EU Countries
17 December 2016
Christmas concert featuring Edita Gruberová to celebrate the Slovak Presidency / Vienna
World-renowned soprano Edita Gruberová, to appear together with bass Richard Šveda and the orchestra in Stephansdom, is a sure crowd-puller for diplomatic corps and the general public alike. This will be the final event of the Slovak Presidency of the Council of the EU. It will also coincide with Ms Gruberová’s 70th birthday, which falls on 23 December.
Edita Gruberová
The Slovak soprano Edita Gruberová is critically acclaimed as "prima donna assoluta, coloratura-phenomenon, Queen of the Belcanto". Enthusiastic ovations after each of her appearances confirm this assessment. Edita Gruberová studied at the conservatory in Bratislava under the supervision of Prof. Mária Medvecká and with Ruthilde Boesch in Vienna. Her international career began at the Vienna State Opera as Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos with Karl Böhm conducting. Mrs. Gruberová has been enthusiastically applauded all over the world for her interpretations of the roles of Zerbinetta, Konstanze, Donna Anna, Rosina, Gilda, Violetta and Lucia at the leading opera houses such as Teatro alla Scala, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Metropolitan Opera New York, the Opera Houses of Munich, Vienna, Hamburg, Geneva, Zurich, Florence, Paris, Berlin, Madrid and Barcelona since then. Many of these opera companies have produced rare operas, especially for Mrs Gruberová – for example Maria Stuarda, I Puritani, Linda di Chamounix and Roberto Devereux. In 2003 she had a tremendous success with her debut of Norma in Tokyo and in 2004 as Elisabetta in a new production of Roberto Devereux at the Munich State Opera and as Norma in Baden-Baden as well. Edita Gruberová is a regular guest at the Opera Festivals of Munich and Salzburg. She has participated in several important opera film adaptations: Hänsel und Gretel, Rigoletto, Arabella, Così fan tutte and Ariadne auf Naxos. Edita Gruberová is highly acclaimed as a concert singer. Since the beginning of her career she has particularly cultivated the art of the Lied and has given recitals all over the world. She has the title of Austrian and Bavarian Kammersängerin, is an honorary member of the Vienna State Opera and has been awarded many distinctions including the Sir Lawrence Olivier Award, the distinguished Italian Franco Abbiati Prize for the best interpretation of an Italian opera role (Lucia), Bellini d’oro, order of merit of the Austrian Republic and Order of the White Double Cross awarded by the President of the Slovak Republic. In addition, she has been awarded the Herbert von Karajan Prize as an outstanding artist.
PHOTO: Lukás Beck
