Karin Shifrin ( he, קארין שיפרין) (born in

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

) is an Israeli

mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...

opera singer. She regularly performs in Israel and Europe. Since the age of 24, she sang in concerts with the

Israel Philharmonic Orchestra The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (abbreviation IPO; Hebrew: התזמורת הפילהרמונית הישראלית, ''ha-Tizmoret ha-Filharmonit ha-Yisra'elit'') is an Israeli symphony orchestra based in Tel Aviv. Its principal concert venue ...

, and with the

Teatro Comunale di Bologna The Teatro Comunale di Bologna is an opera house in Bologna, Italy. Typically, it presents eight operas with six performances during its November to April season. While there had been various theatres presenting opera in Bologna since the early 1 ...

orchestra, as well as other orchestras. Shifrin has been performing in the Israeli opera since 2005.

Career

Shifrin graduated her B.Mus. degree (with honors) in the Buchmann-Mehta Music Academy at the Tel-Aviv University. Her vocal instructors were Tamar Rachum (Israel), Kammersängerin

Hilde Zadek Hildegard Zadek (15 December 1917 – 21 February 2019) was a German operatic soprano. She was Kammersängerin at the Vienna State Opera and performed internationally. Early life Zadek, the oldest of three daughters of Elizabeth (Freundlich) a ...

(Austria) and Patricia McCaffrey (New York). Shifrin's debut with the Israeli Opera was at the age of 25. Among the roles she performed: *"'Max and Moritz" (conducted by

Gil Shohat Gil Shohat ( he, גיל שוחט, born 7 September 1973) is an Israeli classical music composer, Conducting, conductor, pianist and lecturer. Biography Gil Shohat was born in Tel Aviv. His mother is ''Ha'aretz'' theatre critic Tzipora (Tzipi) Shoh ...

) *The second Lady in ''

The Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a ''Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that inclu ...

'' (conducted by

Dan Ettinger Dan Ettinger ( he, דן אטינגר; born 1971) is an Israeli conductor, opera singer and pianist. Biography Ettinger is descended from Romanian immigrants to Israel, as his father and grandmother are Holocaust survivors. He grew up in the Tel ...

) *The Woman Who Comforts at the world premiere of the contemporary opera adaptation to a

Hanoch Levin Hanoch Levin ( he, חנוך לוין; December 18, 1943 – August 18, 1999) was an Israeli dramatist, theater director, author and poet, best known for his plays. His absurdist style is often compared to the work of Harold Pinter and Samuel Bec ...

play, The Child Dreams *Rossini's Cenerentola in a special production *Mrs. Smith, the leading role in a contemporary opera based upon

Eugène Ionesco Eugène Ionesco (; born Eugen Ionescu, ; 26 November 1909 – 28 March 1994) was a Romanian-French playwright who wrote mostly in French, and was one of the foremost figures of the French avant-garde theatre in the 20th century. Ionesco inst ...

's "

The Bald Soprano ''La Cantatrice chauve '' – translated from French as ''The Bald Soprano'' or ''The Bald Prima Donna'' – is the first play written by Romanian-French playwright Eugène Ionesco. Nicolas Bataille directed the premiere on 11 May 1950 at the ...

”

International performances

Some of Shifrin's international performances: *Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra, ''

The Marriage of Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' ( it, Le nozze di Figaro, links=no, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premie ...

'' (as Marcellina) and

Beethoven's 9th Symphony The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, is a choral symphony, the final complete symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven, composed between 1822 and 1824. It was first performed in Vienna on 7 May 1824. The symphony is regarded by many critics and musi ...

(soloist) (conducted by

Zubin Mehta Zubin Mehta (born 29 April 1936) is an Indian conductor of Western classical music. He is music director emeritus of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) and conductor emeritus of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mehta's father was the foun ...

) *Various recitals in Germany and Britain *"Concert for peace" – a duo concert with a Palestinian singer at the "Il Violino Magico" festival in Venice, Italy *"Concert For Life And Peace" - which took place in Rome, Beth-Lechem and Jerusalem, with the

Orchestra (conducted by

Shlomo Mintz Shlomo Mintz (Hebrew: שלמה מינץ) (born 30 October 1957) is an Israeli violin virtuoso, violinist and conductor. He regularly appears with orchestras and conductors on the international scene and is heard in recitals and chamber music conc ...

) *Several concerts in Poland in commemoration of the Holocaust victims (conducted by Omer Welber) *The Marschallin in ''

Der Rosenkavalier (''The Knight of the Rose'' or ''The Rose-Bearer''), Op. 59, is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from the novel ''Les amours du chevalier de Faublas'' ...

'' and the title role in ''

Arabella ''Arabella'', Op. 79, is a lyric comedy, or opera, in three acts by Richard Strauss to a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, their sixth and last operatic collaboration. Performance history It was first performed on 1 July 1933 at the Dr ...

'' in Sigriswil, Bern and Bad Ragaz, Switzerland (Conducted by Andsreas Kowalewitz) *Rosina in ''

The Barber of Seville ''The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution'' ( it, Il barbiere di Siviglia, ossia L'inutile precauzione ) is an ''opera buffa'' in two acts composed by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was base ...

'' with the National Symphony Orchestra of Kazakhstan (conducted by Vag Papian) *Romeo in '' I Capuletti ed I Montechi'' with the Aso Orchestra Boston (conducted by Mark Swanson)

Awards

Some of the Awards Shifrin has received over her career include: *2002 - Buchman - Mehta music academy vocal competition (Israel) - Finalist and 2nd-place winner *2003 - Buchman - Mehta music academy vocal competition (Israel) - Finalist and 2nd-place winner *2003 - Internationaler Hild Zadek Gesangswettbewerb (Austria) - Finalist and 4th-place winner *2004 - International Hans Gabor Belvedere Gesangswettbewerb (Austria) - Semi-Finalist and special award winner *2008 - Iris Adami Corradetti Lyrical International Competition (Italy) - Semi Finalist *2009 - Concours international de chant de Clermont-Ferrand (France) - Semi Finalist *2011- The

Montserrat caballe Montserrat ( ) is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is part of the Leeward Islands, the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles chain of the West Indies. Montserrat is about long and wide, with roughly of coastline. It is ...

international competition (Spain) - Semi Finalist In addition, she has obtained the " Hildegard Zadek Stiftung", the "AICF" and the "Opernwerkstatt Verena Keller" scholarships for outstanding vocal, musical and creative achievements.

Australian/New Zealand tour

In 2012, Karin was invited by the Israeli Embassy in Australia to perform a special composition by Kobi Oshrat, in Melbourne with the

Orchestra Victoria Orchestra Victoria is a full-time salaried orchestra based in Melbourne, Australia, and wholly owned subsidiary of the Australian Ballet. Founded in 1969, the orchestra is now a principal performance partner for the Australian Ballet, Opera Austra ...

, in honour of

Irena Sendler Irena Stanisława Sendler (), also referred to as Irena Sendlerowa in Poland, ''nom de guerre'' Jolanta (15 February 1910 – 12 May 2008), was a Polish humanitarian, social worker, and nurse who served in the Polish Underground Resista ...

, a catholic Polish who saved Jews' lives during WWII. The New Zealand tour following that invitation included concerts in Wellington.

Diva De Lai

Since 2012, Karin has been the leading singer for international rock act Diva De Lai. The band's debut album, "Dylan at the Opera" (released October 2013) featured twelve

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

songs, reworked into various

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

styles. The band's first music video, a cover of Dylan's " Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)" (off his 1978's '' Street Legal'') was also made available online in October 2013.

References

Sources

*Israeli Opera
Artist's biography
*Messer, Tova

''

Jerusalem Post ''The Jerusalem Post'' is a broadsheet newspaper based in Jerusalem, founded in 1932 during the British Mandate of Palestine by Gershon Agron as ''The Palestine Post''. In 1950, it changed its name to ''The Jerusalem Post''. In 2004, the paper w ...

'', 26 December 2005 *http://www.israel-opera.co.il/Eng/?CategoryID=337&ArticleID=700

External links

Official WebsiteDiva De Lai's Official WebsiteKarin Shifrin performing "Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)"
on Diva De Lai's official YouTube Channel {{DEFAULTSORT:Shifrin, Karin 1979 births Living people Israeli mezzo-sopranos 21st-century Israeli women opera singers Operatic mezzo-sopranos Tel Aviv University alumni Musicians from Jerusalem