2019

Rossini: Ricciardo e Zoraide

To celebrate the 200th anniversary of the premiere of the Rossini rarity, the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro staged Ricciardo e Zoraide with an all-star cast. Juan Diego Flórez makes his debut as the crusader Ricciardo, giving a masterclass in bel canto (Bachtrack), his high notes are ... still thrilling with their laser-like precision (Financial Times). The South African soprano Pretty Yende radiant and richly expressive (Financial Times) as Zoraide proves that she is a virtuosa in Rossini singing (Neue Musikzeitung).

On the 150th anniversary of the composers death and 200 years after its premiere, Ricciardo e Zoraide rings out with an artistic quality that is second to none, thanks to the skills of an absolute Champions League ensemble (Online Merker). Due to the attentive conducting of Giacomo Sagrapanti, practically nothing stands in the way of enjoying the beauty of this rarely performed score to the fullest (Online Merker). The result is an incredible orchestral performance.

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Midsummer Night’s Gala Grafenegg

The spectacular opening (Salzburger Nachrichten) of the Grafenegg Festival 2018 presented at the Midsummer Night's Gala lots of famous opera aria and orchestral hits from Verdi, Puccini, Rossini, Bellini, Offenbach, Elgar and more. The Tonkünstler Orchestra under Yutaka Sado was joined by the terrific singer (Kurier) Pretty Yende, her congenial partner (Kurier) Joseph Calleja and the wonderful cellist Harriet Krijgh. A feast for the ears (Kurier), this production is presented with subtitles in Italian, English, German, French, Japanese, and Korean.

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2018

Hopes & Dreams: The Lullaby Project

The Lullaby Project pairs pregnant women and new mothers with professional artists to write and sing personal lullabies for their babies, supporting maternal health, aiding child development, and strengthening the bond between parent and child.

On April 20, 2018, Decca Gold (Universal Music Group) releases an album of original lullabies written by Lullaby Project participants and performed by leading artists, including Pretty Yende, Joyce DiDonato, Fiona Apple, the Brentano String Quartet, Lawrence Brownlee, Rosanne Cash, Janice Freeman, Rhiannon Giddens, Angélique Kidjo, Patti LuPone, Natalie Merchant, Dianne Reeves, Gilberto Santa Rosa and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The recording was produced by Glen Roven, Ira Yuspeh, and Mitch Yuspeh.
 
The recording is inspired by the Lullaby Project, a program of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute which pairs pregnant women, new mothers, and family members with professional artists to write and sing personal lullabies for their babies, supporting maternal health, aiding child development, and strengthening the bond between parent and child. Hopes and Dreams: The Lullaby Project features fifteen lullabies written by parents from across New York City, as performed by Fiona Apple, the Brentano String Quartet, Lawrence Brownlee, Rosanne Cash, Joyce DiDonato, Janice Freeman (The Voice 2017), Rhiannon Giddens (Nashville), Angélique Kidjo, Patti LuPone, Natalie Merchant (10,000 Maniacs), Dianne Reeves, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Pretty Yende, and Catherine Zeta-
Jones.

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2017

Dreams

Presenting Pretty Yende's second solo album - an exploration of dreams in operas and of living in one herself.

The celebrated ‘mad scene’ from Lucia, a role which she will also perform in New York next season, was the starting point of her new recording ‘Dreams’. ‘My instinct was to look at mad scenes,’ she says. ‘But then I widened my horizons, and thought about characters who have found an escape in their dream lives. All the characters I sing here have a dream: for some it is positive, for others it is a kind of nightmare. They dream of a better life, or a prince charming, or being able to live free from fear. I wanted to explore what dreams and madness mean for each character.’
 
Critical Acclaim:
 
"South African Yende has a delicious instrument, with a youthful quiver of passion to it, and a wonderfully secure technique." - Opera Now

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Best of Klassik 2017

Echo Klassik Award Winners

The official compilation of ECHO KLASSIK - "Best of Klassik 2017".

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50 Years At Lincoln Center: A Gala Celebration

On May 7, 2017, the Met celebrated its golden anniversary in Lincoln Center with a spectacular gala featuring some of the greatest artists in opera.

From Renée Fleming’s ravishing “Porgi, amor” to the brilliant high Cs of Javier Camarena’s “Pour mon âme!,” Anna Netrebko’s show-stopping “Un bel dì” to Dmitri Hvorostovsky’s heroic surprise appearance singing “Cortigiani, vil razza dannata,” this recording captures the magic of a unique and magnificent night at the opera.

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2016

A Journey

Presenting Pretty Yende's solo album debut - an incredible journey to become one of the world’s most sought-after sopranos

"She displays not only a top-class vocal and dramatic technique but also a high-wire artist’s courage and confidence. It’s the sheer brilliance of her attack that leaves audiences around the world clamouring for more." (Daily Mail album review) // 2017 International Opera Award - Best Recording (Solo Recital)

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