Irina Lungu

Born in the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic and raised in Russia, Lungu obtained diplomas in choral conducting, piano and singing at the State Conservatory of Voronezh in Russia, where her voice teacher was Mikhail Podkopaev.{{cite web|url=https://en.riavrn.ru/news/opernaya-pevitsa-irina-lungu-priezzhayu-v-voronezh-za-obektivnoy-kritikoy/|title=Opera singer Irina Lungu: 'I come to Voronezh for unprejudiced criticism'|author=Olesya Shpileva|date=11 September 2016|website=RIA Voronezh}} She won several international competitions, including Operalia in 2004,{{cite web|url=https://www.operaliacompetition.org/winners/#losangeles2004|access-date=24 March 2025|title=Winners: 2004 – Los Angeles: CulturArte Prize|publisher=Operalia}} the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition,{{cite web|url=http://www.belvedere-competition.com/winners/|title=Belvedere-Competition: Winners}} and Voci Verdiane in Busseto, before being accepted in 2003 by the Accademia del Teatro alla Scala, Milan.

In that same year (2003) Riccardo Muti selected Lungu as Anaï in Rossini's Moïse et Pharaon,{{cite web|url=http://www.teatroallascala.org/archivio/interpreti.aspx?lang=it-IT&id_allest=11196&id_event=1463&id_allest_conc=&uid=3c8969c3-9a64-4c44-828b-c529630a129e&objecttype=base|title=Ricerca – Archivio La Scala}}{{dead link|date=March 2025}} the opening opera of the 2003/04 season of the Teatro alla Scala. That was the beginning of a collaboration between Lungu and La Scala, where she has performed Adina in L'elisir d'amore,{{cite web|url=http://www.teatroallascala.org/archivio/interpreti.aspx?lang=it-IT&id_allest=12446&id_event=14204&id_allest_conc=&uid=e85a4510-68ee-45c9-9607-67f8d2bc5582&objecttype=base|title=Ricerca – Archivio La Scala}}{{dead link|date=March 2025}} Maria Stuarda,{{cite web|url=http://www.teatroallascala.org/archivio/interpreti.aspx?lang=it-IT&id_allest=3044&id_event=6132&id_allest_conc=&uid=e85a4510-68ee-45c9-9607-67f8d2bc5582&objecttype=base|title=Ricerca – Archivio La Scala}}{{dead link|date=March 2025}} Marguerite in Faust,{{cite web|url=http://www.teatroallascala.org/archivio/interpreti.aspx?lang=it-IT&id_allest=12289&id_event=14150&id_allest_conc=&uid=e85a4510-68ee-45c9-9607-67f8d2bc5582&objecttype=base|title=Ricerca – Archivio La Scala}}{{dead link|date=March 2025}} Oksana in Cherevichki, Nannetta in Falstaff{{cite web|url=http://www.teatroallascala.org/archivio/interpreti.aspx?lang=it-IT&id_allest=14048&id_event=16305&id_allest_conc=&uid=e85a4510-68ee-45c9-9607-67f8d2bc5582&objecttype=base|title=Ricerca – Archivio La Scala}}{{dead link|date=March 2025}} and the title role of Sancta Susanna.{{cite web|url=http://www.teatroallascala.org/archivio/interpreti.aspx?lang=it-IT&id_allest=8927&id_event=2493&id_allest_conc=24079&uid=e85a4510-68ee-45c9-9607-67f8d2bc5582&objecttype=base|title=Ricerca – Archivio La Scala}}{{dead link|date=March 2025}} It was at La Scala that in 2007 she debuted the role of Violetta in La traviata under the musical direction of Lorin Maazel in Liliana Cavani's production, returning to sing the role in the same staging in 2008, and in 2013 in Dmitri Tcherniakov's new production{{cite web|url=http://www.teatroallascala.org/archivio/interpreti.aspx?lang=it-IT&id_allest=15669&id_event=17810&id_allest_conc=&uid=1279db64-2ff6-4d00-a153-7b68bdcc04e6&objecttype=base|title=Ricerca – Archivio La Scala}}{{dead link|date=March 2025}} conducted by Daniele Gatti. Violetta is her most performed role (over 130 times).

In 2013 Lungu made her Metropolitan Opera{{cite web|url=https://archives.metopera.org/MetOperaSearch/search.jsp?q=%22Irina%20Lungu%22&src=browser&sort=PDATE|title=Performances of Irina Lungu at the Metropolitan Opera (8)|website=archives.metoperafamily.org}} debut as Gilda in Verdi's Rigoletto opposite her fellow countryman baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky. Anthony Tommasini praised her performance in The New York Times,{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/13/arts/music/rigoletto-with-pablo-heras-casados-met-debut.html|title=Rigoletto, with Pablo Heras-Casado's Met Debut|first=Anthony|last=Tommasini|author-link=Anthony Tommasini|newspaper=The New York Times|date=12 November 2013}} describing her as "a first class Gilda" with "bloom and warmth" in her voice. She returned to the Met later in January 2014 for five performances as Musetta in Puccini's La bohème.

Other highlights of her career include: Gilda in Rigoletto at the Opéra National de Paris{{cite web|url=https://www.operadeparis.fr/artistes/irina-lungu|title=Irina Lungu|website=Opéra national de Paris}} and at the Teatro dell'Opera of Rome,{{cite web|url=http://www.operaroma.it/en/shows/opera-rigoletto-eng-2015/|title=Rigoletto|publisher=Teatro dell'Opera|location=Rome}} Liù in Turandot at the Bavarian State Opera,{{cite web|url=https://www.staatsoper.de/en/productioninfo/turandot/2016-07-07-19-00.html|title=Turandot|publisher=Bavarian State Opera|access-date=2016-11-03|archive-date=2016-11-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104103234/https://www.staatsoper.de/en/productioninfo/turandot/2016-07-07-19-00.html|url-status=dead}} Musetta in La bohème at the Royal Opera House in London,{{cite web|url=http://www.roh.org.uk/people/irina-lungu|title=Irina Lungu — People — Royal Opera House|website=www.roh.org.uk}} Donna Anna in Don Giovanni at Arena of Verona{{cite web|url=http://www.rai5.rai.it/articoli/don-giovanni/33450/default.aspx|title=Rai|website=www.rai5.rai.it}}{{dead link|date=March 2025}} and at the La Quincena Festival{{cite web|url=http://www.quincenamusical.eus/programa/evento/e/don-giovanni-w-a-mozart|title=Don Giovanni, W. A. Mozart|website=quincenamusical.eus|access-date=2016-11-03|archive-date=2016-11-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104082417/http://www.quincenamusical.eus/programa/evento/e/don-giovanni-w-a-mozart|url-status=dead}} of San Sebastian, Micaëla in Carmen at the Teatro Regio in Turin{{cite web|url=http://www.teatroregio.torino.it/node/5274/locandina|title=Carmen|publisher=Teatro Regio Torino|access-date=2016-11-03|archive-date=2016-10-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013095607/http://www.teatroregio.torino.it/node/5274/locandina|url-status=dead}} and the Arena of Verona,{{cite web|url=https://www.naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=BAC623|title=Arena di Verona Collection, Vol. 2 – Carmen / Nabucco / Il barbiere di Siviglia (Arena di Verona, 2014–2018) (Bel Air 3-DVD box set)|via=Naxos Records|access-date=24 March 2025}} Marguerite in Faust at La Monnaie of Brussels{{cite web|url=http://www.operaballet.nl/en/opera/2013-2014/show/faust|title=Faust|publisher=Dutch National Opera & Ballet|access-date=2016-11-03|archive-date=2016-11-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104080006/http://www.operaballet.nl/en/opera/2013-2014/show/faust|url-status=dead}} and in Turin,{{cite web |url=http://www.teatroregio.torino.it/en/node/4711/locandina |title=Faust|publisher=Teatro Regio di Torino|access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810081142/http://www.teatroregio.torino.it/en/node/4711/locandina |archive-date=10 August 2014 |url-status=dead}} Juliette in Roméo et Juliette at the Arena of Verona,{{cite news|url=https://www.pressreader.com/italy/corriere-di-verona/20150806/282033325914224|title=Roméo et Juliette la «prima» dioren Luca Romeo|newspaper=Corriere di Verona|language=it|date=6 August 2015|via=PressReader}} Mimì in La bohème at the Kolobov Novaya Opera Theatre in Moscow, as well as her debut at the Bolshoi Theatre of Moscow in a gala concert in memory of Russian mezzo-soprano Elena Obraztsova.{{cite web|url=http://www.novayaopera.ru/en?performance=&view=201511101900&scene=65d8df0ba8|title=What's On Archive 10 November 2015: Elena Obraztsova Opera Ball|website=www.novayaopera.ru|access-date=2016-11-03|archive-date=2016-11-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104141311/http://www.novayaopera.ru/en?performance=&view=201511101900&scene=65d8df0ba8|url-status=dead}}

On 12 October 2016, Lungu inaugurated the 2016/17 season of the Teatro Regio Turin as Mimì in a new production of La bohème.{{cite web|url=http://www.teatroregio.torino.it/node/6035/locandina|title=La bohème|publisher=Teatro Regio Torino|access-date=2016-11-03|archive-date=2016-11-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104141649/http://www.teatroregio.torino.it/node/6035/locandina|url-status=dead}}

In the 2017/18 season she made her debut as Corinna in Rossini's Il viaggio a Reims in a new production at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, reprised the title role of La traviata at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, at the New National Theatre Tokyo, in Seoul and at the Vienna State Opera, where she als performed Donna Anna in Don Giovanni. In Prague she interpreted the role of Donna Anna at the Estates Theatre, where the opera was first performed exactly 230 years before, celebrating the 230th anniversary of Mozart's masterpiece, conducted by Plácido Domingo. The performances were recorded and published on DVD/Blu-ray by CMajor Entertainment.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.de/Mozart-Giovanni-Alberghini-Orchestra-Entertainment/dp/B07BN6ZHKV|title=Don Giovanni [Blu-ray]|date=18 May 2018}} Other performances in 2017/18 include her role debut as Manon (Massenet) in Bilbao and her Australian debut as Gilda in Rigoletto at the Sydney Opera House. Engagements in 2018/19 include her return to the Royal Opera House, London, as Marguerite in Faust, her role debut as Elettra in Idomeneo at the Vienna State Opera where she also sang Norina in Don Pasquale, Lucia di Lammermoor in Tenerife, Marguerite in Faust at the Teatro Real in Madrid and La traviata in Hamburg.{{cite web|url=https://www.operabase.com/irina-lungu-a7420/en|title=Irina Lungu (Soprano)|website=Operabase|date=March 2024}}

• 2013: Giuseppe Verdi: Il corsaro; Teatro Regio di Parma, Blu-Ray, Unitel Classica e King Records (original release year: 2008)
• 2014: Georges Bizet: Carmen; Macerata Opera, DVD, Dynamic
• 2015: Georges Bizet: Carmen; Arena di Verona Festival, DVD, Bel Air Classiques
• 2015: Charles Gounod: Faust; Teatro Regio di Torino, DVD/Blu-Ray, Unitel Classica
• 2018: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Don Giovanni; Estates Theatre, DVD/Blu-Ray, CMajor Entertainment

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.operabase.com/irina-lungu-a7420/en "Performances"], Operabase

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Category:Russian operatic sopranos

Category:1980 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century Russian women opera singers