Persons

Ukrainian mezzo soprano Zoryana Kushpler started her musical education at the early age of 5, studying piano with her mother first and violin later. From 1993 she began her singing classes with her father, Prof. Igor Kushpler at the Lviv music academy. Already during her studies she debuted in the Lviv opera house as Rosina (»Barber of Seville«) and Maddalena (»Rigoletto«).

1998 Zoryana Kushpler moved to Musikhochschule Hamburg, studying with Judith Beckmann. Master Classes with Teresa Berganza, Renata Scotto and Kurt Moll completed her education which was crowned and rewarded by the first price at one of the most renowned contests, the Munich ARD competition in 2000. This was the start of her international career.

In Prague Opera Zoryana Kushpler debuted as Sesto (»La clemenza di Tito«) in 2001, at Schleswig-Holstein-Festival as Kuhnik (»Rusalka« in concert) under the baton of Christoph Eschenbach 2004, in London Barbican Center as Nerone (»L'incoronazione di Poppea« in concert) with René Jacobs also in 2004.

She then accepted an invitation from Berne opera to be a member of the ensemble for two seasons, singing there major roles such as Sesto (»Giulio Cesare«), Masha (»Tri Sestry« by Peter Etvesh), Marquesa Melibea (»Viaggio a Reims«), Suzuki (»Butterfly«) und Preziosilla (»La forza des destino«). In summer 2006, directly following her Berne engagement Zoryana Kushpler was Aminta (»Il re pastore«) with Alessandro de Marchi at Innsbrucker Festwochen and Preziosilla at Opera Köln.

In concert the artist appeared with Radio Orchestra Saarbrücken (»Songs and dances of death« by Mussorgsky), toured Zürich, Basel and Geneva with Kantata »Alexander Nevski« with Radio Symphony Orchestra Warsaw and sang Haydns »Nelson-Mass« under the baton of Sir Neville Marriner at Schleswig-Holstein Festival.

Chamber music being a major interest for her she has sung with Petersen Quartet and pianist Alexander Schmalcz in Venice, Milan, Florence, Ferrara as well as at Schleswig-Holstein-Festival. Also as a recitalist, being accompanied by her twin sister Olena, she has sung in many important Recital-series such as at Rheingau Musik Festival, Festival Mecklenburg Vorpommern, Musikhalle-Laeizhalle Hamburg, Konzerthaus Berlin and other places.

Zoryana Kushpler has participated in several radio and TV productions. Her most recent CD release is featuring songs by Dmitri Shostakovich on texts by Marina Zwetajewa. Already in 1996 she sang for the Soundtrack of »La Tregua« (the movie was directed by Francesco Rosi), giving her voice to actress Agnieszka Wagner.

Zoryana Kushpler has been an Ensemble Member at The Vienna State Opera since March 2007 where she sang amongst others the roles of Ulrica (»Un ballo in maschera«), Fenena (»Nabucco«), Preziosilla, Suzuki, Prinz Orlofsky (»Die Fledermaus«), Polina (»Queen of Spade«), Olga (»Eugen Onegin«), as well as Flosshilde (»Das Rheingold«), Schwertleite (»Die Walküre«), Erste Norn (»Götterdämmerung«) in the Ring under the Baton of Franz Welser-Moest, Marcellina (»Le nozze di Figaro«) conducted by Seiji Ozawa and Giulietta (»Les contes d´Hoffmann«).

In the summer 2012 Zoryana Kushpler had a great success at the Seefestspiele Mörbisch as Prinz Orlofsky.

At the Vienna State Opera in the season 2012/2013 Zoryana Kushpler is performing a.o. Adelaide (»Arabella«), Suzuki, Magdalena (»Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg«) under the baton of Simone Young, the new year’s gala »Die Fledermaus« as Prinz Orlofsky. She is also heard as Marcellina in Japan with the Wiener Staatsoper on tour.

In September 2012 she gave her US debut with the Cleveland Orchestra under Franz Welser-Möst. In February 2013 she takes part in the Ring Cycle with the Bamberger Symphoniker and in March 2013 she is giving a recital at the Wiener Musikverein, together with her twin sister Olena.