Soprano Tanya Ivanova will be a guest of the Ruse Opera in the role of Cio-Cio-San from Puccini's "Madama Butterfly." The premiere of the performance will take place on March 24 at 7:00 PM at the Dohodno Zdanие as part of the 64th International Festival "March Music Days." This will be a unique opportunity for opera lovers to enjoy a magnificent performance of one of the most iconic roles in opera.
The opera prima graduated from the "Lyubomir Pipkov" Music School and later the "Pancho Vladigerov" Music Academy in Sofia. Her debut was on the stage of the State Opera – Stara Zagora in the role of Helena from Offenbach's operette "La Belle Hélène." Years ago, Tanya Ivanova changed her repertoire from mezzo-soprano to soprano, and in 2012, she performed the role of Mimi from "La Bohème" at the Burgas Opera. She has recorded arias by Verdi, Puccini, and Dvořák at the Bulgarian National Radio with conductor Maestro Ivan Angelov. She has performed roles from Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" and "Tosca," Nedda from Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci," and roles from Verdi's "Aida," "Il Trovatore," and "Macbeth" at the opera houses in Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Varna, Burgas, and Ruse.
Here’s what Tanya Ivanova shared about the emotions and thoughts that are on her mind in the lead-up to the upcoming premiere at the Ruse Opera:
"I am happy to be in Ruse again, where I have performed Il Trovatore and Macbeth. Now, for the first time at the Ruse Opera, I will be playing Cio-Cio-San in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. Back in January, director Plamen Beykov called me and invited me, which made me very happy because this is one of my favorite operas. And when it's a premiere, everything feels new, with new energy. That’s why I am really excited and looking forward to March 24th." Plamen Beykov called me and invited me, which makes me very happy, because this is my favorite opera. And when it's a premiere, everything is new, with new energy. So I'm actually very excited and looking forward to March 24.
I have sung Madama Butterfly all over Bulgaria – in Stara Zagora, Plovdiv, Sofia. When I started learning this role, and it came to the last aria, where Cio-Cio-San says goodbye to her child, something would tighten in my throat, I would start crying and couldn't continue... I thought to myself that maybe I would never be able to perform the role. But with the help of my partners on stage, this is overcome, and the emotional aspect takes a back seat.
What touches me deeply is the purity of this woman. The purity with which she loves, her relationships with people, her love for her child. This purity is something we lose throughout our lives, and very few people manage to preserve it until the end.
If I have to be honest, I approach every piece, every rehearsal with a sense of awe, respect, and reverence for every note. With maestra Viliana Valtcheva I have two performances of the opera 'Tosca.' From our very first rehearsal, we felt a connection and have been working wonderfully together. I used to think that being a 'conductor' was a male profession, but she proved me wrong.
It seems to me that the strongest loves in life are impossible, and when a love is impossible, that's when it is the strongest. It's the same in the incredible opera by Puccini, "Madama Butterfly".
"exciting experience!"
Photo by Alexander Bogdan Thompson
The tickets for the premiere on March 24th have long been sold out, but you can purchase a ticket for the new date for the second performance on May 30th!
Tickets at the Opera box office and HERE.
