Pannon Philharmonic

Hungarian mezzo-soprano Ildiko Komlosi studied music at the Franz Liszt Academy of Budapest and took part in the specialising courses of the Teatro alla Scala and Guildhall School of Music in London. She was the absolute winner of the Pavarotti International Competition in 1986 and debuted in Verdi’s Messa da Requiem opposite Luciano Pavarotti and under the baton of Lorin Maazel.

She has subsequently started a successful career on the world’s great stages, with a repertoire spanning from Mozart (Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Sesto in La Clemenza di Tito, Dorabella in Cosí fan tutte) to Donizetti (Giovanna di Seymour in Anna Bolena, Sara in Roberto Devereux, Leonora in La Favorita, Maffio Orsini in Lucrezia Borgia), Ponchielli (Laura in La Gioconda) and Bizet (Carmen), from Massenet (Charlotte in Werther), R. Strauss (Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier and Der Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos), Tchaikosvky (Jeanne d’Arc), Bartók (Judith in Bluebeard's Castle) to Verdi (Fenena, Amneris, Eboli) and the "verismo" with such operas as Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana (Santuzza) and Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur (Principessa di Bouillon).

In 1989 she made her debut at the Frankfurt Staatsoper and at the Wiener Staatsoper, and in 1990 she sang in her first Teatro alla Scala production (Corghi’s Blimunda). During the following years she has been invited by the theatres of Houston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Bregenz, San Francisco, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Naples, Catania.
In 1993 she made her debuts at the Bellas Artes of Mexico City in Werther, and in Santiago (Chile) with Lucrezia Borgia and Anna Bolena. Then she has returned to Naples for Salambó and to Catania for a new production of Ariadne auf Naxos. In Sarajevo, she performed in Mozart’s Requiem under the baton of Zubin Mehta. Her 1995 season was marked by a new production of Der Rosenkavalier in Charleston and by a tour with the Budapest Festival Orchestra and Iván Fischer.

During this successful tour, they stopped at Carnegie Hall of New York, among others, where she sang as Judith in a concert version of Bluebeard's Castle. The return to Hamburg have followed Cosí fan tutte, as well as the new production of Der Rosenkavalier, staged by Pierluigi Pizzi, for the season opening of the Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova (video recorded by BMG).
In 1996 she performed in Ravel’s Shéhérezade at the Ravenna Festival with Valery Gergiev on the podium, while the following year was marked by the prestigious debut on the stage of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Ariadne auf Naxos, led by Zubin Mehta and directed by Jonathan Miller. The1998 season brought her to debut the role of Jeanne d’Arc at the Opéra du Rhin de Strasbourg, and to Naples for Roberto Devereux (also recorded by BMG).
Engagements of her 1999 season include the successful debut at the Metropolitan Opera, in Werther, the return to Catania for Carmen, and the appearance at the Royal Festival Hall of London in Bluebeard's Castle, with the BBC Orchestra. She ended the season singing in Vienna in a special performance of Ariadne auf Naxos with Edita Gruberova in the 50° anniversary of Richard Strauss’s death.

Ildiko Komlosi opened her 2000 season at the Teatro alla Scala, with Adriana Lecouvreur, followed by the return to Naples for singing in Ariadne auf Naxos, where he also debuted the role of Eboli in Don Carlos (2001).

In 2002 she obtained a great success performing in Aida (Amneris) in Brussels with the conducting of Antonio Pappano and the direction of Bob Wilson; this same production was revisited in 2003 at the Covent Garden in London, and in Brussels (2004).
In May 2002 she sang at the New National Theatre in Tokyo in Carmen, and inaugurated the Lucerne Festival with Bluebeard's Castle (recorded for Decca) with the Budapest Festival Orchestra and Ivan Fischer. She took part in the world premiére of Ballata by Luca Francesconi in Brussels and returned to Hamburg for Carmen and Cavalleria rusticana. In 2003 Ildiko Komlosi performed as Eboli for the season opening of the Dresden Semperoper, and sang in the role of Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana in Livorno, Pisa and Lucca, in Bluebeard's Castle (Judith) at the Minnesota Opera in Minneapolis, and in Tannhäuser (Venus) in Paris. These were followed by Aida (staged by Bob Wilson) at the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels, at the Wiener Staatsoper and at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin.

Her 2004/2005 season was also marked by Enescu’s Oedipus rex (Jocaste), staged by Graham Vick at the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, La Gioconda (Laura) at the Arena di Verona, and Verdi’s Requiem with Sir Colin Davis with London Symphony. In 2005-2006 she debuted the role of Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni at the Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova. This was followed by other performances of Bluebeard's Castle at the Turku Opera, by Carmen at the Semperoper Dresden, La forza del destino (Preziosilla) at the Metropolitan Opera of New York, and Ariadne auf Naxos at the Teatro alla Scala, Carmen and Cavalleria rusticana at the Arena di Verona, Aida at the Frankfurt Oper and at the Terme di Caracalla with the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. She has just sung the role of Amneris (Aida) under the baton of Riccardo Chailly for the opening season 2006-2007 at the Teatro alla Scala. In February 2007 she sang Cavalleria rusticana at the Teatro Regio di Torino, in March 2007 she performed in Verdi’ Requiem at the Teatro Lirico in Cagliari, in May 2007 she just performed in Cavalleria rusticana at the Deutsche Oper Berlin.
Her recent performances, in 2008, included Bluebeard's Castle at Lincoln Center di New York and at the Teatro San Carlo di Napoli, Requiem by Verdi at the Auditorium Rai di Torino and in London with the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Jurowski, Carmen at the Opera di Roma and at the Arena di Verona, Salome at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

Her future plans include Aida at the Staastsoper in Berlin, at the Staastsoper in Munich and at the Arena di Verona, La Gioconda at the Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Requiem by Dvroak at the Liceu in Barcelona, Cavalleria Rusticana at the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Adriana Lecouvreur at the Coven Garden in London and Luisa Miller at the Opéra National in Paris.

In July 2006, the Fondazione Verona per l’Arena awarded Ildiko Komlosi the 22nd International Zenatello Opera Prize.

Ildiko Komlosi recorded for Decca and BMG.