A.I.O.L. G. Verdi - Accademia Internazionale dell'Opera Lirica G. Verdi

Direzione Artistica: Carlo Palleschi

Sede Legale
Strada Colli di Valenza 39, 05100 Terni (TR)
Tel. +39 0744 288116 / +39 349 8706515
E-mail info@accademialiricaverdi.org

Master Class

Raina Kabaivanska (soprano)

Raina Kabaivanska (soprano)2009 Summer Music Festival
Masterclass for Opera Singing


Raina kabaivanska
Raina Kabaivanska (Bulgarian: Райна Кабаиванска) (December 15, 1934) is a Bulgarian opera singer, one of the leading lirico-spinto sopranos of her generation, particularly associated with Verdi and Puccini, although she sang a wide range of roles.
Born Raina Jakimowa in Burgas, Bulgaria, she studied in Sofia with Prokopowa and Jossifow, and made her debut at the Bulgarian National Opera in Sofia as Tatjana in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin in 1957. The following year, she left for Italy for further studies with Zina Fumagalli-Riva in Milan and with Giulia Tess in Vercelli. Two years later she made a breakthrough in Fano, Italy, as Nedda in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. In 1961, she gave her first performance at La Scala in Milan, as Agnese in Bellini's Beatrice di Tenda, opposite Dame Joan Sutherland. She sang widely in Italy, Genoa, Venice, Parma and notably in Turin in 1973, as Elena in I vespri siciliani, in the only production ever directed by Maria Callas.
In 1962, she made her debuts at both the Royal Opera House in London, as Desdemona in Verdi's Otello, and the Metropolitan Opera in New York, as Nedda. She went on performing at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, the Paris Opera, the Vienna State Opera, the Budapest Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the San Francisco Opera, the Dallas Opera, etc.
She also appeared in a few opera films, notably Pagliacci, opposite Jon Vickers in 1968, Il trovatore, opposite Franco Bonisolli, in 1975, and Tosca, opposite Plácido Domingo, in 1976.
A versatile singer with a beautiful voice and fine musicianship, she is also a singing-actress of considerable ability.

Kabaivanska has received the following international opera awards: Bellini (1965), Viotti d'Oro (1970), Puccini (1978), Illica (1979), Monteverdi (1980), the Award of Accademia 'Medici' - Lorenzo il Magnifico, Florence (1990), the Grand Prix 'A Life, Dedicated to the Music', Venice (2000).
At present, Kabaivanska is a professor at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana, in Siena, Italy. She has a Master Class for performers of Puccini's works, as well as master classes in Spain, Italy and France. She is also a jury member for many prestigious competitions all over the world.
Kabaivanska delivered an emotional performance of the "Ave Maria" from the opera Otello by Giuseppe Verdi to open the funeral mass for Luciano Pavarotti in Modena, Italy on 8 September 2007.
Mme Kabaivanska has recently added another role to her considerable repertoire: the Comtesse in Tchaikowsky's Queen of Spades, in a series of five performances (31 January - 19 February 2008) at the Capitole in Toulouse (France).

Teacher : Raina Kabaivanska(soprano)
Pianists accompanist : Inseon Lee, Yeami Ra
Period : 15 – 21 August 2009
Ending date for applications : 1 August
Place : Convento di S. Antonio dei Cappuccini - Lugnano in Teverina (Terni)
Final Concert : Friday 21 August h. 21.30 Castello di Alviano

Attention: The Academy reserves the right to reverse or postpone masterclass which doesn't reach the minimum number of students necessary, providing for refound the entire amount of the tuition fee and possible deposit to anybody who has the right to.

For more information download the regulation [zip file, ITA / ENG]

Download the Application Form [zip file, ITA]

Apply filling the online form