Raina Kabaivanska facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Raina Kabaivanska
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| Райна Кабаиванска | |
Kabaivanska as Tosca with Enrique Baquerizo in Madrid, 2004
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| Born | 15 December 1934 Burgas, Kingdom of Bulgaria
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| Citizenship | Bulgaria and Italy |
| Education | Bulgarian State Conservatoire |
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| Years active | 1957–present |
| Awards | Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2000) |
Raina Kabaivanska is a famous opera singer from Bulgaria. She was born on December 15, 1934. She is known as a "lirico-spinto soprano," which means she has a powerful and beautiful voice that can sing both soft and strong parts. She is especially famous for singing in operas by Verdi and Puccini.
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Early Life and Career Beginnings
Raina Kabaivanska was born in Burgas, Bulgaria. She studied music in Sofia with teachers named Prokopova and Yosifov. Her first time singing in an opera was in 1957. She performed as Tatjana in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin at the Bulgarian National Opera.
In 1958, she moved to Italy to continue her music studies. She learned from Zina Fumagalli-Riva in Milan and Giulia Tess in Vercelli. Just two years later, she had a big success in Fano, Italy. She sang the role of Nedda in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci.
Singing at La Scala and Beyond
In 1961, Raina Kabaivanska performed for the first time at La Scala in Milan. This is one of the most famous opera houses in the world. She sang as Agnese in Bellini's Beatrice di Tenda, alongside another famous singer, Dame Joan Sutherland.
She sang in many other Italian cities, including Genoa, Venice, and Parma. A special performance was in Turin in 1973. She played Elena in I vespri siciliani. This was the only opera production ever directed by the legendary singer Maria Callas.
International Performances
Raina Kabaivanska also made her debut in other major cities in 1962. She sang at the Royal Opera House in London as Desdemona in Verdi's Otello. She also performed at the Metropolitan Opera in New York as Nedda.
Her career took her to many famous stages around the world. She sang at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. She also performed at the Paris Opéra, the Vienna State Opera, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Opera Films and Special Events
Raina Kabaivanska also appeared in a few opera films. In 1968, she was in Pagliacci with Jon Vickers. She also starred in Il trovatore in 1975 and Tosca in 1976. In Tosca, she sang alongside the famous tenor Plácido Domingo.
On September 8, 2007, she sang at the funeral of another legendary opera singer, Luciano Pavarotti. She performed the "Ave Maria" from Verdi's opera Otello in Modena, Italy.
In 2008, she played the Comtesse in Tchaikovsky's Queen of Spades. These performances took place at the Capitole de Toulouse.
Teaching and Awards
Raina Kabaivanska is not only a performer but also a teacher. She is a professor at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy. She also teaches at the Vecchi-Tonelli Music Institute in Modena and at New Bulgarian University in Sofia. She helps judge many important music competitions around the world.
She has received many international opera awards for her amazing talent. These include the Bellini Award (1965), the Viotti d'Oro (1970), and the Puccini Award (1978). In 2000, she received the Grand Prix 'A Life, Dedicated to the Music' in Venice.
Honors
Raina Kabaivanska was honored as a Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic on December 7, 2000. This is a very high award from the Italian government.
See also
In Spanish: Raina Kabaivanska para niños
