American mezzo-soprano TAMARA GURA is rapidly establishing herself as one of the most exciting mezzos of her generation, having garnered international attention for her velvety, warm-timbred voice; clear, precise coloratura; and dynamic stage presence.

The young singer has already been invited to perform principal roles in some of Europe’s most prestigious opera houses including the Dresden Semperoper, the Hamburg State Opera, the English National Opera, and the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, collaborating with such conductors as Nello Santi, James Conlon, Simone Young, Ingo Metzmacher, Stefan Soltesz, Leo Hussain, and Vladimir Fedoseyev, and with baroque specialists such as Alessandro De Marchi, Alan Curtis, Christian Curnyn, George Petrou, and Andreas Spering. She has also worked with stage directors such as Christof Loy, Christopher Alden, Grischa Asagaroff, Paul Curran, Peter Konwitschny, and Uwe Eric Laufenberg.

Engagements of the ²⁰¹⁷⁄₁₈ season include her role debut as Adalgisa in Norma at the Staatstheater Wiesbaden and as Nicklausse in Les contes d’Hoffmann at the Landestheater Salzburg, the title role of La cenerentola at the Festival of the Aegean in Syros, Smeraldine in L’amour des trois oranges at the Teatro San Carlo of Naples (house debut) and gala concerts alongside Nino Machaidze at the Sugi Opera in Seoul.

Among her performances of the ²⁰¹⁶⁄₁₇ season were her role debut as Isabella in L’italiana in Algeri at Nationaltheater Weimar, the title role of Carmen at the Aalto-Theater Essen, Staatstheater Wiesbaden and in Darmstadt, Lulu at the Rome Opera House and Dorabella in Così fan tutte at Central City Opera.

Other recent engagements include Sesto in Giulio Cesare at the Semperoper Dresden with conductor Alessandro DeMarchi, the title role of Handel’s Ariodante at the Aalto-Theater Essen under the musical direction of Christopher Moulds, the title role of La Cenerentola in a new production by Brigitte Fassbaender at Cuvilliés-Theater Munich, her role debut as Carmen in a new production at Staatstheater Darmstadt, Orfeo in Orfeo ed Euridice in Antwerp and Wiesbaden, and Maddalena in Rigoletto in the Haus für Mozart in Salzburg.

Highlights of Ms. Gura’s career since 2010 include performances as Balkis in Gluck’s La rencontre imprévue in Salzburg, the titel role of La cenerentola in Dortmund and Erfurt, Prince Orlofsky in Tokyo, Cherubino at the Central City Opera Festival, Ariodante at the Aalto-Theater Essen, Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the English National Opera and Rome Opera, Zemlinsky’s Maiblumen blühten überall at the Spoleto Festival, and appearances as Cherubino, Zerlina and Hänsel in Karlsruhe, as well as Ariodante, Angelina, Dorabella, and Orlofsky in Salzburg.

From 2007-2011, Ms. Gura was a soloist at the Badisches Staatstheater in Karlsruhe, Germany, where she interpreted leading roles such as Idamante, Dorabella, Cherubino, Rosina, Orlofsky, Sesto, Zerlina, and Hänsel. At the renowned Händel-Festspielen of Karlsruhe she performed such roles as Radamisto, Sesto in Giulio Cesare, and Piacere in Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno.

Tamara Gura was a member of the prestigious Opera Studio of the Hamburg State Opera from 2005-2007, where she performed such roles as Sesto, Zaida in Il turco in Italia, Pauline in Pique Dame, Amore and Valletto in L’incoronazione di Poppea, Mercedes, and Der Gymnasiast in Lulu. Her guest engagements while in Hamburg and Karlsruhe included Gismondas in Lotti’s Teofane at the Musikfestspielen in Dresden, Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Dresden Semperoper, Flora in La traviata at the Staatsoper Stuttgart, Maria Magdalena in Handel’s La resurrezione in Amsterdam, Tangia in Gluck’s Le cinesi in Paris, and Vagaus in Vivaldi’s Juditha triumphans in Thessaloniki.

Born in the United States, from early childhood on Ms. Gura received lessons in dance, voice, piano, and theater. She was the winner of a Metropolitan Opera National Council Award and a Semans Art Fund Grant for Foreign Study in Salzburg and was chosen by Eva Wagner-Pasquier to be part of the Académie européenne de musique in Aix-en-Provence.