Artist of the Week: Sara Jakubiak
American Soprano makes Teatro alla Scala Debut in Shostakovich masterwork
By Francisco Salazar(Credits: Brescia e Amisano)
This week the Teatro alla Scala opens its 2025-26 season celebrating the 50th anniversary of Shostakovich’s death, presenting the 1934 edition of his masterwork “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.” It’s a work that is rarely performed due to its challenging score and huge cast. With La Scala’s new production, several cast members will be appearing with the company for the first time including the star of the evening Sara Jakubiak.
The American soprano will make her house debut in the role of Katerina Ismailova, a role that she previously debuted at the Gran Teatre de Liceu to great acclaim. Critics raved noting, she was “visceral and overflowing with passion” and “fiery, furious, vividly acted and compellingly sung.”
Katerina is a role that is challenging due its musical language and the physiology of the character. Jakubiak told OperaWire in an upcoming interview that the role is complicated as “it has long legato lines that demand pianissimi and forte, and there are parts of the role that are more declamatory…and you need a lot of different colors and tricks to bring Katerina to life.” However, the soprano admitted she is ready for the challenge.
Over the years Jakubiak has performed at many of the leading opera houses in the world including the Royal Opera House, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro Real, and Bayerische Staatsoper. Her repertoire has always been varied exploring rare pieces like “Die Tote Stadt” “Francesca da Rimini” and “Das Wunder der Heliane” and repertoire staples liked “Lohengrin,” Die Walküre” and “Arabella.”
For those not at the Las Scala for the opening night, the opening night of “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” will be streamed worldwide. The soprano is also set to make her role debut as Isolde later this season and she will return to the Hamburg State Opera.
Recordings
To explore more of the soprano’s work, you can watch her DVDs of “Arabella,” “Francesca da Rimini” and “Das Wunder der Heliane” from the Deutsche Oper Berlin.
Here she is in “Francesca da Rimini” and “Die Tote Stadt.”
