Emily D'Angelo Concert

On Saturday, September 6th at 7:00 PM, the cultural venue “Hanzas Perons” will host a solo concert by mezzo-soprano and opera singer with a rock star's soul, Emily D'Angelo from Canada.

The phrase “young and promising” has long lost its positive connotation and is now considered rather derogatory. Yet, despite her achievements, conquered stages, and the hearts of admirers that surely place her among the divas, Emily D'Angelo is still occasionally referred to as “one of the world's most extraordinary young singers” (‘The New York Times’), whose journey “towards the starry skies of opera continues” (‘National Public Radio’). In publicity and social circles, the thicket of phrases and expressions grows denser, especially when discussing opera. To avoid getting lost in them and leaving debates about the future once you're a “diva” to others, perhaps the wisest course is to emulate the almost stoic simplicity, humility, and pure passion for her chosen profession exhibited by the thirty-something musician.

At just 21 years old, Emily D'Angelo debuted on the opera stage as Cherubino in Mozart's “The Magic Flute” at the Spoleto Festival. The subsequent flurry of roles and awards swiftly propelled her onto the most significant stages in North America and Europe, working with the finest ensembles, most sought-after conductors, and directors. This has become a routine, from starring in Jeanine Tesori's opera “Grounded,” which opened the Metropolitan Opera's 2024/2025 season in New York, to performing in Berlin and Vienna State Operas as Octavian in Strauss's “Der Rosenkavalier,” revisiting the familiar role of Cherubino at the Bavarian State Opera, and once more in New York. And that's not all. One can only marvel and believe that chamber music holds a special place in Emily D'Angelo's creative life. She continues to dedicate a significant portion of her time to it, creating unique programs, commissioning new works, and collaborating with various musicians and artists from other genres beyond the traditional and often conservative opera theater environment.

“I am not preoccupied with defining my identity—I do my work and pursue projects that interest me. On stage, I frequently sing in Mozart's operas, while in the recording studio, I focus on less familiar music. This allows people to form their own impressions of me. I follow my artistic interests and strive not to miss the opportunities presented to me. What I do is a mosaic of diverse projects. I sing Mozart, Handel, Monteverdi, and early music. My concert repertoire includes late romanticism and contemporary music. With piano accompaniment, I enjoy trying new compositions and pieces that are not often heard. In the studio, I strive to record works that have never been recorded and those I believe are not sufficiently appreciated,” the artist once acknowledged in a conversation with Jegors Jerohomovičs.

This is evidenced by her two recordings under the ‘Deutsche Grammophon’ label: ‘energeia’ (2021) and the recent ‘freezing’ (2024). The first includes music from the 12th to the 21st centuries, from the songs of Hildegard of Bingen to works specially composed for Emily by Missy Mazzoli, Sarah Kirkland Snider, and Hildur Guðnadóttir. Some of this repertoire, alongside Alban Berg's “Seven Early Songs,” was experienced by the most interested listeners in Latvia during the summer of 2022, when Emily D'Angelo visited Latvia for the first time and performed with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ainārs Rubiķis at the “Vasarnīca” festival.

“Emily D'Angelo is a gem, precious and of exceptional carat [..] She is a rebel with a God-given gift, a fantastic voice, and a brilliant career,” said Ainārs Rubiķis about the singer in “Latvijas Avīze” before meeting her on stage.

Regarding the latest album ‘freezing,’ which earned a ‘JUNO’ nomination for the best classical music recording of the past year, a witty ‘NPR’ reviewer wrote:

“I admire her relentless curiosity and, frankly, I wouldn't mind if Emily D'Angelo sang from a physics textbook. Her voice is so beautiful! Like a burnished mahogany instrument with crisp but not overly nervous diction, controlled vibrato, and elegant phrasing, perfectly at home performing both an ancient Jean Ritchie Irish ballad ‘O Love Is Teasing’ and Purcell's melancholy ‘O Solitude,’ as well as attempting to break hearts with Randy Newman's ‘Wandering Boy.’”

In the Riga concert, Emily D'Angelo will perform with her regular stage partner, pianist Sofía Muñoz. In recent years, Sofía has also caught the attention of ‘Deutsche Grammophon,’ participating in several projects for the label and collaborating with the artists it represents. She is part of the artistic team of the Dallas Opera while also lecturing as a guest lecturer at the National Opera Academy of Poland in Warsaw. In past years, she has also been involved in the production of several performances at the Komische Oper Berlin.

The two-part program at “Hanzas Perons” is expected to feature works by Béla Bartók, Zoltán Kodály, Benjamin Britten, Jeanine Tesori, Alma Mahler, and other authors.