Luisa Albrechtová, born in Prague, simultaneously studied voice and opera staging at the Department of Voice Education at The Academy of Performing Arts Prague under Professor Naděžda Kniplová, receiving a bachelor of arts. Her postgraduate studies were at The Music University Vienna under Professor Rotraud Hansmann. She simultaneously studied at the Vienna University Opera School with Professor Michael Temme and Professor Didier von Orlowsky. She premiered with a performance and recording for Naxos Publishing a recording of Strass Jr.'s Indigo with the Opera House of Banska Bystrica. Her repertoire includes Countess Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Dame (Die Zauberflöte), Agatha (Der Freischütz), Leonora (La forza del destino), Micaela (Carmen), Marie (The Bartered Bride), Rosalinda (Die Fledermaus), Hanna Glawari (The Merry Widow), and the title role of Rusalka.

Though she is not an artist for Salute to Vienna 2011, we are proud of Luisa Albrechtová's past performances and the many high caliber artists we currently present.

Soprano Lívia Galambos began studying music early, initially focusing on violin but shifting her concentration to piano and voice during high school. She continued her vocal studies at the Dániel Berzsenyi College of Teaching. Her talent earned her immediate invitation upon graduation to attend the Franz Liszt Music Academy in Budapest. Since graduating from the Academy, Ms. Galambos won the Johann Strauss Jr. singing competition at the Budapest State Opera House, receiving the title "Voice of the Year" for 1999. She has been invited to perform regularly throughout Hungary, appearing in performances with Interoperett, Music Hungarica, and the Hungarian Philharmonic. She performs regularly in operetta and oratorio concerts throughout Austria, Germany and Italy, featuring the coloratura roles of Juliette, Gilda, Violetta, Adina, Oscar, and Mignon.

Though she is not an artist for Salute to Vienna 2011, we are proud of Lívia Galambos's past performances and the many high caliber artists we currently present.

Dramatic soprano Helena Holl began her vocal studies at Moscow's Gnesina Musical Academy, continuing at Lunacarsky Academy of Dramatic Arts. She was then accepted into a private class with Boris Pokrovsky at the prestigious Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. Immediately after completing he studies, Ms. Holl was invited to perform in numerous productions with the Moscow Operetta Theatre, the Moscow Stanislavsky Opera and Ballet Theatre, and the famous Bolshoi Theatre. Her roles included Fedora (Csárdás Princess), Santuzza (Cavalleria Rusticana), Tatyana (Eugene Onegin), and the title role in Aida. After moving to Budapest, Ms. Holl began performing in theatres across Germany in such roles as Sofi (The Gypsy Baron) and Sonya (Der Zarewitsch). Her performances with Interoperett, whose New Year's Eve gala concerts were broadcast throughout Europe, make her an ideal singer for North America's own New Year's Eve concert, Salute to Vienna.

Though she is not an artist for Salute to Vienna 2011, we are proud of Helena Holl's past performances and the many high caliber artists we currently present.

Soprano Zsusza Kalocsai, a graduate of the Budapest Theatre and Film Academy, is well known as the leading lady of the Budapest Operetta Theatre. In the last twenty years she has played the acclaimed roles of operetta literature such as Fedora (Csárdás Princess), Viktoria (Viktoria and Her Hussar), Rosalinda (Die Fledermaus), Baroness Gondremark (La vie Parisienne), and the title roles in Sybill and Countess Maritza. She also has sung Zorika (Gypsy Love) many times and was awarded the TZ Rose for the role. She has also toured across the world in countries such as Austria, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Russia, The Netherlands, France, Finland, North America, Canada, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, South Korea, Thailand, Brunei, the Philippines and Israel. Due to her extraordinary accomplishments Ms. Kalocsai has been awarded the 1995 Jászai Prize, Best Operetta Actress of 2008, and by the Hungarian government in 2008.

Though she is not an artist for Salute to Vienna 2011, we are proud of Zsusza Kalocsai's past performances and the many high caliber artists we currently present.

"...A voice of wonderful depth and pliability casting a radiant glow. Her presence is spellbinding... a very classy singer with a bright future."
Ilse Zadrozny, Montreal Gazette

Laureate of the prestigious Verviers International Voice Competition in 2001, where she placed sixth, this brilliant Canadian soprano made her professional debut at the Opéra de Québec in the role of Liù in Turandot (Puccini ) in the fall 2003. In February 2004 she amazed and conquered the Montreal public with her performance of Mimi in La Bohème (Puccini) with the Opéra de montréal. In 2005 she was a bubbly Laoula in the opera comic l'Étoile (Emmanuel Chabrier) at the Opéra de Montréal.
A winner of several voice competitions and awards, Ms Lord was recently awarded the Prix d'Excellence de la Culture 2005 from Quebec Opera Foundation, and chosen to represent Canada at the prestigious competition Cardiff Singer of the World 2005. Also she received the Public prize in the Canadian Lyric Fund competition (2001), the Raoul Jobin prize and coveted participation in several CBC Radio broadcasts.
More recently, we've heard Marie-Josée Lord in the role of Marie-Jeanne in the world premiere of Starmania (Plamondon/Berger) opera version at Opera de Québec in May 2008. In September 2006 she opened Montreal Opera season in the title role of Suor Angelica (Puccini) in which she demonstrated her great talent as interpret and a fine musical sensibility.
FRENCH:

"... Une voix d'une profondeur et d'une souplesse étonnante, un timbre radieux et cristallin. Une présence fascinante... »
Ilse Zadrozny, Montreal Gazette

En automne 2003, la brillante soprano canadienne débute sa carrière professionnelle à l'Opéra de Québec dans le rôle de Liù dans Turandot (Puccini). En février 2004, c'est au tour du public montréalais d'être conquis par son interprétation de Mimi dans La Bohème (Puccini), une production de l'Opéra de Montréal. En octobre 2005, elle a offert une pétillante Laoula dans l'opérette l'Étoile (Chabrier), à l'Opéra de Montréal. En septembre 2006, elle a ouvert la saison de l'Opéra de Montréal dans le rôle-titre de Suor Angelica (Puccini) où elle a démontré un grand talent d'interprète et une sensibilité musicale raffinée. En mai 2008, elle a tenu le rôle de Marie-Jeanne lors de la première mondiale de Starmania (Plamondon/Berger) version opéra, à l'Opéra de Québec et à l'Opéra de Montréal en mars 2009. À l'automne 2009, Marie-Josée Lord a brillamment tenu le rôle de Nedda dans I Paggliacci
(Leoncavallo) à l'Opéra de Montréal.

Gagnante de plusieurs prix et concours, Mme Lord a reçu le Prix d'Excellence de la Culture 2005 de la Fondation de l'Opéra de Québec et a été choisie pour représenter le Canada dans le prestigieux concours Cardiff Singer of the World 2005. En 2001, elle fut lauréate du prestigieux Concours International de Chant de Verviers, où elle se mérita la sixième place. Elle a aussi reçu le Public Prize à l'occasion du concours du Canadian Lyric Fund (2001), le prix Raoul Jobin(1998) et a participé à plusieurs émissions de CBC Radio.

Born in Vienna, she completed her musical studies at the Vienna City Conservatoire. At the same time she studied singing at the University for Music in Vienna. After her opera diploma she became winner of the International Operetta Competition and began her career as a singer at the Vienna Volksoper.

Further commitments brought her to the state opera of Stettin and Danzig (Poland), to Peking and to the „Art Festival of Shanghai ", (protagonist of the first Austrian Operetta in China „merry widow"). She completed numerous operas and stage performances in Germany, Italy, Denmark, Holland and Switzerland. Their international concert activity brought her to South America, to U.S.A., Mexico, Cyprus, China, Indonesia, and Korea etc. in co-operation with orchestras like London Symphonic Orchestra, Euro Asian Philharmonic Orchestra, Strauß Festivalorchester and the Viennese Salon Solisten.

As a soprano and dancer, her impressive variety in repertoire ranges from operas such as Rigoletto and Cosi fan tutte to operettas like The Count of Luxembourg, Paganini, Clivia, Gasparone and finally, the musicals of Kiss Me Kate and My Fair Lady.

She is the first singer from Western Europe invited to Russia on a tour with the Strauss Festival Orchestra.

After studying at Vienna's University for Music and Performing Arts, and in the Opera Program at the Vienna Conservatory, Ute Ziemer furthered her studies with voice teachers Ruthilde Boesch and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. Ms. Ziemer has won several competitions, including first prize at the famous Festival Bel Canto for her performance of Amina's "mad scene" from Bellini's La Sonnambula, and the Erich Schenk Award from the Mozart Society of Vienna. Ms. Ziemer has performed Adele (Die Fledermaus) in Vienna's Schönbrunn theatre, as well as the world premiere of Jim Steinman's Tanz der Vampire in Vienna. She is a regular performer in world-renowned concert halls, Vienna's Musikverein and Konzerthaus, Munich's Philharmonie, and Leipzig's Gewandhaus and has also toured throughout Italy, Spain, the Ukraine and Hong Kong.

Though she is not an artist for Salute to Vienna 2011, we are proud of Ute Ziemer's past performances and the many high caliber artists we currently present.