Ioan Holender

Ioan Holender (born Johann Hollaender, born 18 July 1935, Timişoara) is a Romanian singer, manager and director of opera. He is the General Manager of the Vienna State Opera.

Holender's family is of Jewish ancestry, and growing up, he spoke 3 languages. His father owned a factory in Timişoara, which was expropriated in 1948. After baccalaureate, Holender studied for three years mechanical engineering at the Technical University in Timişoara, specialty steam machines and successfully completed the first round of the state examination. While in third year of studies, in 1956, he was expelled from the whole Romanian higher education system on political grounds, following his participation at students movements. He worked as a tennis coach and a stage director assistant until he and his family emigrated to Austria, where his mother was residing. He intended to continue his engineering studies, but became interested in singing. After completing his music studies - Canto at Vienna Conservatoire (1959-1962), from 1962 to 1966 he started a career as an operatic baritone and concert singer and sang two seasons at the Klagenfurt Stadttheater.

In 1966, he began to work at the Starka theatrical agency, which he eventually took over and, under the name of Holender Opera Agency, increased the prestige and made it one of the most important German Agencies.

In 1988, Eberhard Waechter named Holender as Secretary-General of the Vienna State Opera, effective as of 1991. There was controversy as this appointment, because of perceived conflicts of interest between this post and his prior association with his theatrical agency. Eventually, Holender dissociated himself from the Starka business. After Waechter's death in February 1992, Holender became Director of the Vienna State Opera on 1 April 1992. He also led the Vienna Volksoper for 4 years simultaneously. Holender's contract was extended three times and his tenure is scheduled to conclude on 31 August 2010. At the conclusion of his tenure, he will have been the longest-serving general director in the history of the Vienna State Opera.

In the years 2002 – 2004 he was artistic consultant of the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Since 2003 he is honorary president and artistic director of the George Enescu Festivals in Bucharest / Romania. In addition he is a guest lecturer at the Vienna University Institute of Theater, Film and Media Sciences and at the Danube University Krems. Further he is a jury member for several international singing-competitions.

He has received five honorary doctorates and is a recipient of the Decoration of Honour in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria and the Gold Medal for meritorious service to the State of Vienna, the Award in Gold of the State of Vienna as well as the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art I. Class. In 1999 he was appointed "Officier de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" by the French Republic. He is Honorary Member of the Romanian Academy.

Ioan Holender is an Honorary Member of the Vienna State Opera and the Vienna Volksoper. He holds the Clemens Krauss Medal given by the Vienna State Opera chorus, the Golden "Franz Schalk" Medal given by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and has also been awarded the honorary citizenship of his native town Timisoara. During the first tour of Vienna State Opera in Bucharest (George-Enescu-Festival) in September 2001 he has been decorated with the most important Romanian medal. In December 2002 he received the Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria. Further he received the Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold of the Italian Republic in June 2004 and with this has been appointed "Commendatore". In May 2005 he was awarded the „Europäischer Kultur Initiativ Preis“ of the European Foundation for Culture Pro Europa and the Prize for a long life activity dedicated to culture and for the contribution to the assertion of the Romanian values throughout the world, awarded by the Romanian Cultural Foundation.

The Skylarks (Part 7)

Nelly Miricioiu (born March 31, 1952), great Romanian soprano, one of the most versatile artists of our day.

Born in Adjud, Romania, Nelly started singing at 5 and was hailed as a child prodigy. At 9 she started studying piano and at 14 she won her first singing contest, Young Talents, Great Hopes. At 18 she sung in Pergolesi's La serva padrona and joined the Conservatory in Iaşi where she continued her studies with Tiberiu Popovici. In 1972 she was the youngest contestant in the Francisco Vinas Musical Competition in Barcelona and in 1975 she won the first prize at the very first Maria Callas Grand Prix in Athens. More 1st prizes followed at competitions in Geneva, Paris, Sofia, Oostende etc.


Nelly made her operatic debut in Mozart's Magic Flute, as the Queen of the Night at Iaşi Opera House, and continued to sing at Braşov Opera House between 1975-1978 in roles such as Mimi in La Bohème, Micaela in Carmen and Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus.

In 1981 she fled the communist regime and months later she debuted in Glasgow at the Scottish Opera as Violetta in La Traviata. Manon Lescaut and Tosca followed. A year later she had her big breakthrough and starred at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden as Nedda in I Pagliacci opposite John Vickers, Piero Cappuccilli and Thomas Allen. After her successful debut she became a household name at the Royal Opera House where she has sung for over two decades in roles such as Marguerite in Faust, Antonia in Tales of Hoffmann, Valentine in Les Huguenots, Norma, to name just a few. In 1996 she was trusted with the revival of the infamous Tosca production for Maria Callas. The revival was a huge success and established her as one of the best Tosca's seen on stage. She reprised her appearance as Tosca on the Royal Opera House stage in 2001 and in 2003 she enjoyed an immense success as Elisabetta in Roberto Devereux by Donizetti of which a recording was later released by Opera Rara.


In 1983, Nelly Miricioiu was called to replace Luciana Serra in Milan, at Teatro alla Scala as Lucia di Lamermoor. Her debut on the demanding stage was an absolute triumph. There was unanimous praise from the critics and newspapers for her extraordinary performance. After this success, Nelly went on to sing on the stages of the most important opera houses in Europe such as Amsterdam, Bruxelles, Rome, Hamburg, Berlin, Geneva, Munich, Vienna, Salzburg, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona etc. where she has been highly praised and acclaimed for her characterization of roles. Nelly has enjoyed also an extremely successful relationship with the Washington Opera.

She has a triumphant voice. The Romanian soprano show charisma, an imperious presence which is admirable in the way she pace herself through the vocal score which she does with a compelling style.

The Skylarks (Part 6)

Maria Cebotari (February 10, 1910 - June 9, 1949), famous Romanian opera singer. During her short but brilliant career Maria Cebotari became to be recognized as one of the greatest singers of her time.


Born in Chişinău, (now the capital of Moldova Republic), Bessarabia, Romania, Maria attracted attention by her singing in the local church choir. After attending her home town conservatory, she met Russian actor Count Alexander Vyrubov who managed the Moscow Arts Theatre. He offered her a contract, marriage as well (she divorced him in 1938 and married film actor Gustav Diessl), and they traveled from city to city ending in Berlin where she met Max von Schillings who recommended her to noted singing teacher Oscar Daniel.


After intensive studies, she was signed by Fritz Busch for the Dresden State Opera where she made her debut April 15, 1931 as Mimi in La Bohème. Bruno Walter engaged her for the role of Amor in Gluck's Orpheus and Euridice at the Salzburg Festival. Her career skyrocketed and she was a great favorite at the Berlin and Dresden State Operas. Beside her hugely successful operatic career, Cebotari appeared in several films related to operas - such as Verdi's Three Women, and The Dream of Madame Butterfly. In 1934 she received the title Kammersängerin, a distinction (the highest of its kind existent back then in Austria and Germany) reserved for meritorious singers which had never been, and has never since been, awarded to a 24-year old. In 1936 she sang for the first time with the Vienna State Opera where she became a great favorite. Her busy schedule with leading European opera houses made it impossible for her to accept invitations from America. Cebotari was known for her Mozart and Strauss; in 1935 she sang Aminta in the world premiere of the latter's Die Schweigsame Frau, and also was known for her Salomé. She also sang in the Salzburg world premiere of von Einem's Danton's Death. Aware of her fatal illness, she performed extensively before her untimely death June 9, 1949 when her funeral in Vienna was one of the most imposing demonstrations of love and honor any deceased artist has ever received. Only the good die young...

The Skylarks (Part 5)

Leontina Văduva (born December 1, 1964 in Bucharest), famous Romanian soprano. Singing French and Italian roles, she pleases critics and charms audiences wherever she goes...


Daughter of a well-known singer of Romanian folkloric music, Maria Ciobanu, young Leontina studied at the Music Conservatory of Bucharest. Since Leontina Văduva’s debut on the stage of the Toulouse Opera House, in 1987, her rise to success was meteoric: she was acclaimed successively at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden (1988), at Vienna Staatsoper (1991) and again at Covent Garden in 1994. This followed with her American debut with San Francisco Opera in 1996, adding to the series of her performances on the stages of Munich, Paris, Brussels, Barcelona, the La Scala Milano and the New York’s Metropolitan Opera. Her debut at the Metropolitan, in 2000, was in the role of Mimi in La Bohàme. This was followed by the Los Angeles Opera (Marguerite in Gounod’s Faust), in the year 2000 and and again at the Baltimore Opera in 2001.


Leontina Văduva is a resident of France where she was honoured, in 1999, with the Legion d’Honneur - Chevalier de L'Ordre des Arts et Lettres. She won the First Prize at the Singing Contests of Toulouse and S'Hertagenbosch, and for her performance of Manon she received in 1988 the Laurence Olivier Award. Gold and Silver Gala: From the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (1996), Romeo et Juliette (1995).

The Skylarks (Part 3)

Angela Gheorghiu (born September 7, 1965 - Adjud), is one of the most famous contemporary sopranos. Her magnificent voice and dazzling stage presence revealed her to the world as unique opera star. A fiery and intense stage actress, she has a particular affinity for the operas of Verdi. A lyric dramatic soprano with a large range and a dark colored voice, she is also able to sing spinto roles. On the other hand, having an impeccable musicianship and a gorgeous voice, she's also a great interpreter of French roles. She also performs and records the music of her native Romania, whether operatic, lieder, popular or Orthodox church music.


Along with her sister Elena, she sang opera music from a very early age. At age 13, she went to study singing at the Bucharest Music Academy. Her graduation in 1989 (or 1990) coincided with the overthrow of Ceauşescu, enabling her to seek out an international career immediately. Her profesional debut took place at the Cluj Opera as Mimì (La Bohème) in 1990.


Angela Gheorghiu made her international debut in 1992 at Covent Garden in London as Zerlina in Don Giovanni. She was offered Mimì in La Bohème, an important and difficult role, but she declined, preferring something less ambitious. Nevertheless, she made an excellent impression and in the same year went on to debut at the Staatsoper Vienna as Adina in L'Elisir d'Amore and at the Metropolitan Opera as Mimi in La Bohème. In 1994, she was auditioned by the great conductor Sir Georg Solti for a new production of La Traviata. When he heard her, he said: "I was in tears. I had to go out. The girl is wonderful. She can do anything!". It was in Covent Garden that she first sang her much acclaimed La Traviata in 1994, when BBC cleared out their schedule in order to broadcast the opera. That particular performance was also filmed and recorded by Decca. Really, her debut as Violetta led her to international stardom. Since then she has been in constant demand in opera houses and concert halls around the world: New York, London, Paris, Salzburg, Berlin, Tokyo, Rome, Seoul, Venice, Athens, Monte-Carlo, Chicago, Sao Paolo, Los Angeles, Lisbon, Palermo, Beirut, Amsterdam, Kuala Lumpur, Zürich, Vienna, Madrid, Montreal.

All her CD’s have enjoyed widespread critical acclaim ever since her debut and have been awarded many prizes such as Gramophone Awards, Diapason d’Or Awards, Choc du Monde de la Musique (France), Cecilia Prize (Belgium), Deutsche Schallplattenkritik-Preis (Germany), the Italian Musica e dischi - in the category Foreign Lyric Production Award, the USA Critics’ Award, Premio Zenatello (Verona), Echo Klassik (Singer of the Year, Frankfurt, 2002), etc. At the Classical Brit Award in 2001 she won the title Female Artist of the Year. Angela Gheorghiu was honoured with “La Medaille Vermeille de la Ville de Paris” and appointed “Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres” by the French Ministry of Culture and by her native country Romania.


Angela Gheorghiu is married with the tenor Roberto Alani; she is also famous for her beauty and was recently chosen the 74th most beautiful women in the world by the FHM Magazine. But, above all, the Romanian soprano is noted for her creamy and flexible voice, her rare musicianship and the deep and intense portrays of her characters.

The Skylarks (Part 2)

Mariana Nicolesco (born November 28, 1948 in Guajani) is a Romanian operatic soprano, particularly associated with Mozart and the bel canto repertory.


Born Mariana Niculescu in Guajani, she trained first as violinist at the Cluj-Napoca Conservatory, she then went on a scholarship to the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, where she studied voice with Jolanda Magnoni, and later had lessons from Rodolfo Celletti and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf in Milan. Upon graduation, she won the Rossini International Voice Competition organized by RAI. She came in contact with conductor Thomas Schippers, who did much to further her career, and invited her to Cincinnati, where she made her operatic debut as Mimi in 1972. She returned to Italy, and appeared at the opera houses of Trieste, Venice, Florence, and Rome. She made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 1978, as Violetta (a role she has sung over 200 times around the world). She also appeared in Chicago and San Francisco.

Nicolesco went on to perform in a multitude of opera houses; notably La Scala in Milan, Opéra de Paris, Vienna State Opera, Munich State Opera, Liceo in Barcelona, Semperoper in Dresden, Berlin State Opera, Monte Carlo Opera, as well as numerous concert halls (Carnegie Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Concertgebouw Musikverein, Moscow Conservatory), and classical music festivals (Salzburg Festival, Rossini Opera Festival, Casals Festival).


Nicolesco defended a wide repertoire from baroque to verismo, with a special affinity for Mozart and the Italian bel canto, notable roles included; Donna Elvira, Celia, Elettra, Anna Bolena, Beatrice di Tenda, Maria Stuarda, Elisabetta, Amalia, Desdemona, etc. A soprano drammatica d'agilità, she has a rich and vibrant voice and a strong stage presence. She can be heard in a few recordings, notably: Beatrice di Tenda and Maria di Rohan. She had a rather surprisingly short career - the voice had top quality. One of many great Romanian Violettas: Zeani, Gheorghiu...

Mariana Nicolesco lent support to Romanian orphanages and to the promotion of young artists of exceptional talent. In New York, she created The Romanian Atheneum International Foundation Inc. which helped restore the Atheneum's organ and the magnificent 1888 Romanian Atheneum Concert Hall in Bucharest. The Foundation and Mariana Nicolesco have donated a Steinway grand concert piano. In Brasov she organized in 1993 the first National Festival and Romanian Song Competition and in Venice, she organized the first National Festival, the Romanian Song Competition and, in Venice, The Gran Gala UNESCO-UNICEF Romania.

Mariana Nicolesco is an Honorary Member of the Romanian National Council for the Protection of the Child and of the Romanian National Committee for UNICEF, an Honorary Citizen of Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Brasov and Braila, President of the Darclée Foundation and Honorary President of the Hariclea Darclée International Voice Competition which was held in 2005 from July 19 to 31, celebrating 10 years of great music, style and art since its creation by the great soprano. It is the most important music event in Romania and one of the most important worldwide. Mariana Nicolesco offered the Romanian young artists and public a great and fantastic school of art and magnificent opportunities to the young artists.

Mariana Nicolesco is a Ph.D. in Arts from the Cluj-Napoca Academy of Music, Doctor Honoris Causa of the same Academy, Honorary Professor and Doctor Honoris Causa of the Transilvania University in Brasov, Honorary Member of the Romanian Academy and a member of the Honorary Committee of the International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation.

She was made a Grand Officer of the National Order the Star of Romania and Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government. She received the UNESCO Medal for Artistic Achievements and was awarded the title of UNESCO Artist for Peace. She is a Commander for the Order of the Star of Italian Republic. She was proclaimed The Most Successful Woman in Romania. In Berlin, she was proclaimed Musician of the Year for "her extraordinary performances and for everything she does for the young generation. A great voice for the Renaissance of Culture".


A recent study shows that, in the long history of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Mariana Nicolesco is the soprano who appeared in the most prime assolute. In 2005, commemorating 50 years since the great Romanian composer passed away, Mariana Nicolesco presented in world premiere concert George Enescu's Complete Songs. As a result of the great success of the evening, Mariana Nicolesco and her young friends were invited for a Gala Concert dedicated to Enescu's Songs at the World Exhibition in Japan.

The Skylarks (Part 1)

Ileana Cotrubaş (born June 9, 1939, Galaţi), is among the world's most beloved opera singers.


Although she grew up in a fairly musical family - her father and mother both sang - she aspired, when a child, to an acting career in Hollywood. Before adolescence, however, she had joined a children chorus that occasionally performed on Romanian radio and in local opera presentations. Within a few years she had reached solo status in the chorus, and when her family moved from Galaţi to Bucharest in the early 1950s, she entered a music school. She devoted her first two years there to a variety of studies, including conducting, playing piano and violin, and acting. In her mid-teens, she finally began concentrating on singing. Her voice, however, was considered too modest, and she was initially rejected for further study by the Ciprian Porumbescu Conservatory Bucharest. After an additional year of music theory and practice Cotrubaş reapplied to the conservatory in 1958 and gained acceptance.

Under the guidance of her teachers, Ileana shaped her singing voice into one featuring a more adult range. This work occupied much of her time at the conservatory, though she was also able to continue her piano studies and indulge in athletics. She also studied several languages, including those in which most operas are written - Italian, German, and French. Her most impressive feat during this period, though, was as triple winner at an important Dutch vocal competition. Scoring victories in the key categories of opera, oratorio, and lieder, Cotrubaş consequently appeared on the Dutch stage in Mozart's Magic Flute and The Abduction From the Seraglio. The following year Cotrubaş scored another triumph at a West German competition, and her career was assured.


Throughout the remainder of the 1960s Cotrubaş continued to sing in Europe. Among her greatest successes at this time was at a Glyndebourne Festival production in 1969 under conductor John Pritchard. The next year she again thrilled British audiences when she appeared at London's Covent Garden, and in the ensuing years the British public came to hold her in unusual affection. She returned to the continent and sang for three years with the Vienna State Opera. Cotrubaş's first triumph in America, had come in 1973 when she appeared as Mimi in the Chicago Lyric Opera's presentation of Puccini's La Boheme. Puccini's opera has also proved a key work for Cotrubaş, as it was the opera with which she made her debuts at two of the world's greatest opera houses - La Scala and the Metropolitan. At La Scala, she was a last-minute replacement in 1975 opposite the great Luciano Pavarotti who, upon learning that scheduled soprano Mirella Freni was ill, reportedly cried, "Get Cotrubaş!" Recalling the event, she told the New York Times, "In the end they shouted and shouted, and Pavarotti... left me alone for the applause. And I thanked God". She was similarly successful at the Metropolitan. She sang on the most famous world stages and she is much in demand, worldwide, as a teacher. Cotrubaş retired from public singing in 1990, but she continues to teach, giving master classes and coaching promising young singers.


Though diminuitive and endearing, Cotrubaş has also developed a reputation as an exacting, demanding performer, one who is adamant in her refusal to compromise her work. "I'm demanding a lot from other people because I'm giving. I have to give, because I have some special qualities; like any artist, I have to transmit these feelings, and I can't do this without a good conductor, understanding colleagues, and a serious director".