|
"Maria Knapik made an extraordinary company debut in the
title role (HALKA).
The Polish soprano has the
vocal power and idiomatic way with the native melodies,
singing with pure tone and vital feeling. Knapik put across
the character's yearning, heartbreak and anger vividly, with
a subtle psychological depth and compelling acting. Even
when forlorn and bedraggled, the soprano exudes a
charismatic star quality and radiant stage presence."
The Miami Herald Tribune (March 2007)
*********************************
Soprano Maria Knapik who shines equally on the opera
stage as in concert and oratorio, was awarded the 2005
International Rising Star of Opera Award by The American
Institute of Polish Culture. She was also the 2003 winner of
the Gerda Lissner Foundation vocal competition in New York
City.
Maria's 2007 season highlights
include the title role in Suor Angelica and
Nedda in I Pagliacci both with The New York
Grand Opera in its summer festival in New York’s Central
Park; Mimi in La Bohème
with the Kingston Symphony, a highly acclaimed portrayal of
the title role in Moniuzko’s opera Halka with
Sarasota Opera and Warsaw Opera and Donna Anna in
Don Giovanni with Opera Lyra Ottawa. Maria will
also be releasing her eagerly anticipated CD of Slavic arias
recorded with the Sofia Philharmonic.
Previous opera highlights have included,
among others, Liu in Turandot with The New
York Grand Opera in Central Park, the title role in Verdi’s
Joan of Arc at Carnegie Hall with The New York
Grand Opera, Alice Ford in Falstaff with The
State Opera in ,Ukraine as well as in its touring
performances in Germany and Switzerland, Fiordiligi in
Cosi fan Tutte, Mimi in La Bohème
with the Jacksonville Symphony, the title role in
Tosca, the title role of Verdi’s Alzira
at Carnegie Hall, Mimi in Leoncavallo’s La Bohème
all with New York Grand Opera under the baton of Vincent La
Selva, the title role of Moniuszko’s opera The
Countess in Warsaw and the title role in Manon
Lescaut. She was also invited by Licia Albanese to
sing as a special Guest during the annual Puccini Foundation
Concert at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center.
2007 oratorio & concert engagements include Beethoven's
9th Symphony and Gorecki's 3rd Symphony
in Carnegie Hall with the New York Grand Opera
Orchestra, Poulenc's Gloria at The Kennedy Centre
with the Royal Ballet of London and The Washington Chorus
under Grammy winning director Robert Shafer. Maria will
also be releasing her eagerly anticipated CD of Slavic
arias recorded with the Sofia Philharmonic.
Previous
concert highlights feature Beethoven’s 9th
Symphony with the Krakow Philharmonic; Gorecki’s
3rd Symphony with The Ottawa Symphony,
Strauss' Four Last Songs with The Winnipeg Symphony, Beethoven's
Missa Solemnis and Mendelsohn's Elijah with
the Kingston Symphony, Handel’s Messiah with
Orchestre Baroque de Montreal, Bruckner's Te Deum and
Beethoven's Mass in C with Kitchener-Waterloo
Philharmonic, Rossini's Stabat Mater, Brahm's
Ein
Deutsches Requiem and Schubert's Mass in C Major with
the University of Ottawa’s Orchestra, Mozart’s Exultate
Jubilate with Britten-Pears Orchestra in Aldeburgh and
The Peterborough Symphony, and Haydn's Missa in Angustiis with FMMC Orchestra and Choir in Washington .
Maria, originally from Poland, is the youngest of “The
Eight Knapik Sisters” who performed more than 2800
concerts in tours of Europe and the British Isles. Since
the age of five, Maria, with her sisters, regularly appeared
on Polish Radio & TV.
| REPERTOIRE
|
|
OPERA
|
GLUCK
Euridice - Orpheo and Euridice
CILEA
Adriana Lecouvreur - Adriana Lecouvreur
KALMAN
Sylvia - The Czardas Princess
LEONCAVALLO
Mimi - La Bohème
Nedda - I Pagliacci
MONIUSZKO
Halka - Halka
Countess Hrabina - The Countess
Hanna - The Haunted Manor
MOZART
Donna Anna - Don Giovanni
Fiordiligi - Cosi fan Tutte
Countess - Le Nozze di Figaro
|
PUCCINI
Lauretta - Gianni Schicchi
Liu - Turandot
Manon Lescaut - Manon Lescaut
Mimi & Musetta - La Bohème
Suor Angelica - Suor Angelica
Tosca - Tosca
ROSSINI
Rosina - Barbiere di Siviglia
VERDI
Alice Ford - Falstaff
Alzira - Alzira
Gilda - Rigoletto
Giovanna d'Arco - Giovanna d'Arco
Violetta - La Traviata
|
|
CONCERT |
|
BEETHOVEN
9th Symphony
Mass in C
Missa Solemnis
BRAHMS
Ein Deutsches Requiem
BRUCKNER
Te Deum
FRANK
Panis Angelicus
GORECKI
Symphony No. 3
HANDEL
Messiah
HAYDN
Missa in Angustiis
KOPROWSKI
Elegia
Tapestries
of Love
MENDELSSOHN
Elijah
MONIUSZKO
U Przasniczki
Widma
|
MOZART
Exultate Jubilate
Laudate Dominum
Requiem
Vespere solennes de confessore
PENDERECKI
various
POULENC
Gloria
ROSSINI
Petite Messe Solennelle
Stabat Mater
R. STRAUSS
Four Last Songs
SCHUBERT
Mass in C Major
SZYMANOWSKI
Song of King Roger
TWARDOWSKI
various
VIVALDI
Gloria |
|
ENGAGED
BY: |
|
|
OPERA
Donetsk Academy State Opera of Ukraine
Greater Buffalo Opera Company
New York Grand Opera
Opera Hamilton
Opera Krakowska
Opera Lyra Ottawa
Opéra
de Montréal
Puccini Foundation
Sarasota
Opera
Teatr Wielki National Opera of Poland
MUSIC FESTIVALS
Aldeburgh Festival
Guelph Spring Festival
International Chamber Music
Festival
New York Grand Opera - Summer in
the Park
Outaouais Festival of Sacred
Music
|
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS & CHORAL GROUPS
Britten Pears Orchestra
Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra
Cantata Singers of Ottawa
Cobourg Symphony
FMMC
Orchestra
International Symphony Orchestra
Jacksonville Symphony
Kingston
Symphony
Kitchener -
Waterloo Philharmonic Orchestra
Krakow Opera
Orchestra
Krakow Philharmonic
Lodz
Philharmonic
National
Philharmonic in Warsaw
New York
Grand Opera Orchestra
New World Grand Opera Orchestra
Orchestre Baroque de Montréal
Ottawa
Symphony Orchestra
Peterborough Symphony Orchestra
University of Ottawa Orchestra
Washington Chorus
Winnipeg Symphony |
|
