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Jana Sýkorová, alto

Jana Sýkorová, Prague's Carmen

      Czech contralto Jana Sýkorová dubbed by a French reviewer "one of the most interesting Carmen throughout the world" has reprised this role in eight different productions. As a leading soloist with the Prague State Opera since 1999, in addition to Carmen, her performances have included the title roles of Orlando, Elephant Man, Phaedra, Death, as well as Ulrica, Maddalena, La Cieca, Olga, Ježibaba (the Witch in Dvořák's Rusalka), Fenena, Suzuki, and others. From 2002 to 2008 Jana Sýkorová was a permanent guest soloist with the Prague National Theatre Opera having been featured as Carmen and in less known Czech repertory, as Kate in Dvořák's Kate and the Devil or as Panna Roza in Smetana's The Secret.

     Included among the many roles Jana Sýkorová has performed with the Prague State Opera are title roles in Prague world premieres of works by Czech contemporary composer and renowned jazz pianist Emil Viklicky, the opera Phaedra and the opera-oratorio The Ploughman and the Death. Jana Sýkorová’s world stage premiere in Prague and the follow-on French premiere in Nice of the opera Joseph Merrick dit Elephant Man by French contemporary composer and renowned movie music maker Laurent Petitgirard won acclaim of international critics as well as did the DVD subsequently released on the Marco Polo label and called the "DVD of the Month February 2005" by the Gramophone Magazine. See Jana Sýkorová's reviews.

     Jana Sýkorová's guest performances have also included Grimgerde in Die Walküre at Wagner Festival in Wels, Austria, Death in Berlin, Elephant Man and Maddalena in Nice (with Marco Guidarini). In 2007 Jana Sýkorová made her successful debut with the London Royal Opera House Covent Garden as Maddalena (a David McVicar production, with Renato Palumbo), where she returned to perform the role of Mercédès and to cover Carmen in 2008 (a Francesca Zambello production, with Daniel Oren). Jana Sýkorová's 2010 - 2012 opera schedule has included, in addition to Carmen in Prague, in Ostrava and at Litomyšl Festival and in Košice, Maddalena in Dijon, France (with Roberto Rizzi Brignoli), Charlotte in Massenet's Werther in Ostrava (with Robert Jindra), Azucena in Prague (with Jan Latham-Koenig) and Thomas' Mignon in Prague on concert (with Tomáš Brauner).

     Jana Sýkorová has performed in symphonic concerts in Italy, Germany, France, Great Britain, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and in Japan. Her concert repertoire includes great oratorios by Dvořák, Händel, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Saint-Saëns, Verdi and Janáček, cantatas by Massenet, Debussy, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, vocal symphonies by Beethoven, Mahler, Skryabin, incidental music by de Falla, Grieg, lieder by Dvořák, Brahms, Mahler, Wagner, Saint-Saëns, Berlioz, de Falla. See Jana Sýkorová's concert repertoire. Her concert performances have included Dvořák’s Stabat Mater with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra at the Tokyo Suntory Hall and with Prague Symphony Orchestra in Rome and in Pisa, Dvořák’s Requiem at Trondheim Festival, Norway, Martinu’s rarely performed lieder cycle Nipponari in Glasgow, Massenet’s cantata Marie-Magdeleine in Prague, in Slovakia and at the Rheingau Festival in Germany, de Falla’s El Amor Brujo, Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass in Japan and in Denmark. Her 2008 and 2009 concerts have also included the song cycle Nuit Persane and the role of Pallas Athène in Saint-Saëns’ newly rediscovered opera Hélène in solemn concerts for 120th Anniversary of Prague State Opera (formerly New German Theatre), Shostakovich’s Jewish Poetry in Brno, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis in Spain, Dvořák's Requiem in Prague and Dvořák's St Ludmila in Holland, Berio’s Folk Songs in Hradec Králové, Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky with Gerd Albrecht in Germany in 2009,  Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass with Charles Dutoit and NHK Orchestra in Tokyo, to name but a few. In 2010, she has performed Mahler's Symphony No 3 with Jakub Hrůša in Brno and Mahler's Symphony No 2 "Resurrection" with soprano Simona Šaturová, Prague Symphony Orchestra FOK and Tomáš Netopil in Prague, Dvořák's Requiem with Petr Fiala in Brno, and Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass in Tokyo again, with Jakub Hrůša and Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra. Particular mention  should be made in regard to her performances in Brahms' Alto Rhapsody with Bernhard Klee in Denmark in 2009 and with Ingo Metzmacher and with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in Prague in 2010.

      In addition to the DVD of Elephant Man mentioned above, Jana Sýkorová has recorded on DVD Dvořák’s oratorio St. Ludmila (Dutch Omroep 2009, with Gerd Albrecht) and Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass (with Bernhard Klee). She has also recorded on CD Dvořák's opera The Stubborn Lovers (2004, with Jiří Bělohlávek), Janáček’s masses with the Prague Philharmonic Choir (2010, both Supraphon label), Dvořák’s Requiem (2011, with Petr Fiala, Arco Diva; awarded a Japanese prestigious award Tokusen), and several oratorios and song cycles for the Czech Broadcasting Authority, last Saint-Saëns’ Persian Night and Pallas Athène in his opera Hélène (with Guillaume Tourniaire). Jana Sýkorová has also recorded Dvořák's Biblical Songs, Gipsy Songs and Moravian Duets (with soprano Simona Šaturová) for Hungarian Radio, Brahms’ Alto Rhapsody for Danish Radio (with Bernhard Klee) and Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass for NHK TV (with Charles Dutoit). See Jana Sýkorová's list of recordings.

     Ms Jana Sýkorová’s opera schedule through the 2011-2013 seasons has included:

• Azucena (Verdi Il Trovatore) in the Prague State Opera production, with Jan Latham-Koenig /debut in role, debut in Fach/
  
• Carmen (Bizet Carmen) in the Prague State Opera production
• Carmen (Bizet Carmen) in the Ostrava National Moravian Silesian Theatre production with Oliver Dohnányi, at the Litomyšl Opera Festival with Robert Jindra
  
• Carmen (Bizet Carmen) in the Košice State Theatre production, with Paolo Gato
• Mignon (Thomas Mignon) at the Prague State Opera on concert
• Charlotte (Massenet Werther) with the Ostrava National Moravian Silesian Theatre and Robert Jindra
• Ježibaba /Witch (Dvořák Rusalka) Prague State Opera
  
• Maddalena (Verdi Rigoletto) Prague State Opera
• Fenena (Verdi Nabucco) Prague State Opera
  
• Suzuki (Puccini Madama Butterfly) Prague State Opera
  

     See Jana Sýkorová's calendar.

     "Les grandes Carmen ne manquent pas a travers le monde: ne citons, parmi les plus intéressantes, qu'Annette Küttenbaum (avec Kupfer au Komische Oper de Berlin) et Jana Sýkorová (avec Bednarik au Národní Divadlo de Prague)."
Jean-Marcel Humbert, Sophisticated ladies, Forum Opera, 25.7.2008

      Ms Jana Sýkorová was awarded many prizes:

• 1998 “Europäischer Förderpreis für junge Künstler”
• 1997 First Prize and Laureateship in Junior Category, Antonín Dvořák International Singing Contest, Karlovy Vary
• 1997 Prize awarded by the Czech Broadcasting Authority for best realization of a 20th Century Song Cycle, Antonín Dvořák International Singing Contest, Karlovy Vary
• 1997 Stanislaw Moniuszko Prize, Antonín Dvořák International Singing Contest, Karlovy Vary
• 1996 Jarmila Novotná Prize, Antonín Dvořák International Singing Contest, Karlovy Vary
• 1995 First Prize, International Contest of Conservatories of Music, Pardubice

Jana Sýkorová's artistic biography 300 words short

Ms. Jana Sýkorová is represented by the agency Richard Kolář, RKM Ltd. Prague
 

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