Emily D'Angelo. Concert at Hanzas perons

Emily D’Angelo: A Mezzo-Soprano with the Soul of a Rock Star Returns to Latvia
On Saturday, September 6, Canadian mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo returns to Latvia with a solo concert at the cultural venue Hanzas perons.

The phrase “young and promising” has long shifted from compliment to cliché – and arguably, to insult. But despite her achievements, prestigious stages, and the devoted audiences that surely place her among the world’s vocal elites, Emily D’Angelo is still sometimes described as “one of the most special young singers in the world” (The New York Times), whose career “towards the operatic stars is still very much ascending” (NPR). In the world of opera, phrases like these abound – sometimes misleading, often overused. To avoid getting lost in the thicket of grand declarations, perhaps it’s best to look at the artist herself: grounded, humble, and simply, deeply in love with her craft.

At just 21 years old, Emily made her operatic debut as Cherubino in Mozart’s The Magic Flute at the Spoleto Festival. Since then, an avalanche of roles and awards has brought her to the world’s leading stages across North America and Europe, working with top orchestras, conductors, and directors. Today, it seems like the norm – opening the 2024/2025 season at the Metropolitan Opera in New York with the lead role in Jeanine Tesori’s Grounded, appearing in Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier at the Berlin and Vienna State Operas as Octavian, reprising her beloved Cherubino at the Bavarian State Opera, and returning once more to New York.

Yet despite this whirlwind, D’Angelo has preserved a deep connection to chamber music. She actively devotes time to it – curating unique programs, commissioning new works, and collaborating with musicians and artists from outside the traditionally conservative opera world.

“I’m not concerned with defining my identity – I just do the work and pursue projects that interest me,” she once told Latvian journalist Jegors Jerohomovičs. “On stage, I often sing Mozart; in the studio, I focus on lesser-known music. That gives people space to form their own impression of me. I follow my artistic curiosity and try not to miss the opportunities that come my way. What I do is a mosaic of different projects. I sing Mozart, Handel, Monteverdi, and early music. My concert repertoire includes late Romantic and contemporary music. I love experimenting with piano-accompanied works that are rarely performed. In the studio, I try to capture pieces that have never been recorded – or haven’t received the recognition they deserve.”

Her recordings under Deutsche Grammophon reflect that spirit: energeia (2021) and the recent freezing (2024). The former spans music from the 12th to the 21st century – from Hildegard von Bingen’s chants to commissioned works by Missy Mazzoli, Sarah Kirkland Snider, and Hildur Guðnadóttir. Some of this repertoire, alongside Alban Berg’s Seven Early Songs, was performed during her Latvian debut at the Vasarnīca festival in 2022 with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Ainārs Rubiķis.

“Emily D’Angelo is a brilliant, rare gem with incredible value... She’s a rebel with a divine gift, a fantastic voice, and a blazing career,” Rubiķis said in an interview with Latvijas Avīze prior to their performance.

As for her latest recording freezing – which received a JUNO Award nomination for Best Classical Album – NPR’s reviewer quipped:

“I admire her relentless curiosity. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind if Emily D’Angelo sang from a physics textbook. Her voice is just that beautiful – like a polished mahogany instrument, with crisp yet composed diction, restrained vibrato, and phrasing that feels at home in everything from Jean Ritchie’s Irish ballad O Love Is Teasing, to Purcell’s melancholic O Solitude, or Randy Newman’s heart-wrenching Wandering Boy.”

For her Riga concert, Emily D’Angelo will be joined by her long-time artistic partner, pianist Sofía Muñoz. Over recent years, Muñoz has also caught the attention of Deutsche Grammophon, collaborating on several of the label’s projects. She is a member of the artistic team at the Dallas Opera and a guest lecturer at the Polish National Opera Academy in Warsaw. She has also contributed to multiple productions at Berlin’s Komische Oper.

The concert program at Hanzas perons will include works by Béla Bartók, Zoltán Kodály, Benjamin Britten, Jeanine Tesori, Alma Mahler, and others – presented in two parts.

Event details:

• Doors open at 18:00

• Ticket prices will increase closer to the date

Supported by: Konventa Sēta Hotel & Pillar.lv