Deborah Mayer
Soprano
This season, dramatic soprano Deborah Mayer made a stunning debut as Ada in Richard Wagner's opera Die Feen at Paris' Théâtre du Châtelet in a production led by Marc Minkowski and acclaimed stage director Emilio Sagi. The Wiener Zeitung hailed her performance as a "magical, then dramatic Ada" while the Frankfurter Rundschau extolled her "focused beguiling Ada."
The role of Ada represents Ms. Mayer's foray into Wagnerian repertory with the Mainfranken Theater Würzburg in celebration of the theater's 200th Anniversary. Among the distinguished guests in attendance at the gala premiere of Wagner's first and rarely performed opera was the composer's grandson, Wolfgang Wagner. Of her performance, the Frankfurter Neue Presse exclaimed, "Hochdramatische, Deborah Mayer (Ada) portrayed the Wagnerian role to its fullest. A real Wagnerian!"
Ms. Mayer recently returned from South Korea where she performed Wagner's Wesendonk Lieder with the Daejeon Philharmonic at the Seoul Arts Center for a concert that was telecast nationally on the Arirang Network with additional performances in Daejeon. An accomplished recitalist, Ms. Mayer was invited by the Richard Wagner Society of Bayreuth to present a recital in Bayreuth. She holds the distinction of being the first American awarded a stipendium by the prestigious organization. She was a winner in the Liederkranz Wagner Competition in 2010, and will be performing in the winners' concert at Carnegie Hall (Weill Hall) in March 2010. She is also returning to South Korea next season to sing a concert of excerpts from Tristan und Isolde with the Pohang Symphony.
Highlights of recent seasons for the dramatic soprano include Donna Anna in Don Giovanni at the Landestheater Salzburg, while at the Mainfranken Theater Würzburg, she has bowed as Abigaille in Nabucco, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni and Elettra in Idomeneo as part of the Mozart Festival, and Marta Marnis in Limonen aus Sizilien by Manfred Tojahn in a new version of the work, directed by the composer. Ms. Mayer has scored successes as Leonora in Il Trovatore opposite tenor Chris Merritt with the Baltimore Opera and maestro Christian Badea, Aida at Opera Roanoke, Leonora in Il Trovatore for Syracuse Opera, and Tosca with the Connecticut Opera. Her professional debut came in La Traviata with Palm Beach Opera, under the baton of Anton Guadagno.
Ms. Mayer's European debut came in Verdi's Messa di Requiem with the Philharmonia Orchestra London for the Chichester Festival. Ms. Mayer reprised the Verdi Requiem in Würzburg, Germany as well as the Beethoven 9th Symphony with the Wuerzburg Philharmonic Orchestra under the guidance of Daniel Klajner for a concert commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the end World War II. Ms. Mayer has performed in concert with such orchestras as the Philharmonia Orchestra London, Italian Philharmonic, Daejeon Philharmonic, Wuerzburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Palm Beach Opera Orchestra, and the South Bend Symphony.
Deborah received her Bachelor of Music degree at Indiana University while studying with the late Nicola Rossi-Lemeni, Virginia Zeani, and James King. She continued her studies in New York City with Mignon Dunn. Currently, she prepares her repertoire with renowned soprano, Cheryl Studer.