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Mezzo-soprano Sylvia Szadovszki has been described as having a “smooth mezzo” (John Jane) with “virtuosic coloratura” (Olaf Zenner). The Hungarian-Canadian singer’s upcoming season includes a return to Edmonton Opera to sing Tisbe in La Cenerentola, where she will also be covering the role of Angelina.
Sylvia's 2015/2016 season began with a world premiere of Matthew Aucoin's new opera Second Nature with Lyric Unlimited & Lyric Opera of Chicago, where she sang the role of Lydia. This season Sylvia sang Angelina in La Cenerentola with New York City Opera, returned to Pacific Opera Victoria to sing Rosina in The Barber of Seville and performed Hansel in Hansel and Gretel with Skagit Opera.
During the 2014/2015 season, Sylvia made her debut with Edmonton Opera as Rosina in their production of The Barber of Seville, sang Mercedes in Carmen with New York Opera Exchange and performed in concerts with Early Music Vancouver and renowned early music specialist, soprano Ellen Hargis. She also performed as a guest artist at The Sugar Soirée, a fundraiser held at the City Winery in New York for Congenital Hyperinsulinism International.
Sylvia's 2013/2014 season included the role of Nancy in Vancouver Opera’s production of Albert Herring, the Alto Soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Vancouver Bach Choir, the Alto Soloist in Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra’s Spring Fantasy Concert, and a recital with Maestro Leslie Dala and soprano Rachel Fenlon at Vancouver Opera.
Ms Szadovszki was a member of the inaugural year of Vancouver Opera’s Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist Program. During the 2012/2013 season she sang Papagena in The Magic Flute and Kate in The Pirates of Penzance. Sylvia understudied the roles of Second Lady (The Magic Flute) and Lu/Shadow/Ritualist (Tan Dun’s Tea: A Mirror of Soul) and performed in numerous concerts showcasing the Young Artists in the greater Vancouver area. Ms Szadovszki also had the unique opportunity to work with composer Don MacDonald and perform an excerpt from his piece Khaos during the Opera America Conference in 2013. Later that year, Sylvia was invited to sing as a soloist for Pacific Opera Victoria and Victoria Symphony’s Printemps à Paris gala.
Sylvia made her Canadian debut singing Mercedes in Carmen with Pacific Opera Victoria in 2012. During her time as one of the company’s Emerging Artists she performed in various concerts on Vancouver Island, including a gala concert with the Victoria Symphony. Ms Szadovszki made her German debut as Rosina in Theater Hof’s production of Der Barbier von Sevilla (Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia) in 2012. She was thrilled to begin her professional career touring with Vancouver Opera In Schools’ Hansel and Gretel, singing the role of Hansel in almost 50 performances across British Columbia in 2011.
Sylvia was a Northwest Region Finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in both 2011 and 2012. She was selected as a Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques Laureate by Théâtre Lyrichorégra 20 in 2011. Sylvia has received grants and awards from the Vancouver Opera Guild, the Vancouver Opera Foundation and the University of British Columbia.
Ms Szadovszki holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music (2006), a Master of Music degree (2009) and a Diploma of Music and Performance Studies (2011) from the University of British Columbia. Sylvia currently resides in New York City and studies with Margaret Lattimore.
Sylvia's 2015/2016 season began with a world premiere of Matthew Aucoin's new opera Second Nature with Lyric Unlimited & Lyric Opera of Chicago, where she sang the role of Lydia. This season Sylvia sang Angelina in La Cenerentola with New York City Opera, returned to Pacific Opera Victoria to sing Rosina in The Barber of Seville and performed Hansel in Hansel and Gretel with Skagit Opera.
During the 2014/2015 season, Sylvia made her debut with Edmonton Opera as Rosina in their production of The Barber of Seville, sang Mercedes in Carmen with New York Opera Exchange and performed in concerts with Early Music Vancouver and renowned early music specialist, soprano Ellen Hargis. She also performed as a guest artist at The Sugar Soirée, a fundraiser held at the City Winery in New York for Congenital Hyperinsulinism International.
Sylvia's 2013/2014 season included the role of Nancy in Vancouver Opera’s production of Albert Herring, the Alto Soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Vancouver Bach Choir, the Alto Soloist in Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra’s Spring Fantasy Concert, and a recital with Maestro Leslie Dala and soprano Rachel Fenlon at Vancouver Opera.
Ms Szadovszki was a member of the inaugural year of Vancouver Opera’s Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist Program. During the 2012/2013 season she sang Papagena in The Magic Flute and Kate in The Pirates of Penzance. Sylvia understudied the roles of Second Lady (The Magic Flute) and Lu/Shadow/Ritualist (Tan Dun’s Tea: A Mirror of Soul) and performed in numerous concerts showcasing the Young Artists in the greater Vancouver area. Ms Szadovszki also had the unique opportunity to work with composer Don MacDonald and perform an excerpt from his piece Khaos during the Opera America Conference in 2013. Later that year, Sylvia was invited to sing as a soloist for Pacific Opera Victoria and Victoria Symphony’s Printemps à Paris gala.
Sylvia made her Canadian debut singing Mercedes in Carmen with Pacific Opera Victoria in 2012. During her time as one of the company’s Emerging Artists she performed in various concerts on Vancouver Island, including a gala concert with the Victoria Symphony. Ms Szadovszki made her German debut as Rosina in Theater Hof’s production of Der Barbier von Sevilla (Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia) in 2012. She was thrilled to begin her professional career touring with Vancouver Opera In Schools’ Hansel and Gretel, singing the role of Hansel in almost 50 performances across British Columbia in 2011.
Sylvia was a Northwest Region Finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in both 2011 and 2012. She was selected as a Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques Laureate by Théâtre Lyrichorégra 20 in 2011. Sylvia has received grants and awards from the Vancouver Opera Guild, the Vancouver Opera Foundation and the University of British Columbia.
Ms Szadovszki holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music (2006), a Master of Music degree (2009) and a Diploma of Music and Performance Studies (2011) from the University of British Columbia. Sylvia currently resides in New York City and studies with Margaret Lattimore.
"No one sang better than Szadovszki, who makes a suitably pretty and charming Rosina. Displaying a lush, attractive voice, the young mezzo impressed with her clarity and projection. Singing with a nicely rounded vibrato, Szadovszki navigated treacherously tricky coloratura passages with aplomb. Her aria 'Una voce poco fa' (in which feisty Rosina promises she can sting like a viper as well as be gentle) was wonderful, especially the thrilling high notes."
(Pacific Opera Victoria's The Barber of Seville)Times Colonist
(Pacific Opera Victoria's The Barber of Seville)
"... the clear-voiced mezzo Sylvia Szadovszki as the love interest, Rosina. Szadovszki has a charming, mobile face that she knows how to use, good coloratura and solid high notes."
(Pacific Opera Victoria's The Barber of Seville)Opera Canada
(Pacific Opera Victoria's The Barber of Seville)
"Szadovszki, here making her EO debut, had a confident stage presence and the vocal technique for the bel canto coloratura effervescence. She was comfortable with the physical expectations of modern productions; the scene in her starlet's trailer with Figaro in Act 1 was especially assured."
(Edmonton Opera's The Barber of Seville)Opera Canada
(Edmonton Opera's The Barber of Seville)
"Szadovszki pouted and flirted as Thisbe as if to the manner born, and she and [Caitlin] Wood, as sometimes the only two female voices in a large male ensemble, more than held their own."
(Edmonton Opera's Cinderella)Edmonton Journal
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(Edmonton Opera's Cinderella)
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"... the casting, both vocally and theatrically, was exemplary... the breezy, devil-may-care chemistry between baritone Aaron Durand and mezzo-soprano Sylvia Szadovszki made their portrayal of this pair as fetching as it was credible."
(Vancouver Opera's Albert Herring)Opera Canada
(Vancouver Opera's Albert Herring)
"Ms. Szadovszki brings a smooth mezzo to her role of a complex free spirited Nancy..."
(Vancouver Opera's Albert Herring)reviewvancouver.org
(Vancouver Opera's Albert Herring)
"The uniformly fine cast included... Mezzo-soprano Sylvia Szadovszki and tenor James Onstad, two fresh-voiced young singers, were very appealing as the leads, Lydia and Jake."
(Lyric Unlimited & The Lyric Opera of Chicago's Second Nature, World Premiere)Chicago Tribune
(Lyric Unlimited & The Lyric Opera of Chicago's Second Nature, World Premiere)
"Sylvia Szadovszki (Rosina) was pleasing with her young voice, which has a bright timbre and fine vibrato. Her virtuosic coloratura is not only chipper, it gives Rosina's flirtatious character expression. The Act 1 aria succeeds in being both musically and theatrically appealing, with her strength clearly in her high notes."
(Theater Hof's Der Barbier von Sevilla, this review has been translated from its original language of German)operapoint.com
(Theater Hof's Der Barbier von Sevilla, this review has been translated from its original language of German)
"Sylvia Szadovszki is absolutely riveting as Despina. Truly fetching in both her arias... she pretty much steals every scene in which she appears; particularly when disguised as a doctor and later as a notary."
(The Bard on The Beach's Cosi fan tutte)reviewvancouver.org
(The Bard on The Beach's Cosi fan tutte)
"Finally, it was a delight to hear Sylvia Szadovszki's fiery and eloquent rendition of "Diane et Actaéon" by Boismortier. A pupil of Hargis for the past week, she demonstrated that she has learned well."
(Early Music Vancouver's Rameau Cantatas and Pièces de Clavecin with Soprano Ellen Hargis)reviewvancouver.org
(Early Music Vancouver's Rameau Cantatas and Pièces de Clavecin with Soprano Ellen Hargis)
Past Performances
CONCERT
Mass in C
Symphony No. 9
OPERA
The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute
Le Nozze di Figaro
La Cenerentola
La Cenerentola