Jewels of the Bel Canto Elena Xanthoudakis, Royal Northern Sinfonia & Richard Bonynge

• Gaetano Donizetti (1797 - 1848): Don Pasquale:
• 1 Don Pasquale: Recit and Aria “Quel guardo, il Cavaliere ... So anch'io la virtù magica” 05:45
• Giuseppe Verdi (1813 - 1901): Il Corsaro:
• 2 Il Corsaro: Recit and Aria, “Egli non riede ancora! ... Non so le tetre immagini” 05:37
• Gaetano Donizetti: La Fille du Régiment:
• 3 La Fille du Régiment: Aria, “Chacun le sait” 03:43
• Lucia di Lammermoor:
• 4 Lucia di Lammermoor: Recitative, “Ancor non giunse!” – Aria, “Regnava nel silenzio” – Cabaletta, “Quando rapito in estasi” 12:22
• Gioachino Rossini (1792 - 1868): La Cambiale di Matrimonio:
• 5 La Cambiale di Matrimonio: Aria “Vorrei spiegarvi il giubilo” 03:59
• Vincenzo Bellini (1801 - 1935): I Capuleti e i Montecchi:
• 6 I Capuleti e i Montecchi: Recit and Aria, “Eccomi in lieta vesta ... Oh! Quante Volte” 08:18
• Gioachino Rossini: Le Comte Ory:
• 7 Le Comte Ory: Aria and Cabaletta, “en proie à la Tristesse ... Celeste providence” 09:05
• Vincenzo Bellini:
• 8 La Sonnambula, Scene, “Oh!... Se una volta sola rivederlo potessi” - Aria, “Ah! Non credea mirati” – Cabaletta, “Ah! Non giunge uman pensiero” 12:22
• Gaetano Donizetti: L'elisir d'amore:
• 9 L'elisir d'amore: Aria, “Prendi, per me sei libero” 03:27
• Gioachino Rossini: Le Comte Ory:
• 10 Matilde di Shabran, Scene and Aria, “Son tua per sempre ... Ami alfine?” - Finale, “Tace la tromba altera” 07:53
• Total Runtime 01:12:31

Info for Jewels of the Bel Canto

Soprano Elena Xanthoudakis is joined by the Northern Sinfonia in the expert hands of bel canto specialist Richard Bonynge in these exhilarating performances of some true gems of the bel canto aria tradition.

Originally a flautist, Elena Xanthoudakis studied music at the University of Melbourne, the Guildhall School of Music and joined the young artist programme of Maggio Musicale di Firenze, Italy. Elena has received a Solti Foundation Grant as well as many first prizes in competitions and is currently a Borletti-Buitoni Trust artist [2011].

Recent successes include her return to English National Opera as Pamina in 'Die Zauberflöte', the Royal Festival Hall with the RPO for 'Carmina Burana' and performances of Mozart’s 'Requiem' with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Highlights also include her debut at Glyndebourne Festival Opera as Clorinda, La Cenerentola. She has sung the roles of both Lisa and Amina in 'La Sonnambula' at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, conducted by Daniel Oren.

Elena Xanthoudakis, soprano
Catherine Carby, mezzo-soprano
Royal Northern Sinfonia
Richard Bonynge, conductor

Elena Xanthoudakis
Award winning and versatile soprano, Elena Xanthoudakis is an expressive performer whose enthusiastic reviews speak of her captivating and engaging performances.

Recent performances included performing Nino Rotas’ Mysterium with the Verdi Orchestra in Milan, performing in a Gala Tribute concert for Maria Callas in the Herodion Atticus at the foot of the Acropolis, Athens with the Greek National Opera and another Maria Callas Gala, this time at the al-Bustian festival in Lebanon. Other recent performances include Gilda in Opera Queensland’s new production of Rigoletto for which she received exceptional reviews, the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor for Winslow Hall, September 2014, again to enthusiastic acclaim. In 2014, Elena also performed in a series of concerts with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as recitals and concerts in London, including a ‘Winter Prom’ at St John Smith Square in December 2014 where she performed Mozart’s rarely performed masterpiece, the concert aria “Ch’io mi scordi di te” Op. 505 with concert pianist Jayson Gillham and orchestra.

Up coming performances include her debut as Violetta in La Traviata for Winslow Hall, her debut as Maria Stuarda, and Pamina in The Magic Flute for Opera de Quebec, as well Elena will perform Bach’s cantata ‘Weichet Nur” BWV 202 for the Melbourne Musicians.

2013 performances included a return to the British Music Festival to sing Sullivan’s Golden Legend and her return to the Metropolitan Opera, New York to cover both Gilda in Rigoletto and Countess Adele in Comte Ory, Mozart’s Requiem for the Melbourne Symphony, as well as singing First Niece in Peter Grimes for the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome.

2012 began with performances with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra New Year’s concerts with Nicholas McGegan, and returns in February for Beethoven’s Mass in C with Louis Langrée, followed by a concerts in Australia to promote the CD release ‘The Shepherd and the Mermaid’ with TrioKROMA (piano, voice and clarinet). She then made her Glyndebourne debut as Clorinda La Cenerentola, as well as performing Carmina Burana for the Oxford Philharmusica, singing Delius’s 7 Danish Orchestral Songs for the British Music Festival. Elena then returned to the English National Opera as Pamina in The Magic Flute to excellent acclaim and performed Carmina Burana at the Royal Albert Hall with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

2011 saw Elena Xanthoudakis perform Messiah with the RSNO, Marzelline Fidelio with the OAE, and Strauss’ Four Last Songs at the Brighton Festival and covering Countess Adele Le Comte Ory for the Metropolitan Opera of New York. She performed Jemmy Guillaume Tell (BBC Proms) with Pappano and the Accademia di Santa Cecila and sang both Lisa and Amina Sonnambula at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Other successes include her Canadian debut at Opera de Quebec as Lucia di Lammermoor, Frasquita Carmen at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (‘07,’09,’11), Adina L’elisir d’amore for Scottish Opera and Victorian Opera, Miss Schlesen Satyagraha at ENO (2007 & 2010), Euridice and Genio in Haydn’s L’anima del Filosofo for Pinchgut Opera – 2010.

Elena has performed with such orchestras as the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, St Petersburg Camerata, Orchestra de Quebec, Oxford Philomusica, Royal Philharmonic Orchesta, Krakow and Poznan Filharmonia Orchestras, Mozarteum Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age of the Enlightenment and Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Roma. In concert and recital, Elena has performed in Japan, Hong-Kong, St Petersburg, Montreal, and Quebec-City, in Germany, the U.S and throughout Australia, the UK, Ireland, and Italy.

Elena’s concert engagements include Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Mass in C, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle and Stabat Mater, Bach’s Missa Brevis, B Minor Mass, St.John Passion, St.Matthew Passion, Christmas Oratorio & several cantatas, Delius 7 Danish Orchestral Songs, Fauré Requiem, Handel Messiah and Jeptha, Mozart Requiem, Exultate Jubilate, Mozart Concert Arias at Salzburg’s prestigious ‘Mozart Woche’, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Strauss’s Vier Letzte Lieder, Sutherland’s ‘Golden Legend’ and the Vivaldi and the Poulenc Gloria’s.

Elena has performed for such opera houses as English National Opera, Royal Opera House (Covent Garden), Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Opera de Quebec, Opera North, Scottish Opera, Victorian Opera (Melbourne), Pinchgut Opera (Sydney), Opera Queensland, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (Florence), Opera National du Rhin and the BBC Proms.

Elena’s operatic roles include Amina and Lisa La Sonnambula; Marzelline, Fidelio; Leila, Les pêcheurs de perles; Frasquita and Micaela, Carmen; Lucia, Lucia di Lammermoor; Adina, L’elisir d’amore; Miss Schlesen, Satyagraha; Amor, Orfeo ed Euridice; Iris, Semele; Dalinda, Ariodante; Euridice and Genio, L’anima del Filosofo; Krista, Věc Makropulos; Blonde, Die Enftürung aud dem Seragil; Pamina, Die Zauberflöte; Ismene Mitridate Re di Ponto; Xenia, Boris Godunoff; Sister Constance, Dialogue of the Carmelites; Dido, Dido and Aeneas; Matilde, Matilde di Shabran; Jemmy, Guillaume Tell; La Contessa di Folleville, Il viaggio a Rheims; Clorinda, La Cenerentola; Comtesse Adele, Le Comte Ory; Ann Truelove, The Rake’s Progress; Gilda, Rigoletto, amongst others..

Elena has won over 80 first prizes in Competition and Eisteddfodau in Australia. Elena as won prizes in ’Herald Sun Aria’, ‘Australian Youth Aria’, Australian National Liederfest, ‘Sydney Performing Arts Challenge-McDonalds Aria’, and the ‘Marianne Mathy Awards’, Marten Bequest Scholarship, received an Australian Arts Council Grant to study in London and an ‘Acclaim Award’ to study in Florence at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.

International prizes include being a multi-laureate at the ‘Jeunesse Musicales – Voix’, Montreal (including receiving the prize for ‘Best performance of the set Canadian composition’), the ‘Tait Memorial Trust Vocal Prize’ in the Performing Australian Music Competition, London and is a prizewinner in Placido Domingo’s ‘Operalia.’ Elena also won the ‘Maria Callas International Grand Prix’ (Oratorio – Lied) in Athens, the prestigious ‘International Mozart Competition’ in Salzburg, and both the female first-prize and overall Grand prize in the ‘International Adam Didur Opera Singers Competition’ Poland. Elena is a Borletti-Buitoni Trust Artist.

Elena Xanthoudakis holds a Bachelor of Music with Honours and a Graduate Diploma of Opera from the Victorian College of the Arts as well as a Master of Music Performance degree from the University of Melbourne. While on scholarship at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, she also received her second Master of Music with distinction.

Elena also undertook studies in part of the young artist programme at the Maggio Musicale (2003) and the Harewood Young Artist Programme ENO. Elena was awarded a Solti Foundation Award to undertake Italian language studies in Florence and has participated in masterclasses at the Opera Studio at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Rome with La Signora Scotto.

This album contains no booklet.