Dísella Lárusdóttir

Soprano/Iceland

Described by The New York Times as “reliably breathtaking” and Opera News as having a voice of “bewitching beauty and presence,” Icelandic soprano Dísella Lárusdóttir is quickly gaining international attention for being one of the most promising talents of her generation. With her beautiful voice, compelling artistry, charismatic stage presence, and unusual musical stylistic versatility, Ms. Lárusdóttir is successfully redefining what it means to be an opera singer in this day and age. Following her critically acclaimed performance in the Metropolitan Opera’s 2007 National Council Auditions and the subsequent documentary filmThe Audition, Ms. Lárusdóttir began an important relationship with the company. During the 2011-2012 season, she was invited to cover the roles of Miss Schlesen in Philip Glass’ Satyagraha and Servilia in Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito. During the 2012-2013 season, Ms. Lárusdóttir makes her Metropolitan Opera debut as Garsenda in Zandonai’s Francesca da Rimini, starring Eva-Maria Westbroek and Marcello Giordani, and will also perform the role of Woglinde in Wagner’s Götterdämmerung and Das Rheingold. During the 2013-2014 season, she will return to the Metropolitan Opera for its productions of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Strauss’ Die Frau Ohne Schatten, Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore, Dvořák’s Rusalka, Rossini’s La Cenerentola, Bellini’s La Sonnambula, and the Baroque pastiche, The Enchanted Island. Ms. Lárusdóttir currently resides in New York City.

Daniel Bubeck

Countertenor/USA

American countertenor Daniel Bubeck has emerged as a singer of international distinction in opera and oratorio in repertoire spanning from the baroque to contemporary works. Mr. Bubeck made his professional debut to critical acclaim in the world premiere of John Adams’s El Niño, conducted by Kent Nagano at the Théâtre Musical de Paris-Châtelet. He has since performed the work on four continents with such esteemed orchestras as Los Angeles Philharmonic, Deutsches Symphonie Orchester-Berlin, Boston, BBC, St. Louis, San Francisco, and Atlanta Symphonies, Radio Filharmonisch Holland, Estonian National and Royal Flemish Philharmonics, and has collaborated with renowned conductors such as Esa- Pekka Salonen, Gustavo Dudamel, Robert Spano, Kent Nagano.

In 2012 he premiered the role of 1st Countertenor in Adams’ newest oratorio The Gospel According to the Other Mary with the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, and reprised the role with the LA Phil in the Spring 2013 on international tour of a staged version directed by Peter Sellars. Upcoming performances include El Niño with the London Philharmonic and The Gospel According to the Other Mary in Amsterdam and the Ravinia Festival.

A noted Handelian, Daniel has interpreted numerous operatic and oratorio roles for companies including New York City Opera, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Carmel Bach Festival, St. Thomas Fifth Ave and Opera Vivente. Other career highlights include excerpts from Phillip Glass’ Akhnaten with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Henze’s Das verratene Meer with the Tokyo Symphony, the role of Oberon in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Princeton Festival, a recital tour in China, Messiah and St. Matthew Passion with American Bach Soloists, Carmina Burana in São Paulo, Brazil and others.

Daniel Bubeck can be heard on recordings of John Adams’ El Niño (Nonesuch CD /Art Haus Musik DVD), The New Four Seasons with Musica Sequenza (Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, Sony Music) and on the soundtrack of the Warner Brothers thriller, I Am Legend, music by James Newton Howard. A native of Wilmington, Delaware, he holds music degrees from Indiana University, Peabody Conservatory and the University of Delaware. He also studied at the Britten-Pears School in Aldeburgh, UK, and at the Salzburg Mozarteum.