On July 3, 2018 María José Siri will return to the Teatro Colón Buenos Aires to perform the soprano soloist in Giuseppe Verdi’s Messa da Requiem under the musical direction of Maestro Enrique Arturo Diemecke, sharing the stage with mezzo-soprano María Luján Mirabelli, tenor Dario Schmunck and bass Goderdzi Janelidze.

“I have often sung this sacred masterpiece, the first one being right here at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires before the start of my international career, and it is one of my favorite Verdi works”, states the Uruguayan soprano. “It is very demanding music: the a cappella “Agnus Dei” with the mezzo-soprano, the extremely wide palette of colors and nuances required by Verdi’s dynamics, not to mention the fact that the sound must frequently be angelic and dramatic in the very same set piece. Unlike what happens in opera, it is just myself in front of the audience; this is more challenging and draining than performing any operatic character. The audience can perceive my raw and unfiltered emotions. Singing an oratorio, a mass, calls for an exceptionally controlled style: I already feel that singing is like praying, and I confess that during the rehearsals I often struggle not to get too emotional and shed tears because this music is divine. I feel like the luckiest woman in the world being given this possibility to sing this masterpiece here tonight. I am excited to return to the Colón, which allowed me to sing some important roles before I moved to Europe.”

María José Siri has also performed the Messa da Requiem, among others, with the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and the Teatro alla Scala on tour to the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and the International Festival of Santander.

After this Messa da Requiem, María José Siri will end her highly successful 2017/18 season at the Arena of Verona as the protagonist of Aida. Already announced engagements for the 2018/19 season include Odabella in Attila for the Festival Verdi at the Teatro Regio Parma, the title role in a new production of Manon Lescaut at the Teatro alla Scala, and also at the Hamburg State Opera and Deutsche Oper Berlin, Maddalena di Coigny in Andrea Chénier at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Madama Butterfly at the Royal Opera House Muscat, and Amelia in Un ballo in maschera at the Maifestspiele in Wiesbaden.

Information about Messa da Requiem at the Teatro Colón Buenos Aires:

Soprano: María José Siri; mezzo-soprano: María Luján Mirabelli; tenor: Dario Schmunck; bass: Goderdzi Janelidze.

Enrique Arturo Diemecke, conductor

Performance: July 3, 2018