Vesselina Kasarova

Vesselina Kasarova (; born 18 July 1965) is a Bulgarian operatic mezzo-soprano.
Early life and education.
Kasarova was born in the central Bulgarian town of Stara Zagora. Under the communist regime she studied Russian as a second language and had an early start in music education. She started taking piano lessons at the Pionerski Dom at age 4 (in 1970) and enrolled at Hristina Morfova School of Music and Performing Arts (normal studies in the morning, and music in the afternoon) in her native town in 1979. As she studied piano and worked as accompanist at recitals, Kasarova became so drawn to the voice as a musical instrument that upon earning her concert pianist diploma in 1987, she switched to study singing under Ressa Koleva at Bulgarian State Music Academy in Sofia, focusing on the works of Mozart and Rossini. Kasarova gave her first singing performance in her native town singing "Habanera" from Bizet's "Carmen". She performed at Sofia National Opera while still a student. She performed the part of Rosina in "The Barber of Seville" for her graduation exam.
Singing career.
In 1989, her final year at the Sofia Conservatory, she and 5 other students were sent to a month-long concert tour of France. The artist agent Luisa Lasser-Petrov made a recording of one of her performances which she sent to Herbert von Karajan, who immediately requested to see her in Salzburg and then in Vienna. They met in Salzburg where she was asked to sing "Agnus Dei" from Bach's "Mass in B minor". Karajan wanted to engage her to sing Bach's mass with him at the Salzburg Festival the following year, but died shortly after. The Impresario of the Vienna State Opera, Ioan Holender (then jointly directing with Eberhard Wächter) was persuaded by Lasser-Petrov to hear her auditions and immediately offered her a 2 yrs contract at that house to start in 1991-92 season. When she returned to Bulgaria, she took part in another audition at Stara Zagora Opera where she was heard by Christoph Groszer, the impresario of the Zürich Opera. He also immediately engaged her for his company.
After graduation, Kasarova joined the ensemble at Zurich Opera in 1989 and made her professional stage debut in Wagner's "Götterdämmerung" as the 2nd Norn and Wellgunde. She soon became a local favorite there with the audience appreciative of her unique vocal timbres, expressive intensity, and virtuoso ability. She also entered and won that year's Neue Stimmen competition. The competition was sponsored by Bertelsmann, which owns BMG Classics label, leading to her exclusive recording contract.
In 1991, she made her debut at the Salzburg Festival singing 2 concerts in commemoration of Mozart's 200th death anniversary and as Annio in Mozart's "La clemenza di Tito" under Sir Colin Davis. In that same year she left Zurich to fulfill her contract at the Vienna State Opera debuting in the role of Rosina in Rossini's "The Barber of Seville", and remained with the company for 2 years. 
Her international career took flight in Salzburg in 1992 when at short notice, she stood in for Marilyn Horne as "Tancredi" in two concert performances of the Rossini opera. Since then she has been a regular guest at that summer festival, performing in Mozart's "La clemenza di Tito", "Idomeneo", "Così fan tutte", "Mitridate", the Mozart pastiche "Ombra felice", and Berlioz's "La damnation de Faust". She has also performed at other notable opera festivals such as Bregenz, St. Moritz, Glyndebourne, Munich and Pesaro.
Kasarova initially specialized in Mozart's operas and works by bel canto composers such as Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti. By the mid 2000s she became much sought after in Baroque trouser roles such as Orphée in Gluck's "Orphée et Eurydice", Ruggiero in Händel's "Alcina", and the title role in "Ariodante". After her first assumption of Bizet's "Carmen" in 2008, however, her voice has gained more warmth and size as she adds more dramatic roles to her repertoire. When asked about her repertory change in interviews the singer consistently states her intention to keep singing bel canto roles for as long as possible in order to maintain vocal health as she moves toward the heavier roles of French, Verdi & Wagnerian operas.
In 2003 Kasarova collaborated with the Bulgarian composer Krassimir Kyurkchiyski to produce the CD 'Bulgarian Soul'. She sings with the Cosmic Voices from Bulgaria and the Sofia Soloists Orchestra in this compilation of Bulgarian folk songs. "Many people don't know my native land. I would like them to discover the Bulgarian soul," the singer commented. She hosted Deutsche Welle's Euromaxx television series "Vesselina Kasarova: Bulgarian Encounters", introducing European audiences to her native Bulgaria.
The versatile singer spends her time between performances giving master classes, and, in March 2012, published her first book, "Ich singe mit Leib und Seele" (I Sing With Heart And Soul), with music critic Dr. Mariane Zelger-Vogt.
Recent roles:
Awards and honors.
Kasarova won the "Female Singer of the Year" ("Sängerin des Jahres") in 2003 Echo Klassik. In 2005 she won the "Merkur Preis" and was named Bavarian Kammersängerin. She was also named Österreichische Kammersängerin in April 2010.
Other Recordings.
Vesselina Kasarova has an exclusive recording contract with RCA Victor Red Seal.