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MAGDALENA KOŽENÁ
Contact
Imogen Lewis Holland (Managing Director):
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(c) Julia Wesley
One of the leading mezzo-sopranos of her generation, Magdalena Kožená was born in Brno, Czech Republic and studied piano and voice at Brno Conservatory and later at Bratislava’s Academy of Performing Arts.
Magdalena is a celebrated recitalist and regularly partners with some of the most renowned pianists of our time, including Mitsuko Uchida, Yefim Bronfman, Malcolm Martineau, Daniel Barenboim, Sir Andras Schiff and Sir Simon Rattle. These collaborations have seen Magdalena perform all over the world including at Alice Tully and Carnegie Halls, New York; Wigmore Hall, London; Musikverein and Konzerthaus Vienna; Pierre Boulez-saal, Philharmonie and Konzerthaus Berlin, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Rudolfinum Prague to name but a few.
Equally in concert, Magdalena is in demand worldwide and has appeared with the New York, Berlin, Vienna, Czech and Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestras, Bayerische Rundfunkorchester, Deutsche Sinfonie-orchester Berlin, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Les Musicians du Louvre under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel, Bernard Haitink, Mariss Jansons, Sir Roger Norrington and Nikolaus Harnoncourt.
Continuing to dazzle audiences on the opera stage, recent appearances for Magdalena include Octavian Der Rosenkavalier at the Metropolitan Opera, Idamante Idomeneo at the Staatsoper Berli, Lady Macbeth in Pascal Dusapin’s Macbeth in the Underworld at La Monnaie, Brussels and the Waitress in Kaija Saariaho’s world premiere Innocence at Festival Aix en Provence.
Showreel
Reviews
Soirée recital
Magdalena Kožená, Simon Rattle and chamber musicians
Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, New York
Click here to view
Pascal Dusapin's Macbeth in the Underworld at La Monnaie, Brussels
Magdalena Kožená as Lady Macbeth
La Monnaie, Brussels
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Discography
Special Projects
El amor: entre el cielo y el infierno
Inspired by her studies of the flamenco style and culture whilst preparing for the role of Carmen, in this project Magdalena Kožená entwines the roots of raw flamenco with the music of the Spanish Baroque era.
Joined by Private Musicke (who perform the sound of serene Spanish Baroque, which lends itself to the roots of the flamenco tradition in its story-telling nature and echoes of the flamenco dance forms) and Antonio El Pipa, Compañía de Flamenco (the frenzied, fiery, acclaimed dancer), they ignite the stage with the passion of flamenco dance and song.
The project toured Europe in Autumn 2017, with concerts at the Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg, the Théâtre des Champs Elysées, Paris, as well as at the heart of flamenco itself, Madrid and Barcelona.
We look forward to the project's return in future seasons.
Cole Porter
In an extraordinary diversion from her usual repertoire, in this project, Magdalena Kožena collaborates with one of Europe’s top swing jazz bands: Ondřej Havelka and his Melody Makers.
Together, Magdalena they explore the songbook of Cole Porter, taking the audience on a nostalgic journey of romance through authentic hot swing numbers and big band tunes from the 1930s and ’40s.
The Melody Makers bring a show to the stage, featuring virtuosic jazz soloists and the charismatic Ondřej Havelka, a true swing jazz era entertainer. This fantastic partnership sees Magdalena indulge her sultry, witty side in a deliciously entertaining homage to one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century.
First touring Europe in the 2015/16 season, and later recording an album together entitled 'Cole Porter' on label Brnofon, this partnership was due to reunite in early 2020 on tour once again, which was sadly put on hold due to the Coronavirus crisis.
Magdalena Kožená and Friends
Capturing the atmosphere of informal, domestic music making, Magdalena Kožená brings together an outstanding group of musical friends, including Sir Simon Rattle, for an intimate and highly personal collection of songs.
The international programme – which mirrors her most recent recording with Dutch label Pentatone, Soirée – features the songs of Brahms, Strauss, Chausson, Ravel, Stravinsky, Dvořák and Janáček, including new arrangements by conductor and composer Duncan Ward.
Joined onstage by Sir Simon Rattle (in his recording debut as a pianist), violinists Giovanni Guzzo and Rahel Rilling, viola player Amihai Grosz, cellist Dávid Adorján, flautist Kaspar Zehnder and clarinettist Andrew Marriner, the project originally toured in 2016, and was brought back by popular demand in 2019 to Switzerland to Poland, via France, Spain and Greece.
An incredibly popular project, we are excited to announce that the ensemble will reunite again on tour in the coming seasons.
Monteverdi and Berio / La Cetra
Together, Magdalena Kožená and Basel’s La Cetra Barockorchester perform a programme which highlights the beautiful melodies and variety of early baroque repertoire, including works by Monteverdi, Uccelini, Merula and others.
In his epic poem ‘Jerusalem Delivered’ completed in 1574, the poet Torquato Tasso described the love story between King Tancred and the warrior, Clorinda. Their story reaches a tragic end when they duel in full armour without knowing the other’s identity. This dramatic scene is set by Claudio Monteverdi in his ‘Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda’ and is the climax of Magdalena Kožená’s exciting baroque programme.
With the aid of set design by Martin Černý and stage direction of long time collaborator Ondřej Havelka, the story of this extraordinary piece of musical theatre comes to life.
Created and first toured in Europe in 2014, this project has since experienced a further European tour in 2016, and Asian tour in 2018. A revival of the project in October/November 2020 (with concerts in Paris, Oslo, Warsaw and Brno) were sadly cancelled due to Covid-19.
Repertoire
OPERA
Hector BERLIOZ
Marguerite La Damnation de Faust
George BIZET
Carmen Carmen
Marc-Antoine CHARPENTIER
Médée Médée
Claude DEBUSSY
Mélisande Pelléas et Mélisande
Pascal DUSAPIN
Lady Macbeth Macbeth in the Underworld
GF HANDEL
Ruggiero Alcina
Sesto Giulio Cesare
Leoš JANÁČEK
Varvara Katja Kabanova
Bohuslav MARTINŮ
Julietta Julietta
Claudio MONTEVERDI
Nerone L’incoronazione di Poppea
Penelope Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria
WA MOZART
Sesto La Clemenza di Tito
Idamante Idomeneo
Donna Elvira Don Giovanni
Bohuslav MARTINŮ
Julietta Julietta
Giacomo PUCCINI
Un musico Manon Lescaut
Jean-Philippe RAMEAU
Phèdre Hippolyte et Aricie
Kaija SAARIAHO
Waitress Innocence
Richard STRAUSS
Octavian Der Rosenkavalier
CONCERT
JS BACH
St. Matthew Passion
St. John Passion
Various arias
Luciano BERIO
Sequenza III
Folk Songs for mezzo-soprano
Claude DEBUSSY
Nocturnes
Ariettes oubliées
Maurice DERUFLÉ
Requiem
Antonín DVOŘÁK
Biblical Songs
Edward ELGAR
The Dream of Gerontius
Manuel DE FALLA
Psyché
GF HANDEL
Messiah
Cantatas and Arias
Gustav MAHLER
Das Lied von der Erde
Kindertotenlieder
Rückert-Lieder
Des Knaben Wunderhorn
Symphony no.2
Joseph Canteloube DE MALARET
Chants d’Auvergne (Selection)
Claudio MONTEVERDI
Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda
WA MOZART
C Minor Mass
Concert and opera arias
Maurice RAVEL
Shéhérazade
L'Enfant et les Sortilèges
Trois Poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé
Antonio VIVALDI
Various