Artist Of The Week: Wallis Giunta

Rising Star Makes Her Role Debut As The Iconic ‘Carmen’ At Opera Leipzig

By Francisco Salazar

It’s been a big year for Canadian mezzo-soprano Wallis Giunta.

Since winning the “Young Singer of the Year” at the Opera Awards, the mezzo has made numerous debuts and has sung at high profile performances including one at the BBC Proms and is slated to make major debuts at the Barbican for the Grange Festival, and at the Royal Opera Muscat. Now she returns to Oper Leipzig where she has been an ensemble member since the 2015-16 season and where she has performed many leading roles including “La Cenerentola,” Prince Orlofsky in “Die Fledermaus” and Cherubino in “Le Nozze di Figaro.”

And this season she will make one of her biggest role debuts.

Giunta will sing the title role of “Carmen” for the first time; it will be her second title role with the company. This will also be her first of two role debuts this season with the company as she will also perform the role of Octavian in “Der Rosenkavalier,” another important role in the repertory.

Later in the season, the mezzo will continue to expand her visibility as she makes her role debut as Idamante in “Idomeneo” at Opera Atelier. She will also continue performing in London at the Grange Festival and in Seville.

Recordings

For those who are not familiar with Giunta’s voice, the mezzo is on “The Merry Widow” DVD from the Metropolitan Opera and also released a Strauss Lieder album for Ulysses featuring pianist Carsen Becke.

Here is the mezzo-soprano in a preview for “Carmen. ”

And here she is performing the “Segudille” from “Carmen.”

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