Deborah Voigt Returns to Metropolitan Opera as Chrysothemis in Richard Strauss’s Elektra on Dec 10-29

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Voigt Also Hosts Met’s “Live in HD” Broadcast of New Tales of Hoffman Production to Theaters Worldwide on December 19

On Thursday, December 10, internationally-renowned soprano Deborah Voigt returns to her home company, the Metropolitan Opera, for the first time this season, and in a signature role, as Chrysothemis in Richard Strauss’s spine-chilling Elektra (six performances through Dec 29). An engaging entertainer and conversationalist, Deborah Voigt has also developed a following as host of “The Met: Live in HD” (besides portraying Isolde in Tristan und Isolde during the transmissions’ first season). On Saturday, December 19 she is to serve as host of the international transmission of Offenbach’s Contes d’Hoffmann (Tales of Hoffman) conducted by James Levine and featuring Anna Netrebko, Joseph Calleja, and Alan Held.

Chrysothemis was Ms. Voigt’s first Strauss role at the Met, which helped advance her rapidly growing reputation as one of the world’s most important rising-star Strauss specialists. Indeed, the New York Times wrote in its 2002 fall preview, “Almost any Strauss role the voice of Deborah Voigt touches turns to gold.” A few months later, a Times review of Elektra stated: “Not surprisingly, the soprano Deborah Voigt, an acclaimed Chrysothemis, was glorious. She sang with rich lyricism and radiant power, proving as always that an enormous, exciting voice can also be lovely.”

Deborah Voigt is singing another signature role later in the season at the Met, Senta in Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer (opening April 23). Although she recorded the opera with the Metropolitan Opera under James Levine, and sang it in concert with the Met in Germany, this will be Voigt’s house debut as Senta.

Ms. Voigt’s engagements in the New Year include her return to Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu in Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde (Jan 23, 27, 31; Feb 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20) and her debut at the Zurich Opera as the Diva and Ariadne in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos (Feb; March 5, 9, and 14). She also sings a recital in Zurich before returning to New York.

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