Michèle Crider facts for kids
Michèle Crider (born in 1959 in Quincy, Illinois) is an American opera singer. She is a type of soprano singer called a lirico spinto. This means her voice is strong and bright, perfect for dramatic opera roles.
Michèle Crider has performed in many famous opera houses around the world. These include the Royal Opera House in London and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. She has also sung in major cities like Vienna, Munich, and Berlin. She has worked with many well-known conductors, such as Riccardo Muti and James Levine. Today, she teaches singing at the Mozarteum University Salzburg.
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Early Life and Training
Michèle Crider grew up in Illinois in a large family with 10 children. After finishing high school, she was the first in her family to go to college. She earned her music degree from Culver-Stockton College.
Later, she got her master's degree in singing from the University of Iowa. While there, she performed her first opera role in Madama Butterfly. A famous singer named Simon Estes noticed her talent. Michèle Crider won the District Metropolitan Opera Auditions twice. After her studies in Iowa, she moved to Zürich to continue learning at the Zurich Opera House studio.
Competitions and First Roles
In 1988, she was a finalist in the Luciano Pavarotti competition. The next year, in 1989, she won a top prize at the Geneva International Music Competition. This win helped her get a role as Leonora in Il trovatore in Dortmund. She then won the International Grand Prix.
Michèle Crider has also made several recordings. She sang Amelia in Un ballo in maschera and parts in Mefistofele. She also recorded Verdi's Requiem and a role in Die Walküre. In 2018, the University of Iowa gave her an honorary doctorate degree for her achievements.
Michèle Crider's Opera Career
Michèle Crider has been a regular performer in top opera houses since 1991. She has sung at the Royal Opera House in London, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. She also performed at the Arena di Verona, a famous outdoor opera venue.
Major Performances and Concerts
Her concert career has also been very successful. She has appeared at important music festivals like the Salzburg Festival. She has sung in famous halls such as the Royal Albert Hall in London and Carnegie Hall in New York. She has performed with many leading orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic.
Since her American debut in 1996 in Aida at the San Diego Opera, Michèle Crider has had a very busy international schedule.
Highlights from 1997 to 1999
In 1997, Michèle Crider performed at the BBC Promenade concerts. She sang in Verdi's Messa da Requiem and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. She also made her Japan debut in Tokyo with Verdi's Requiem.
From 1997 to 1998, she sang in a new production of Aida at the Dresden Semperoper. She also debuted at three more opera houses in 1998. She sang in Un ballo in maschera in the Arena di Verona and Madama Butterfly in Paris. She also performed Aida in Munich. In December 1998, she returned to the Vienna State Opera. In 1999, she received praise for her role as Leonora in Il trovatore at the New York Metropolitan Opera.
In July 1999, Crider was in a new production of Un ballo in maschera in Zurich. Later that year, she sang Aida in Florence. She also performed in Attila in Geneva and returned to the Metropolitan Opera for Madama Butterfly. She sang Amelia in Un ballo in maschera in Berlin and debuted in Amsterdam with Aida. She finished this period with Aida at the Macerata opera festival in July 2000.
Performances from 2000 to 2002
Michèle Crider started the 2000-2001 season with Il trovatore in Zurich. In December 2000, she debuted at the Teatro Real in Madrid, singing Leonora in Il trovatore. Between January and April 2001, she returned to the Metropolitan Opera as Amelia in Un ballo in maschera. She also performed this role and Leonora in Vienna.
In June 2001, she sang Aida at the San Francisco Opera House. She received the San Francisco Opera Award of Merit there. In the summer of 2001, she debuted in Cagliari with a new production of Aida. In 2001-2002, she performed in new productions in Oviedo, Genoa, and Catania. She also returned to the Arena di Verona as Aida. A major highlight was her praised role debut as Norma at the Vlaamse Opera. In 2002-2003, she sang Aida at the Metropolitan Opera. She also had a successful debut as Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana in Trieste.
Career Highlights from 2003 to 2006
In October 2003, Michèle Crider debuted as Tosca in Zurich. She also performed as Norma in Essen. In January 2004, she returned to Zurich for more Tosca shows. She then sang Aida in Munich and Amelia in Un ballo in maschera in Hamburg and Barcelona. She closed her season as Aida at the Arena di Verona. In July 2003, she received the Young Alumni Award from the University of Iowa.
In spring 2004, Crider had an important role debut as Imogene in Bellini's Il pirata. Other highlights included her Carnegie Hall debut in March 2004. She also returned to the Vienna State Opera as Aida. In 2004-2005, she sang her famous role of Aida in Berlin. She also debuted at La Monnaie in Brussels, the Los Angeles Opera, and the Semperoper Dresden. She performed Tosca in Vienna and Amelia and Tosca in Zurich.
Her performances in the 2005-2006 season included Tosca in Berlin and Vienna. She returned to the Metropolitan Opera as Aida and to Zurich as Tosca. In February and March 2006, she sang Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana in Hamburg. She also performed Aida and Un ballo in maschera in Berlin. In April 2006, she returned to the Israeli Opera as Amelia in a new production of Un ballo in maschera.
Recordings
Michèle Crider has made several recordings of her performances. These include Verdi's Requiem from 1996 and 1997. She also recorded Aida, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, and Leonora in Il trovatore.
