This week, the Teatro San Carlo will open a new production of Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera.” The production will feature numerous debuts, including a major role debut. Among the debutants is Elizabeth DeShong.

DeShong will make two debuts, her house debut at the San Carlo and her role debut as Ulrica. Over the years, DeShong has been a leading mezzo in the bel canto and baroque repertoire before slowly moving into more dramatic works. This past summer, she continued her trajectory in the Verdi repertory, singing Azucena in “Il Trovatore” to great reviews. She has also performed Verdi’s Requiem and Fenena in “Nabucco.”

Now she continues with Ulrica, which is a part known for its low contralto music.

OperaWire has raved about DeShong, noting, “From the first note to her last, she suited the vocal lines perfectly…she seemed to be exploring its expressive qualities throughout.”

Over the years, DeShong has performed at some of the biggest theaters in the world, including the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Royal Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper, Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Los Angeles Opera, among others.

For those not in Napoli for the performances of “Un Ballo in Maschera,” DeShong will also perform the opera in Paris in February and will be broadcast live in cinemas around the world.

Recordings

For those interested in discovering more about DeShong’s work, she has recordings of Meyerbeer’s “Le Prophète” as well as Verdi’s “Nabucco.”

Here she is in “Semiramide” and in “Madama Butterfly.”