Biography
Romanian-Canadian mezzo-soprano Adriana Albu has
become known both in North America and
Adriana has been praised by Opera Canada as “An excellent Cherubino, Romanian mezzo Adriana Albu sang with nice tone and looked every bit the love-struck teenager...”. For her Carmen role Lo Specchio raved “… mezzosoprano romeno Adriana Albu, voce e statura artistica di primissimo piano” and Echo Germanica added “In Adriana Albu artistic director Geoffrey Butler found not only a beautiful and temperamental Carmen, but one that understood to create nuances that were befitting a fine actress. Her mezzo-soprano is rich and stands up to lower and upper registers without effort. She is a pleasure to watch and listen to.”
In 2018, Opera Canada wrote “….Adriana Albu (Maddalena) had a rich tonality which made Act III’s famous quartet a sumptuous treat…”, and Toronto Concert Reviews said “… but the best part of the evening was the quartet with Arends and Carl on the outside of the inn, and Delgado and Adriana Albu (Maddalena)… in the interior.”
In season 2023-2024, Adriana is invited by Opera York to perform the role of Maddalena in their production of Rigoletto at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts on March 1st and the 3rd, 2024.
In 2022-2023 season, Adriana was invited to perform the role of Dritte Dame in Die Zauberflote with Opera York at Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts on March 3rd and the 5th, 2023. Also, she was invited by Southern Ontario Lyric Opera to perform the role of Flora in La Traviata in their spring production on May 13th, 2023 at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
In season 2018-2019 Adriana performed Maddalena’s role in Southern Ontario Lyric Opera’s production of Rigoletto. First performance, on September 16th at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre and on November 18th, and an in-concert performance of Rigoletto in Cambridge at Knox's Galt Presbyterian Church.
In season 2014-2015 Adriana was invited to be the alto soloist in Toronto Sinfonietta's performance of Lord Nelson Mass by Haydn and to perform the role of Dritte Dame in Die Zauberflote with Opera York.
Previous season, Adriana was invited to be the alto soloist in Toronto Choral Society's performance of Messiah by Handel and in 2012-2013 she performed as alto soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with Toronto Choral Society.
In season 2011-2012 she performed the role of Lucia in Opera Belcanto’s production of Cavalleria Rusticana and the role of Kate Pinkerton in Opera York’s production of Madama Butterfly. Also, she was invited to be the alto soloist in the concert “An Eastern European Christmas” with the Toronto Choral Society.
In season 2010-2011 Adriana performed as the alto soloist in Beethoven's Symphony No.9 and Anton Bruckner's Te Deum with The Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra and the Toronto Choral Society.
Adriana’s engagements for the 2009-2010 season included the role of the Grandmother in the North American Premiere in Hebrew of the Israeli opera "And the Rat Laughed" with Opera York. She also performed as alto soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 with OCMS Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as in the Toronto Choral Society’s performance of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.
Highlights of recent seasons include: the title role from Carmen with Opera York and Maddalena in Brampton Lyric Opera’s production of Rigoletto, Dritte Dame in Die Zauberflote, La Badessa in Suor Angelica and Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro with Opera York. In Romania she performed with Opera Brasov the title role from Carmen, Fenena from Nabucodonosor with Timisoara National Opera Company and Bertha from Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Iasi National Opera Company. Also, in previous seasons, Adriana was featured as soloist in Charpentier's Messe de Minuit pour Noel, Vivaldi's Gloria and Handel's Messiah.
In 2004 started her collaboration with Opera York, being invited to participate in many opera concerts.
She performed equally in opera and on the concert stage with a wide repertoire, sustained between 1993 and 2014 many concerts and recitals in Canada, Czech Republic and Romania; Toronto Choral Society, Brampton Lyric Opera and Opera York Timisoara National Opera Company, Iasi National Opera Company, Opera Brasov, "George Enescu" Philharmonic Bucharest, being among the companies that Adriana collaborated with.
Between 2003-2006 Adriana participated in several Opera Training Programs: in 2003 and 2004 she attended Opera Workshop with Mr. William Shookhoff and Mr. Sabatino Vacca, and between 2004-2006 she was a member of Ensemble Repertoire for Singers Studio.
During and after her studying years, in 1998 and 2000, she attended several “Master Classes” – Courses of Artistic Masterliness in Braila, with the distinguished soprano Mariana Nicolesco, in 2003 she attended in Toronto “Master Class” with Maestro Franz Albanese – conductor and in 2005 she participated at the International Music Master Classes in Brno.
As a student, Adriana won awards at several competitions: Timisoara National Contest of Vocation, Constanta Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Competition and she was semifinalist of Hariclea Hartulary Darclee International Competition. In 2005 she won Second Prize at Artist International Music Competition held in Toronto and in 2007 she was finalist at Concorso Internazionale «Vincenzo Bellini» held in Italy.
Mezzo-soprano Adriana Albu was born in
Her repertoire includes also
Suzuki (Madama Butterfly), Lola (Cavalleria
Rusticana), Dorabella (Cosi fan tutte),
Flora (La Traviata),
Popova (The Bear),
Erika (Vanessa),
Adalgisa(Norma), Mallika(Lakme).
Adriana’s recital repertoire includes: Berlioz – Les Nuits d’Ete, Elgar – Sea Pictures, Enescu – Sept chansons de Clement Marot, Francis Poulenc – La Fraicheur et le Feu, Forsyth - Three Metis Folk Songs from Saskatchewan and various songs and lieder including all national schools.
Her concert repertoire includes: Bach – Mass in B Minor, Magnificat and Christmas Oratorio, Beethoven - Mass in C, Missa Solemnis and Symphony no.9, Brahms - Alto Rhapsody, Chaepentier - Messe de Minuit pour Noel, Dvorak – Stabat Mater and Requiem, Handel - Messiah, Haydn - Missa in andustiis (Lord Nelson Mass), Mozart – Requiem and Coronation Mass, Pergolesi – Stabat Mater, Prokofiev – Alexander Nevsky, Saint-Saens - Christmas Oratorio, Vivaldi - Gloria and Stabat Mater.
