José María Usandizaga
Biography
Acclaimed for her “rich and wide-ranging” sound, Grammy Award winner Ana Ibarra is renowned not only for the quality of her voice but also for her versatility and remarkable musical phrasing, qualities that have allowed her to embrace a wide repertoire.
During her career she has received numerous awards, including the Premio Opera Actual and the Grammy Award for the recording of Falstaff.
Since her operatic debut in 2000 as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, she has had an active international career. Ana is a regular guest at the Gran Teatro del Liceo de Barcelona and the Teatro Real de Madrid, and has also performed at the Canadian Opera Company, Mariinsky Theatre, La Monnaie in Brussels, Dutch National Opera, Theater an der Wien, English National Opera, Teatro Colón de Buenos Aires, Vlaamse Opera, Wielki Theater, Opera de Oviedo, Bilbao Opera ABAO, and Maestranza de Sevilla.
She has worked with many well-known conductors such Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Enrique Mazzola, Marc Minkowski, Sir Colin Davis, Marc Albrecht, Riccardo Frizza, Jordi Bernacer, James Gaffigan, Giampaolo Bisanti, Kazusi Ono, Bertrand de Billy, Ramon Tebar, Josep Pons, Edward Gardner, Guillermo Garcia Calvo, Miguel A. Gomez-Martinez, Pablo González, Dima Slobodeniouk, Pedro Haffter, Franz Paul Decker, Víctor Pablo Pérez, Rossen Milanov, Jose Miguel Perez Sierra, Miquel Ortega, Alvaro Albiach, David Giménez, Paul Goodwin y Jeremie Rhorer among others.
She has worked with many well-known conductors such Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Enrique Mazzola, Marc Minkowski, Sir Colin Davis, Marc Albrecht, Riccardo Frizza, Jordi Bernacer, James Gaffigan, Giampaolo Bisanti, Kazusi Ono, Bertrand de Billy, Ramon Tebar, Josep Pons, Edward Gardner, Guillermo Garcia Calvo, Miguel A. Gomez-Martinez, Pablo González, Dima Slobodeniouk, Pedro Haffter, Franz Paul Decker, Víctor Pablo Pérez, Rossen Milanov, Jose Miguel Perez Sierra, Miquel Ortega, Alvaro Albiach, David Giménez, Paul Goodwin y Jeremie Rhorer among others.
She combines her operatic performances with concerts and recitals. She has performed at the Tonhalle in Zurich, Konzerthaus in Vienna, Barbican Center in Londres, the Four Seasons Centre in Toronto, Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, Auditori de Barcelona, Hong Kong Arts Festival, Savolinna Festival, Kursaal in San Sebastián, Palau de la Música in Barcelona, Bucarest National Radio Hall, in a repertoire that includes Verdi Requiem, Wagner Wesendonk Lieder, Mahler Symphonies N.2 and N.3, 7 Canciones Populares of M. de Falla or A. Berg Sieben Frühe Lieder.
Her repertoire has gradually developed and expanded during her career, and presently she concentrates on the 20th century repertoire such as Klytämnestra (Elektra), Herodias (Salome) or Judith (Blurbeard Castle), as well as on traditional mezzosoprano roles like Carmen, Dalila (Samson et Dalila) , Zia Principessa (Suor Angelica), Mrs. Quickly (Falstaff), Zita (Gianni Schicchi).
Her love for contemporary repertoire has led to world premieres of new works such as Faust-Ball (Leonardo Balada) at the Teatro Real Madrid, Babel46 (Xavier Montsalvatge), El Abrecartas (Luis de Pablo), El Juez (Christian Kolonovits), Tejas Verdes (Jesús Torres), La casa de Bernarda Alba (Miquel Ortega).
She has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, Opus Arte, BBC, LSO. Her recordings include Falstaff with Sir Colin Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra, Wagner’s Ring at Liceu of Barcelona with Bertrand de Billy, La Conquista di Granata with Jesus Lopez Cobos at Teatro Real, Zarzuela Gala with Carlos Alvarez. She has also recorded several CDs with Spanish Lieder and chamber music.
On stage, she has been directed by Willy Decker, Calixto Bieito, Joan Anton Rechi, Jorge Lavelli, Andreas Homoki, Barbara Lluch, Paul-Emile Fourny, Rafael Villalobos, Mario Martone, Emilio Sagi, Harry Kufper and Paco Azorin. She has also taken part in productions by La Fura dels Baus and Els Comediants. A lover of classical theatre and gifted with great stage presence, Ana Ibarra has always stood out for her ability to convey the emotional world of the characters she portrays and her performances are always tantalising and dramatic.
She collaborates regularly with Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid, having taken part in productions such as La Bruja, Doña Francisquita, Una Noche de Zarzuela, La Del Soto del Parral, Las Golondrinas, Pepita Jimenez or Luisa Fernanda. Spanish Music is an essential part of her musical career and she has taken part in world tours and international festivals with the Orquesta Nacional de España playing the role of Salud in Falla’s La Vida Breve, Rosario in Goyescas with the Orquesta del Gran Teatro del Liceu and Las Golondrinas at the Quincena Musical Donostiarra. She has also given many Spanish Song recitals all over the world.
Ana Ibarra was born in Valencia. Her interest in music started at the age of six when she studied organ and classical guitar. She then studied singing with Ana Luisa Chova at the Conservatorio Superior de Música Joaquín Rodrigo, obtaining a distinction and the First Prize in Opera. She then continued her vocal and musical career in Vienna, Paris and New York. Many famous personalities in the opera world have been influential in the professional development of this remarkable singer, namely Dolora Zajick, Elena Obratsova, Jose Carreras and Montserrat Caballé.