Catherine Naglestad (born 7 November 1965) is an American

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...

performing in Europe and internationally. She grew up in the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...

. In 2006, she was named Singer of the Year by '' Opernwelt'' in Germany for her portrayal of

Norma Norma may refer to: * Norma (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) ** Norma Lizbeth Ramos, a Mexican bullying victim Astronomy *Norma (constellation) * 555 Norma, a minor asteroid * Cygnus Arm or Norma Arm, a spiral ...

, Alceste, and Elisabetta.

Early life and education

Naglestad was born in

San Jose, California San Jose, officially the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. With a city population of 997,368 and a metropolitan area population of 1.95 million, it is ...

and grew up in Sacramento. At age 12, she started singing

musical theater Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, moveme ...

before deciding to pursue a career in

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

. At age 17, she moved to San Francisco where she studied at the San Francisco Conservatory, furthering her studies in Rome, Milan and New York.

Career

She has performed leading roles in opera houses and concert halls around the world, including the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...

in London, Paris Opéra Bastille,

Berlin State Opera The Staatsoper Unter den Linden ( State Opera under the Lime Trees), also known as the Berlin State Opera (), is a listed building on Unter den Linden boulevard in the historic center of Berlin, Germany. The opera house was built by order of P ...

, and Suntory Hall in Tokyo.

Reception

'' Opera Canada'' said in a 2012 review of Andreas Kriegenburg's staging of Wagner's ''

Der Ring des Nibelungen (''The Ring of the Nibelung''), WWV 86, is a cycle of four German-language epic music dramas composed by Richard Wagner. The works are based loosely on characters from Germanic heroic legend, namely Norse legendary sagas and the . The compo ...

'' for the

Bavarian State Opera The Bavarian State Opera () is a German opera company based in Munich. Its main venue is the Nationaltheater München, and its orchestra the Bavarian State Orchestra. History The parent ensemble of the company was founded in 1653, under El ...

that "Catherine Naglestad had the lyricism and youthful beauty for the ''

Siegfried Siegfried is a German-language male given name, composed from the Germanic elements ''sig'' "victory" and ''frithu'' "protection, peace". The German name has the Old Norse cognate ''Sigfriðr, Sigfrøðr'', which gives rise to Swedish ''Sigfrid' ...

'' Brünnhilde". In a 2008 review of Busoni's '' Doktor Faust'', critic Shirley Apthorp wrote in FT.com that "Amid all this testosterone-laden heft, Catherine Naglestad's exquisitely rounded, sensual Duchess of Parma provides a welcome note of lyricism." In a review of the cast recording, Richard Sininger said in '' American Record Guide'' that "Catherine Naglestad reveals a gleaming soprano as the Duchess." '' Opera News'' said in a 2002 recording review that "Catherine Naglestad's

Alcina ''Alcina'' (Händel-Werke-Verzeichnis, HWV 34) is a 1735 opera by George Frideric Handel. Handel used the libretto of ''L'isola di Alcina'', a work set to music in 1728 in Rome by Riccardo Broschi, which he had acquired a year later during his t ...

is a complex figure – regal, headstrong and even somewhat sympathetic. The bright, impressive upper range of her voice, topped by a effortless high D, serves her well in the cadenzas." '' Gramophone'' gave her a poor review for her lead role in Gluck's Alceste; much of the review focused on her costume, hair styling, and uninspired acting, rather than her singing, and the role is notoriously difficult.

References

External links

Opera japonica interview with Ruth C Jacobs, 2005, accessed 4 June 2010
{{DEFAULTSORT:Naglestad, Catherine 1965 births Living people American operatic sopranos San Francisco Conservatory of Music alumni Singers from California Classical musicians from California 21st-century American women