Lara
Ciekiewicz, Soprano – Intelligent
and
Dramatic Singer-Actress
Whether
being hailed as “mesmerizing” (Classical Voice of North
Carolina), “thrilling” (The New Classical 96.3 FM), or “a clear
standout” (San Francisco Classical Voice), versatile soprano Lara
Ciekiewicz is quickly making her mark as a compelling, intelligent,
and accomplished singing-actress. A graduate of l’Atelier lyrique
de l’Opra de Montral, she has distinguished herself at some of the
continent’s most prestigious training programs, including San
Francisco’s Merola Opera Program, the Banff Centre for the Arts’
Opera as Theatre program, the Janiec Opera Company at the Brevard
Music Center, and Opera Nuova. Her combination of flair,
humour, presence, vocal beauty, and style, all backed by a solid
technique, is already gaining attention.
Highlights
of the 2013-2014 season include the role of Nellie in South
Pacific for Pacific Opera Victoria, Messiah with the
Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO), Musetta in La Bohme
for Manitoba Opera, and Lisa in Das Land des Lchelns
for Toronto Operetta Theatre.
Last
season, Lara sang the role of High Priestess in Aida
with Manitoba Opera, followed by Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with
the WSO. She also paid tribute to the legendary career of Len Cariou
through the music of Stephen Sondheim in an exciting venture with the
WSO and Dry Cold Productions. Ms. Ciekiewicz was also delighted to
rejoin the Toronto Operetta Theatre family, starring in the title
role of Klmn’s The Gypsy Princess.
The
2010-2011 season saw Ms. Ciekiewicz return to l’Opra de Montral as
the saucy Musetta
in La
Boheme,
to Manitoba Opera as Papagena
in
Die
Zauberflte,
and to the WSO for a rarely heard performance of Penderecki’s Seven
Gates of Jerusalem. Appearances
also included Lyudmila
in
Glinka’s Ruslan
i Lyudmila
for Opera in Concert, Le
Gala 15e dition
at l’Opra de Montral, as well as a recital at Montreal’s
Consulate General of the Republic of Poland, and the Gala
des Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques
for Montreal’s Thtre Lyrichorgra 20.
The
2009-2010 season began on l’Opra de Montral’s mainstage, where
Ms. Ciekiewicz covered Lauretta
in
Gianni
Schicchi
and performed Papagena
in
Die
Zauberflte,
also covering Pamina.
She then made her Toronto Operetta Theatre debut in the title role of
Countess
Maritza.
She completed her apprenticeship at l’Atelier lyrique performing
the roles of Éva
in
the Gagnon-Tremblay drama Nelligan
and Lucy
in The
Telephone.
Rounding out the season was a return to the Sinfonia de Lanaudire for
Messiah
with Maestro Stfane Laforest, a debut in Mozart’s Requiem
with Maestro Alain Trudel and l’Orchestre Symphonique de Laval,
performances for l’Opra de Montral’s Metropera,
and outreach events for l’Atelier lyrique.
Ms.
Ciekiewicz’s 2008-2009 season proved equally exciting, culminating
in a turn as Fiordiligi
for the Merola Opera Program’s production of Cosi
Fan Tutte.
Praising the beauty of her instrument, her poise and intelligence,
San Francisco Classical Voice’s Jason Victor Serinus declared,
“…she could build a career as a consummate Mozartian and also
branch out into weightier, more dramatic repertoire.” In addition,
Ms. Ciekiewicz made two company debuts – one on the mainstage at
l’Opra de Montral as the Dama
in
Macbeth,
the other as Paquette
for Manitoba Opera’s Candide.
She returned to Toronto’s Opera in Concert as Elisabetta
in Roberto
Devereux
and sang Fiordiligi,
this time for l’Atelier lyrique. Concert engagements included
an evening of Mozart with Boris Brott and the McGill Chamber
Orchestra, Rutter’s Magnificat
with the Winnipeg Singers, and Messiah
with the Sinfonia de Lanaudire.
Her
2007-2008 season began in North Carolina at the Brevard Music Center,
where she debuted as Pamina
in Die
Zauberflte
under David Gately’s stage direction and the baton of Steven Smith.
She then presented her first Carmina
Burana
with Keith Lockhart and the Brevard Music Center Orchestra. Other
debuts included the title role in Anna
Bolena
for Opera in Concert, the title role in Alcina
and her first Fiordiligi
for Opera McGill.
Further
highlights from past seasons include: covering Anna
in
Frobisher
at the Banff Centre; Anna
in
the world premire of Michael Matthews’s Prince
Kaspar
for GroundSwell and Chamber Opera West; the title role in Princess
Ida,
Yum-Yum
in The
Mikado,
and Zorah
in Ruddigore,
all for the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Winnipeg; Antonia
in
Les
Contes d’Hoffmann
and Mrs.
Hayes in
Susannah,
both at Opera Nuova; and
concert engagements in Bach’s Mass
in B Minor
for the WSO and Handel’s Israel
in Egypt
for the Mennonite Festival Chorus.
Ms.
Ciekiewicz holds a Masters in Music (Opera) from McGill University
and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours, Voice) from the University of
Winnipeg. She is a laureate of Montreal’s Jeunes Ambassadeurs
Lyriques.
PHOTO
Lara
Ciekiewicz