Vesselina Kasarova
Encyclopedia
Vesselina Kasarova is a Bulgaria
n mezzo-soprano
opera singer.
. 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 Stara Zagora's Hristina Morfova School of Music and Performing Arts (normal studies in the morning, and music in the afternoon) 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 Sofia's Music Academy -- focusing on the works of Mozart and Rossini. Kasarova gave her first singing performance in Stara Zagora
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.
, 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 B minor mass. 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 impressario of the Zurich 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 (New Voices)" competition at Gütersloh
(2nd and 3rd behind her were Rene Pape and Bernard Lombardo). The competition was sponsored by Bertelsmann
, which ownes 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. There she married her Swiss husband.
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', 'Cosi fan tutte', 'Mitridate', '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 2000's she became much sought after in Baroque trouser roles such as Orphée in Gluck's "Orphée et Eurydice", Ruggiero in Händel's "Alcina
", and Ariodante 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.
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 won the 2003 German ECHO Award for "Singer of the Year". In 2005 she won the Merkur Preis and was elected Bayerische Kammersängerin. She hosted Deutsche Welle
’s Euromaxx television series Vesselina Kasarova: Bulgarian Encounters, introducing European audiences to her native Bulgaria. Kasarova was also named an Österreichische Kammersängerin in April 2010.
Her recent roles (since 2008) include:
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
opera singer.
Early life and education
Vesselina Kasarova was born in the central Bulgarian town of Stara ZagoraStara Zagora
Stara Zagora is the sixth largest city in Bulgaria, and a nationally important economic center. Located in Southern Bulgaria, it is the administrative capital of the homonymous Stara Zagora Province...
. 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 Stara Zagora's Hristina Morfova School of Music and Performing Arts (normal studies in the morning, and music in the afternoon) 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 Sofia's Music Academy -- focusing on the works of Mozart and Rossini. Kasarova gave her first singing performance in Stara Zagora
Stara Zagora
Stara Zagora is the sixth largest city in Bulgaria, and a nationally important economic center. Located in Southern Bulgaria, it is the administrative capital of the homonymous Stara Zagora Province...
singing "Habanera" from Bizet's Carmen. She performed at Sofia National Opera
National Opera and Ballet
The National Opera and Ballet is a national cultural institution in Bulgaria that covers opera and ballet. It is based in an imposing building in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria....
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 KarajanHerbert von Karajan
Herbert von Karajan was an Austrian orchestra and opera conductor. To the wider world he was perhaps most famously associated with the Berlin Philharmonic, of which he was principal conductor for 35 years...
, 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 B minor mass. 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
Vienna State Opera
The Vienna State Opera is an opera house – and opera company – with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera . In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian...
, 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 impressario of the Zurich Opera
Zurich Opera
Oper Zürich is an opera company based in Zurich, Switzerland. The company gives performances in the Opernhaus Zürich which has been the company’s home for fifty years.-History:...
. 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 (New Voices)" competition at Gütersloh
Gütersloh
Gütersloh is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, in the area of Westphalia and the administrative region of Detmold. Gütersloh is the administrative centre for a district of the same name and has a population of 96,320 people.- Geography :...
(2nd and 3rd behind her were Rene Pape and Bernard Lombardo). The competition was sponsored by Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann AG is a multinational media corporation founded in 1835, based in Gütersloh, Germany. The company operates in 63 countries and employs 102,983 workers , which makes it the most international media corporation in the world. In 2008 the company reported a €16.118 billion consolidated...
, which ownes BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
Classics label, leading to her exclusive recording contract.
In 1991, she made her debut at the Salzburg Festival
Salzburg Festival
The Salzburg Festival is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer within the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...
singing 2 concerts in commemoration of Mozart's 200th death anniversary and as Annio in Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito
La clemenza di Tito
La clemenza di Tito , K. 621, is an opera seria in two acts composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Caterino Mazzolà, after Metastasio...
under Sir Colin Davis
Colin Davis
Sir Colin Rex Davis, CH, CBE is an English conductor. His repertoire is broad, but among the composers with whom he is particularly associated are Mozart, Berlioz, Elgar, Sibelius, Stravinsky and Tippett....
. In that same year she left Zurich to fulfill her contract at the Vienna State Opera debuting in the role of Rosina in Rossini
Gioacchino Rossini
Gioachino Antonio Rossini was an Italian composer who wrote 39 operas as well as sacred music, chamber music, songs, and some instrumental and piano pieces...
's The Barber of Seville, and remained with the company for 2 years. There she married her Swiss husband.
Her international career took flight in Salzburg in 1992 when at short notice, she stood in for Marilyn Horne
Marilyn Horne
Marilyn Horne is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer. She specialized in roles requiring a large sound, beauty of tone, excellent breath support, and the ability to execute difficult coloratura passages....
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', 'Cosi fan tutte', 'Mitridate', '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 2000's she became much sought after in Baroque trouser roles such as Orphée in Gluck's "Orphée et Eurydice", Ruggiero in Händel's "Alcina
Alcina
Alcina is an opera seria by George Frideric Handel. Handel used the libretto of L'isola di Alcina, an opera that was set in 1728 in Rome by Riccardo Broschi, which he acquired the year after, during his travels in Italy...
", and Ariodante 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.
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 won the 2003 German ECHO Award for "Singer of the Year". In 2005 she won the Merkur Preis and was elected Bayerische Kammersängerin. She hosted Deutsche Welle
Deutsche Welle
Deutsche Welle or DW, is Germany's international broadcaster. The service is aimed at the overseas market. It broadcasts news and information on shortwave, Internet and satellite radio on 98.7 DZFE in 30 languages . It has a satellite television service , that is available in four languages, and...
’s Euromaxx television series Vesselina Kasarova: Bulgarian Encounters, introducing European audiences to her native Bulgaria. Kasarova was also named an Österreichische Kammersängerin in April 2010.
Her recent roles (since 2008) include:
- "Agrippina" in HandelGeorge Frideric HandelGeorge Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
's Agrippina - "Angelina" in RossiniGioacchino RossiniGioachino Antonio Rossini was an Italian composer who wrote 39 operas as well as sacred music, chamber music, songs, and some instrumental and piano pieces...
's La Cenerentola - "Ariodante" in HandelGeorge Frideric HandelGeorge Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
's Ariodante - "Carmen" in Bizet's Carmen
- "Charlotte" in MassenetJules MassenetJules Émile Frédéric Massenet was a French composer best known for his operas. His compositions were very popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and he ranks as one of the greatest melodists of his era. Soon after his death, Massenet's style went out of fashion, and many of his operas...
's Werther - "Dalila" in Saint-Saëns's "Samson et Dalila"
- "Edoardo" in Rossini's Matilde di Shabran
- "Isabella" in Rossini's L'italiena in Algieri
- "Marina" in Modest MussorgskyModest MussorgskyModest Petrovich Mussorgsky was a Russian composer, one of the group known as 'The Five'. He was an innovator of Russian music in the romantic period...
's Boris Godunov - "Romeo" in Bellini's I Capuleti e I Montecchi
- "Ruggiero" in HandelGeorge Frideric HandelGeorge Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
's AlcinaAlcinaAlcina is an opera seria by George Frideric Handel. Handel used the libretto of L'isola di Alcina, an opera that was set in 1728 in Rome by Riccardo Broschi, which he acquired the year after, during his travels in Italy... - "Rosina" in Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia
- "Venus" in Wagner's Tannhäuser
Recordings of operatic roles
- Tchaikovsky: Pique Dame (The Queen Of Spades) (1988) -- [audio CD] As a governess with Emil Tchakarov & Sofia Festival Orchestra
- Tchaikovsky: Pique Dame (1992) -- [VHS] As Pauline with Ozawa & Vienna State Opera
- Bellini: Beatrice di Tenda (1992) -- [audio CD] As Agnese with Pinchas Steinburg & Orf Symphony Orchestra
- Rossini: Tancredi (1996) --[audio CD] As Tancredi with Roberto Abbado & Munich Radio Orchestra
- Weber: OberonOberonOberon is a legendary king of the fairies.Oberon may also refer to:-People:* Merle Oberon , British actress* Oberon Zell-Ravenheart , Neopagan activist-Media and entertainment:* Oberon...
(1996) --[audio CD] As Fatime with Marek Janowski & Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin - Offenbach: La Belle Hélène (1997) -- [VHS & DVD] As Hélène with Nikolaus Harnoncourt & Zurich Opera (Note: VHS and DVD versions show performances from different dates.)
- Massenet: WertherWertherWerther is an opera in four acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet and Georges Hartmann based on the German epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe....
(1999) --[Audio CD] As Charlotte with Vladimir Jurowski & Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin - Bellini: I Capuleti e i Montecchi (1999) --[Audio CD] As Romeo with R. Abbado & Munich Radio Orchestra
- Berlioz: The Damnation of FaustThe Damnation of FaustLa damnation de Faust , Op. 24 is a work for four solo voices, full seven-part chorus, large children's chorus and orchestra by the French composer Hector Berlioz. He called it a "légende dramatique"...
(1999) -- [DVD] As Marguerite with Sylvain Chambreling from the 1999 Salzburg Festival - Rossini: The Barber of SevilleThe Barber of SevilleThe Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's comedy Le Barbier de Séville , which was originally an opéra comique, or a mixture of spoken play with music...
(2001) -- [DVD] As Rosina with Nello SantiNello SantiNello Santi is an Italian conductor. He is often called "Papa Santi" by his fellow musicians to show their high respect for his work.-Biography:...
and Zurich Opera - Donizetti: La FavoriteLa favoriteLa favorite is an opera in four acts by Gaetano Donizetti to a French-language libretto by Alphonse Royer and Gustave Vaëz, based on the play Le comte de Comminges by Baculard d'Arnaud...
(2001) --[Audio CD] As Leonor with Viotti & Munich Radio Orchestra - Monteverdi: Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria (2003) -- [DVD] As Penelope with N. Harnoncourt & Zurich Opera
- Mozart: La clemenza di Tito (2003) --[DVD] As Sesto with Nikolaus Harnoncourt from the Salzburg Summer Festival (now part of the M22 project)
- Gluck: Orphée et Eurydice (2004) --[DVD] As Orphée with Ivor Bolton & Bavaria State Opera
- R. Strauß: Der Rosenkavalier (2005) --[DVD] As Oktavian with Franz Welser-Mōst & Zurich Opera
- Mozart" La clemenza di Tito (2005) --[DVD] As Sesto with Franz Welser-Mōst from Zurich Opera
- Mozart: La clemenza di Tito (2006) --[Doppel CD] As Sesto with Pinchas Steinburg & Munchner Rundfunkorchester
- Mozart: Mitridate, ré di Ponto (2006) --[Doppel CD] As Farnace with Sir Roger Norrington & Camerata Salzburg from the 1997 Salzburg Festival
- Rossini: La CenerentolaLa CenerentolaLa Cenerentola, ossia La bontà in trionfo is an operatic dramma giocoso in two acts by Gioachino Rossini. The libretto was written by Jacopo Ferretti, based on the fairy tale Cinderella...
(2006) --[Doppel CD] As Angelina with Carlo Rizzi & Munchner Rundfunkorchester - Donizetti: Dom SebastienDom SébastienDom Sébastien, Roi de Portugal is a French grand opera in five acts by Gaetano Donizetti. The libretto was written by Eugène Scribe, based on Paul Foucher's play Don Sébastien de Portugal , a historic-fiction about King Sebastian of Portugal and his ill-fated 1578 expedition to Morocco...
(March 2007) --[CD] As Zayda with Mark Elder & ROH Orchestra - Händel: AlcinaAlcinaAlcina is an opera seria by George Frideric Handel. Handel used the libretto of L'isola di Alcina, an opera that was set in 1728 in Rome by Riccardo Broschi, which he acquired the year after, during his travels in Italy...
(September 2007) -- [SACD] As Ruggiero with Ivor Bolton from Bavarian State Opera
Other Recordings
(Vesselina Kasarova has an exclusive recording contract with RCA Red Seal Label)- Hermann Suter Le Laudi (Le laudi di San Francesco d’Assisi) (1991) --[Audio CD] with Budapester Sinfoniker Chor and Kinderchor des Ungarischen Rundfunks Budapest
- Wir Schwestern Zwei, Wir Schönen --[Audio CD] lieder duets with Edita Gruberova including the famous Rossini's Katzen-Duett (Duetto buffo di due gatti)
- Berlioz, Ravel, Chausson (1994) --[Audio CD] song cycles with Pinchas Steinberg and the ORF Symphonieorchester (This recording won the Prix Maurice Ravel award)
- A Portrait (1996) --[Audio CD] with Friedrich Haider and the Munchner Rundfunkorchester. Arias from HandelGeorge Frideric HandelGeorge Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
's Rinaldo, GluckChristoph Willibald GluckChristoph Willibald Ritter von Gluck was an opera composer of the early classical period. After many years at the Habsburg court at Vienna, Gluck brought about the practical reform of opera's dramaturgical practices that many intellectuals had been campaigning for over the years...
's Orfeo ed Euridice, MozartWolfgang Amadeus MozartWolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
's Le nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni, RossiniGioacchino RossiniGioachino Antonio Rossini was an Italian composer who wrote 39 operas as well as sacred music, chamber music, songs, and some instrumental and piano pieces...
's Il barbiere di Siviglia and L'italiana in Algeri, DonizettiGaetano DonizettiDomenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti was an Italian composer from Bergamo, Lombardy. His best-known works are the operas L'elisir d'amore , Lucia di Lammermoor , and Don Pasquale , all in Italian, and the French operas La favorite and La fille du régiment...
's Anna Bolena and La favorita, and BelliniVincenzo BelliniVincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini was an Italian opera composer. His greatest works are I Capuleti ed i Montecchi , La sonnambula , Norma , Beatrice di Tenda , and I puritani...
's I Capuleti e i Montecchi.
- Franz Schubert: Mass No. 6 in E-Major (1997) --[Audio CD] with Riccardo Muti & Wiener Philharmoniker and Chor des Mitteldeutschen Rundfunks, Leipzig
- Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 8 in E-Major "Sinfonie der Tausend" (1997) --[Audio CD] with Sir Colin Davis & Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks
- Mozart Arias (1997) --[Audio CD] with Sir Colin DavisColin DavisSir Colin Rex Davis, CH, CBE is an English conductor. His repertoire is broad, but among the composers with whom he is particularly associated are Mozart, Berlioz, Elgar, Sibelius, Stravinsky and Tippett....
and the Staatskapelle Dresden. Arias from Cosi fan tutte, Le nozze di Figaro, Idomeneo, Mitridate, Don Giovanni, Lucio Silla, and La clemenza di Tito. This recording was nominated for the Grammy Award
- Schubert, Brahms, Schumann: Lieder (1999) [Audio CD] with Friedrich Haider
- Rossini: Arias and Duets (2000) [Audio CD] with Juan Diego Florez and Arthur Fagen & Musikalische Leitung. This record won the 2000 Cannes Classical AwardsCannes Classical AwardsThe Cannes Classical Awards were music awards awarded at MIDEM international music convention in Cannes, France in January from 1994-2010.The original chairman of the awards was the New York music critic David Hurwitz...
for Songs and Vocal Recitals 19/20 Century.
- Nuit Resplendissante (2001) [Audio CD] Rarely heard French opera arias with Frédéric Chaslin & Münchner Rundfunkorchester
- Love Entranced: French Opera Arias (2002) [Audio CD] with Frédéric Chaslin and the Munich Radio Orchestra.
- Bulgarian Soul: Kyurkchiyski (2003) [Audio CD] with Cosmic Voices from Bulgaria under Vania Moneva, and the Sofia Soloists Chamber Orchestra under Tzanko Delibozov singing traditional Bulgarian folk songs. This recording was nominated for the German ECHO Klassik award (Classics Without Frontier)
- Berlin Opera Night (2004) --[DVD & audio CD] Sings Charlotte's letter scene from Werther as part of the benefit concert to raise fund for AIDS research. CD under title Gala Night
- The Magic of Kasarova (2004) [Audio CD] compilation of arias from her acclaimed roles including tracks from live performances from the 2003 Munich production of Orphée et Eurydice and the 1999 Salzburger Festspiele production of La damnation de Faust.
- Belle Nuit (2008) [Audio CD] with Ulf Schirmer and the Munich Radio Orchestra. Live recording of a concert at Philharmonie am Gastieg of Offenbach operetta arias.
- Sento Brillar (July 2008) [Audio CD] with Alan Curtis and Il Complesso Barocco. Studio recording of Handel opera arias that were written for Carestini.
- Passionate Arias (May 2009) [Audio CD] with Giuliani Carrera and Munich Radio Orchestra. Studio recordings of compilation of dramatic mezzo-soprano arias.
- Chopin At The Opera (2010) [DVD] Documentary on opera's influence on the music of Frederic Chopin. Filmed at George Sands' estate with short clips of Kasarova's rehearsal for a concert with Roland Raphael.
TV Documentary
- Vesselina Kasarova: Ein Portrait: Mozart ist ohne Ende (BMG Classic & Saarländischer Rundfunk) From 1997 interview with clips from Idomeneo in Florence, I Capuleti e i Montecchi in Paris, recording session of her Mozart Arias CD in Dresden
- Tell Me, Little White Cloud (Arte-TV) Making of Bulgarian Soul CD with the Cosmic Voices from Bulgaria Female Choir
- Vesselina Kasarova: Die Kunst der Verwandlung (ORF) 2005 documentary of her career.
- Bulgarian Encounters Deutsche Welle's Euromaxx television series where Kasarova serves as the host
External links
- Official website
- Unofficial fan blog
- Interview with Bruce Duffie in 1997
- BMG Classics Biography and Discography of Kasarova
- Audio clip of an interview in 2002 with NCRV in German
- Audio clips of an interview with Radio Bremen during the Handel Gala in 2006
- Video clip of Prinsengracht outdoor concert in Amsterdam in 2004
- Hear how her name is pronounced
- Home of the Neue Stimmen competition where she won 1st prize in 1989