Vesselina Kasarova

Vesselina Kasarova was born in Stara Zagora (Bulgaria) and began playing the piano at the age of four. After training as a concert pianist and gaining her diploma, she studied singing with Ressa Koleva at the Music Academy of Sofia, and was already as a student singing major roles at the National Opera. In 1989 she was engaged by Zurich Opera, where she soon became a favourite with the audience. That same year she also won First Prize at the German singing competition ‹Neue Stimmen› in Gütersloh. Two years later Vesselina Kasarova made her debut at the Salzburg Festival, with two matinees at the Mozarteum, as well as Annio in La clemenza di Tito conducted by Sir Colin Davis. In the autumn of the same year she made her much acclaimed debut as Rosina at the Vienna State Opera. In roles of Mozart, Handel, the bel canto composers and of the French repertory she has since appeared at the leading opera houses and festivals: Grand Théâtre de Genève, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Gran Teatre del Liceu Barcelona, Bavarian State Opera, Opéra National de Paris, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Metropolitan Opera, Teatro Real Madrid, Salzburg Festival, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro.
Vesselina Kasarova has worked together with such renowned conductors as Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Sir Colin Davis, Pinchas Steinberg, Donald Runnicles, Seji Ozawa, Semyon Bychkov, Daniel Barenboim, Riccardo Muti, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Ivor Bolton, Franz Welser-Möst, Sir Roger Norrington and Zubin Mehta.
She has given concerts and recitals throughout Europe, the USA and Japan. Vesselina Kasarova holds the title Kammersängerin of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich as well as of the Vienna State Opera.