Elizabeth Blancke-Biggs

Elizabeth Blancke-Biggs Critics have praised her virtuosic bel canto technique, the beauty of her voice, her pyrotechnic coloratura, and her unerring theatricality. A brilliant interpreter of the most demanding roles in the spinto-drammatico soprano repertory, she's recently appeared as Puccini's La Fanciulla del West in Sergio Vela's production at Mexico City's Palacio de Bellas Artes, Turandot in a new production mounted for her by Andre Heller Lopez at the Theatro Municipal of Sao Paolo, Brazil, for the Gala opening of the new Opera House in Xian, China, and for the Shanghai Grand Theater. Puccini's Tosca with the Charleston SC Symphony, and also with the OFUNAM Mexico City, and the Orquesta del Estado de Mexico. She sang Bellini's Norma at the season opening at the Teatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro, Strauss' Elektra in the "Premio Abbiati" award winning production of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Gutrune in Götterdämmerung for Teatro Massimo Palermo, Salome with the Orchesta Sinfonica Nacional at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, and Verdi's Requiem with the OSN at Bellas Artes. In previous seasons she was Violetta in Willy Landin's new production of Verdi's La Traviata at the Teatro Argentina de la Plata, for which she was awarded the Argentine Music Critics Association Award as "Discovery of the Year." She sang Verdi's Lady Macbeth in Montevideo, and Abigaille in Nabucco and for the Grand Théâtre de Gèneve, which critics hailed as "simply extraordinary..." as well as in Nancy, France, and at the Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica. She was the featured artist opening the Verdi Bicentennial Concerts at Mexico City's Palacio de Bellas Artes and the OFUNAM, followed by her critically acclaimed role and house debut in Strauss' Salome at Den Norske Opera in Stefan Herheim's reprise of his Salzburg production. She appeared under the baton of Lorin Maazel as Puccini's La Fanciulla del West at his Castleton International Festival, a role she had also performed under Mo. Bruno Bartoletti at Palermo's Teatro Massimo and, for the Florida Grand Opera. She was heard internationally at the Metropolitan Opera as Tosca on a live Sirius Radio international broadcast with the tenor Marcello Giordani. She was Tosca at the Florida Grand Opera and Bellini's Norma for Palm Beach Opera, La Fanciulla del West and Norma for Opera Holland Park, and sang the title roles in Aida, Madama Butterfly, and Suor Angelica, Leonora in Il Trovatore, Giorgetta in Il Tabarro, Elena in I Vespri Siciliani, and Elvira in Ernani. Hailed as one of the best young Verdi singers by Placido Domingo, she appeared with him at the Washington National Opera as Giordani's Fedora in a gala performance. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Violetta in the Zeffirelli production of Verdi's La Traviata under the baton of Marcello Viotti, and her Italian debut was the title role in Jonathan Miller's production of Donizetti's Maria Stuarda at Torino's Teatro Regio, conducted by Evelino Pidò.