American-born, lyric coloratura soprano Nadine Sierra is one of the brightest stars in today’s operatic firmament. Her glorious, sensuous vocal instrument – without hint of the dryness often present in this type of voice – is combined with considerable acting skills and looks to kill: a combination of Hollywood and the pages of Vogue. The Greek public first saw her a few months ago in the live relay of Gounod’s “Romeo et Juliette” from the Metropolitan Opera in New York – a production so perfect in every respect that the cinematographic audience at the Athens Concert Hall (Megaron) burst into prolonged, spontaneous applause at the end! Sierra is now preparing for her live Athens debut as Violetta in Verdi’s much-loved opera “La Traviata” in a new production by Konstantinos Rigos at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus (Irodion), which will mark the Greek National Opera’s final show for the Athens Epidaurus Festival.
Sierra is one of today’s most distinguished interpreters of this role, in which she has triumphed at some of the world’s top festivals and theaters – from the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and the Arena di Verona to the Metropolitan Opera. When asked during our recent meeting whether her interpretation has changed since then, she replied that it evolves constantly, parallel to what is going on in her own personal life and her experiences as a woman. “Of course, all this influences the way I approach Violetta, not just from production to producti.