Kasarova, Vesselina (Ivanova)

Kasarova, Vesselina (Ivanova) , admired Bulgarian-born Swiss mezzo-soprano; b. Stara Zagora, July 18, 1965. She was a student at the Christina Morfova music gymnasium in Stara Zagora (1979–84), and then pursued her musical education at the National Music Academy in Sofia, where her vocal mentor was Ressa Koleva (diploma, 1989). On April 17, 1988, she made her operatic debut as Rosina at the Bulgarian National Opera in Sofia. In 1989 she won 1^st prize in the Neue Stimmen competition in Gütersloh. That same year she made her first appearance at the Zürich Opera as Stéphano in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, and continued on its roster until 1991. After singing Annio in La clemenza di Tito at the Salzburg Festival in 1991, she returned there to critical acclaim in 1992 as Tancredi. She made her debut at the Vienna State Opera in 1991 as Rosina, and continued to sing there as a member of the company until 1993. In 1993 she made her first appearance at London’s Covent Garden as Rosina, and as Cherubino at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich. From 1993 to 1996 she was a member of the Zürich Opera. She made her first appearance at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin in 1995 as Rossini’s Isabella, which role she also portrayed that year at her debut at the Teatro Comunale in Florence. In 1996 she made her debut at the Opéra de la Bastille in Paris as Bellini’s Romeo. Her U.S. debut followed in 1997 as Idamante at the Lyric Opera in Chicago. Following an engagement as Angelina in La Cenerentola in Pesaro in 1998, she sang Sesto in Munich in 1999. She appeared as a soloist with many leading orchs. and also toured widely as a recitalist.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire