale of a young nobleman in love who, with help from the town’s mischievous barber Figaro, woos the beautiful Rosina right under the nose of her guardian, Dr. Bartolo, who wants to marry her himself.

Starring opposite DiDonato will be bass Stefano de Peppo as Bartolo, William Browning in the role of Figaro and tenor Patrick Greene as lovestruck Count Almaviva. Bass Scott Conner will sing the part of Basilio.

DiDonato’s 2009 performance schedule is, as it has been for years now, full to brimming. From Feb. 27 through March 22, she was in Paris, performing the part of Idamante in Mozart’s Idomeneo at the Opéra National de Paris. Immediately before her WGO appearances, she will make her house debut with the Wiener Staatsoper in Vienna, Austria, in its April 14 production of Barber. May 7, 8 and 9 will find her singing with the New York Philharmonic in the world premiere of Peter Lieberson’s The World in Flower. Among her previous world-premiere portrayals are Meg in Mark Adamo’s Little Women and Grace Kelly in Michael Daugherty’s Jackie O.

The sixth of seven siblings, Joyce Flaherty grew up in Prairie Village, Kan. When she arrived on Wichita State’s campus in fall 1988, she brought with her an interest in musical theater and every intention to become a high school vocal music teacher. But as a junior, she was cast in Die Fledermaus, an experience that re-focused her interests and intentions.

After graduating from WSU, she pursued graduate studies at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia and participated in a number of the country’s best young artist programs, including those of the Santa Fe Opera, the Houston Grand Opera and the San Francisco Opera.

She began her professional career in 1998-99, singing with several regional opera companies in the United States. That season, she notably portrayed the heroine, Maslova, in the Houston Grand Opera’s world premiere of Tod Machover’s Resurrection.

A decade later and going strong, DiDonato sells out recital venues and is an accomplished recording artist. Earlier this year, her first solo disc, Furore, was released to high praise. Opera’s George Loomis, for example, says, “The voice, luscious and resonant, has ample weight without ever sounding heavy, and the timbre itself has an inherent element of excitement. ... I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a solo Handel disc this much.”

So is this in-the-spotlight life the one young Joyce dreamed of growing up? DiDonato answers that in her online journal: “In no way shape or form was this the life I expected to be living today. I never dared to dream so big.”