Sondra Radvanovsky, prima donna assoluta

February 1, 2025, 4:00 pm

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Sondra Radvanovsky in sleeveless black leather dress, elbows resting on a stack of opera scores, hands folded under chin, smiling, in a girlish pose, strawberry bonde hair, on stage of the Ardis Krainik at the Civic Opera House, empty auditorium out of focus in background.
Sondra Radvanovsky (Photo: Kyle Flubacker)

A native of Berwyn IL, Sondra Radvanovsky has already triumphed at Lyric Opera of Chicago in the most demanding roles in the Italian repertoire — Bellini’s Norma, Donizetti’s Three Queens, and Verdi’s Aida, Amelia, and Lady Macbeth. Radvanovsky returns to Chicago for a tour-de-force engagement surveying arias from each of the operas by Giacomo Puccini with the Lyric Opera orchestra led by Music Director Enrique Mazzola. In advance of The Puccini Heroines, the illustrious soprano joins WFMT to share her approach to bel canto, Verdi, and Puccini.

Playlist

All selections feature soprano Sondra Radvanovsky.

Giuseppe Verdi: “Mercè, dilette amiche” (Bolero) from I vespri siciliani
Philharmonia of Russia/Constantine Orbelian

Gaetano Donizetti: “Deh! Tu di un’umile preghiera” from Maria Stuarda
Lyric Opera of Chicago Chorus and Orchestra/Riccardo Frizza

Verdi: “Ecco l’orrido campo” from Un ballo in maschera
Verdi: “O patria mia” from Aida
Philharmonia of Russia/Constantine Orbelian

Vincenzo Bellini: “Deh! Non volermi vittime” from Norma 
Russell Thomas, tenor
Andrea Silvestrelli, bass
Lyric Opera of Chicago Chorus and Orchestra/Riccardo Frizza
Used with permission of Lyric Opera of Chicago

Giacomo Puccini: Turandot
Aria, “In questa reggia”
Act II finale, “Figlio del cielo”
Jonas Kauffman, tenor
Orchestra e Coro dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Antonio Pappano

Puccini: “Vissi d’arte” from Tosca
Philharmonia of Russia/Constantine Orbelian


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