Diana Damrau facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Diana Damrau
Damrau in 2012
Born	(1971-05-31) 31 May 1971 (age 54) Günzburg, Bavaria, West Germany
Alma mater	Hochschule für Musik Würzburg
Occupation	Opera singer (soprano)
Years active	1995–present
Title	Kammersängerin
Spouse(s)	Nicolas Testé ​ (m. 2010)​
Children	2
Awards	Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art Bavarian Order of Merit

Diana Damrau (born May 31, 1971) is a world-famous German opera singer. She is a soprano, which means she sings in a very high range. She is especially known for her amazing performances in coloratura soprano roles, which involve singing fast, high, and difficult notes.

Over her career, she has also taken on bigger roles from 19th-century Italian operas, a style known as bel canto (which means "beautiful singing"). Some of her most famous roles are the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute, Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos, and Violetta in La traviata.

Damrau has performed at the most important opera houses in the world, including the Bavarian State Opera, the Vienna State Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. She has also recorded many albums and won several awards for her incredible talent.

Early Life and Education

Diana Damrau was born in Günzburg, a town in Bavaria, Germany. She knew she wanted to be an opera singer after watching a movie version of the opera La traviata. The film's beautiful music and story inspired her to start studying singing.

She attended the Hochschule für Musik Würzburg, a top music university in Germany. During her studies, she had a problem with one of her vocal cords, which are the tiny muscles in your throat that create sound. Instead of having surgery, she chose a special therapy that helped her heal over a year and a half. After graduating, she continued her training in Salzburg, Austria.

A Star on the Rise

First Steps on Stage

Damrau began her professional career in 1995. Her first role was Barbarina in Mozart's opera The Marriage of Figaro. She then joined theater companies in the German cities of Würzburg, Mannheim, and Frankfurt.

One of her most famous early roles was the Queen of the Night in Mozart's The Magic Flute. This role is known for its incredibly high and difficult notes, but Damrau performed it perfectly. She quickly became famous for this role and performed it in many opera houses, including the Vienna State Opera and the Royal Opera, London.

Performing Around the World

By 2002, Damrau was so in-demand that she began a freelance career, meaning she could perform with any opera company in the world. She became a regular guest at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich and the Salzburg Festival in Austria, where she often sang roles in Mozart's operas.

In 2004, she was given a special honor. She was asked to sing the main role in the opera Europa riconosciuta for the grand reopening of the famous La Scala opera house in Milan, Italy. A year later, in 2005, she made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, one of the most important opera stages in the world.

Taking on New Challenges

Exploring New Roles

As her career grew, Damrau began to sing different kinds of roles. She moved from the very high, fast coloratura parts to more lyrical and dramatic soprano roles. At the Metropolitan Opera, she starred in new productions of operas like The Barber of Seville and Le comte Ory.

In the 2007-2008 season at the Met, she did something amazing. She performed as both Pamina and the Queen of the Night in different shows of The Magic Flute. These two characters are very different, and it showed her incredible skill as a singer and actress. After that, she decided to stop singing the Queen of the Night, having performed the role in over 15 different productions.

Master of Bel Canto

Damrau became a star in the bel canto style of opera. This style requires a beautiful tone, control, and emotional expression. She took on leading roles in famous bel canto operas like Lucia di Lammermoor, I puritani, and La sonnambula.

In 2013, she sang the role of Violetta in Verdi's La traviata for the first time at the Metropolitan Opera. This is one of the most famous and challenging soprano roles ever written, and her performance was a huge success. She also showed her talent by playing all four heroines in the opera The Tales of Hoffmann, a rare and difficult achievement.

Concerts and Recordings

Besides opera, Diana Damrau is also a successful concert singer. She has performed songs, known as lieder, at famous concert halls like Carnegie Hall in New York and Wigmore Hall in London. She has sung with some of the world's greatest orchestras and conductors, including Plácido Domingo at a concert for the 2006 FIFA World Cup opening.

Damrau has recorded many albums. Her first solo album, Arie di Bravura, was released in 2007. Since then, she has recorded albums of music by Mozart, Richard Strauss, and other famous composers.

Personal Life

In May 2010, Diana Damrau married the French bass-baritone singer Nicolas Testé. They have two sons, Alexander and Colyn. The family often travels together when Damrau and Testé are performing around the world.

Major Roles and Awards

Damrau has performed dozens of roles at the world's top opera houses. Here are a few highlights:

• La Scala, Milan: Europa riconosciuta (Europa), The Marriage of Figaro (Susanna), La traviata (Violetta)
• Metropolitan Opera, New York: The Magic Flute (Queen of the Night & Pamina), La traviata (Violetta), Lucia di Lammermoor (Lucia), Rigoletto (Gilda)
• The Royal Opera, London: The Magic Flute (Queen of the Night), Hänsel und Gretel (Gretel), La traviata (Violetta)
• Bavarian State Opera, Munich: The Tales of Hoffmann (all four heroines), The Magic Flute (Queen of the Night), Lucia di Lammermoor (Lucia)

She has received many honors for her singing, including:

• Bavarian Kammersängerin (a special title for distinguished singers)
• Singer of the Year from Opernwelt magazine (2008)
• Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art (2010)
• Female Singer of the Year at the International Opera Awards (2014)
• An asteroid, 33034 Dianadamrau, was named in her honor in 2020.

See also

In Spanish: Diana Damrau para niños