UK Edition
Star soprano comes to aid of Royal Opera House - again
The Royal Opera House has poached a star soprano who made a name for herself by stepping into the breach at the last minute to save their landmark production.
Sonya Yoncheva, a Bulgarian soprano, will take on the role of Norma after Anna Netrebko pulled out of the production last week.
It is the second time she has stepped up to fill a Covent Garden gap after Netrebko withdrew, following the role of Marguérite in Faust in 2014.
Yoncheva will fly to the aid of the Royal Opera House from the New York Metropolitan opera, in what has become a string of remarkable career moves facilitating her a meteoric rise to fame.
Kasper Holten, director of opera in Covent Garden, said he was “delighted and appreciative” that Yoncheva was able to join the cast, thanking the Met for releasing her from contract.
The singer first performed at the New York opera in late 2013 in Rigoletto, after another soprano dropped out due to pregnancy.
After impressing her colleagues, she was offered a role in La Boheme before a second singer withdrew from the role of Violette in La Traviata and she was moved across.
In a third jump up the career ladder, Yoncheva was asked to step in for a third time as Mimi in La Boheme at the last minute – just five weeks after giving birth.
She has previously said of her fortune: "All the time I did things like that, and that gave me the possibility to build my little name."
Last week, the Royal Opera House announced there would be a cast change for Norma, with Holten admitting: “We are, of course, very frustrated that Anna has felt it necessary to cancel a major role debut with us for the second time.”
He has now said: “A huge thank you to the Met for releasing the brilliant soprano Sonya Yoncheva from her scheduled performances there as Mimì in La bohème.
“We are delighted and appreciative that Sonya will be able to join our excellent cast and creative team for The Royal Opera’s new production of Norma.
“She has had much success at the Royal Opera House in recent Seas ons and we look forward to welcoming her back in the autumn forNorma and as Antonia in Les Contes d’Hoffmann.”