Two Verismo Artists Profiled in Musical America
Over the past decade, Musical America has had an incredible knack for featuring "New Artists of the Month" who go on to big things. This month's follow-up on 25 of these still-rising stars includes conductor Christopher Allen and soprano Corinne Winters.
June 26, 2018
Photos by Gabriel Gastelum and Fay Fox
““Every month for nearly ten years, Musical America has featured a New Artist on our home page: someone with a special talent that, for the most part, hasn’t yet been ‘discovered’... We were right, as we were with all of the 25 we check on in this issue.””
Musical America followed up with conductor Christopher Allen, who was originally profiled as "New Artist of the Month" in July 2015 and "seems to be everywhere these days," and soprano Corinne Winters, profiled in January 2012, for whom "Violetta has become such an integral part of [her] operatic trajectory."
Corinne Winters Interviewed on Italian Radio
"L'italiano è la lingua più bella del mondo!" Soprano Corinne Winters joined SBS Italian Radio to discuss her love for the Italian language and the juicy roles of the Italian operatic repertoire.
May 4, 2018
““Italian is the most beautiful language in the world!””
After wowing audiences in her Australian debut in La traviata at Opera Australia, American soprano Corinne Winters spoke with SBS Italian Radio, in an interview with Carlo Oreglia.
Photo by Fay Fox
Corinne Winters Makes Australian Debut
“Winters glides, she soars with a magnificence of coloratura that is merely the theatrical expression of a wholly consistent characterisation, sometimes coolly self-possessed in the face of tightly controlled desire, sometimes enraptured, sometimes very convincingly at the edge of despair. This is a very contemporary Violetta – musically flawless but with a convincing and enshrouding self-possession…” Corinne Winters brings her signature role to Opera Australia in the beloved Elijah Moshinsky production of La traviata in Melbourne.
April 17, 2018
““A commanding, sometimes cool, sometimes rent Violetta from the American soprano Corinne Winters…””
American soprano Corinne Winters makes her Australian debut in the beloved Moshinsky production of La traviata at Opera Australia. Conducted by Carlo Montanaro, La traviata runs through May 11. Tickets can be purchased via Opera Australia.
Photo by Jeff Busby
Read more reviews:
"The ideal vehicle for introducing a star soprano... The Opera Australia debut of American Corinne Winters was rapturously received. Winters brings an abundance of knowledge to her signature role. She is as much an actor who sings as an operatic star. Her ease and fluidity on the stage allow her to relax into the character and focus on many elements which breathe life into a character. Ms. Winters’ dark and rich vocal tone handled with ease the many vigorous demands Verdi makes of his protagonist. This was a captivating portrait which drew well-deserved applause."
ConcertoNet
"Warm and expressive, ultimately catching fire during Violetta’s demise in the final act..."
Bachtrack
"Riveting performances... As Violetta lies distraught and dying, Winters comes into her full strength, giving a genuinely moving performance. Singing Violetta’s lament, “Addio, del passato,” Winters in full control and is seen and heard at her best."
Man in Chair
"Winters was at her best as the ailing Violetta of Act III, capturing the despair and desperation of a dying woman with affecting authenticity, her voice pale and pianissimo."
Canberra Times
"Winters’s vocal range and emotive portrayal of Violetta were on display and it was impossible not to be entranced."
The Plus Ones
"Winters worked the festivities vivaciously in creamy-rich voice as Violetta... Stirred by emotion and pondering if Alfredo could be the one when left alone singing “È strano! ... Ah, fors’è lui,” Winters bloomed marvellously. It was the emotional emphatic bursts on single phrases that genuinely crowned her performance."
Herald Sun
“The rich sound and particular texture of Winters' voice is unique. A powerful actor, her final act was especially potent with her voice often floating with sustained fragility.”
ArtsHub
“A commanding, sometimes cool, sometimes rent Violetta from the American soprano Corinne Winters… It is hard to fault Winters. She glides, she soars with a magnificence of coloratura that is merely the theatrical expression of a wholly consistent characterisation, sometimes coolly self-possessed in the face of tightly controlled desire, sometimes enraptured, sometimes very convincingly at the edge of despair. This is a very contemporary Violetta – musically flawless but with a convincing and enshrouding self-possession that rises to meet the implicit tragedy with which Verdi, almost against the odds, transfigures melodrama into tragedy.”
The Saturday Paper
Corinne Winters Is 'On The Couch' With Australian Arts Review
"It’s easy to jump on the bandwagon, but daring to be oneself, especially when it means standing alone, is real bravery..." Ahead of her Opera Australia debut as Violetta in the beloved Moshinsky La traviata, Winters speaks with Australian Arts Review.
April 13, 2018
““It’s easy to jump on the bandwagon, but daring to be oneself, especially when it means standing alone, is real bravery... Inspired people uplift others, creating a domino effect that has the power to change the world.””
Ahead of her Australian debut in the beloved Moshinsky production of La traviata at Opera Australia, American soprano Corinne Winters spoke with Australian Arts Review.
Conducted by Carlo Montanaro, La traviata runs through May 11. Tickets can be purchased via Opera Australia.
Photo by Fay Fox
'Think You Hate Opera? Corinne Winters Wants To Change That'
"Opera changes people on a molecular level. The unamplified voice is a frequency that changes them. Maybe my particular frequency, my particular aesthetic, won't move everybody – but it could move someone." Corinne Winters speaks with Spectrum in Australia’s The Age newspaper.
April 10, 2018
Photo by Fay Fox
““Opera changes people on a molecular level. The unamplified voice is a frequency that changes them. Maybe my particular frequency, my particular aesthetic, won’t move everybody – but it could move someone.” ”
Ahead of her Australian debut in the beloved Moshinsky production of La traviata at Opera Australia, American soprano Corinne Winters spoke with Spectrum in Australia's The Age newspaper. Conducted by Carlo Montanaro, La traviata runs through May 11. Tickets can be purchased via Opera Australia.
Corinne Winters Featured in Limelight Magazine
“Beautiful tone draws people in, but primal emotion breaks hearts – an easy thing to forget after years of higher education and trying to ‘get it right.’” Ahead of her Opera Australia debut, Winters appears in Australia’s Limelight Magazine.
April 6, 2018
Photo by Fay Fox
““Beautiful tone draws people in, but primal emotion breaks hearts – an easy thing to forget after years of higher education and trying to ‘get it right’.””
Ahead of her Australian debut in the beloved Moshinsky production of La traviata at Opera Australia, American soprano Corinne Winters spoke with glossy, print, and digital cultural outlets in Sydney and Melbourne.
Conducted by Carlo Montanaro, La traviata runs through May 11. Tickets can be purchased via Opera Australia.
Role Leads to the Soul: Corinne Winters in Herald Sun
"There are times in life where there just isn't a question that it's the right next step to take. With opera and my husband it has felt like that – like I didn't have a choice. It's that strong of a pull." Corinne Winters speaks with the Herald Sun, ahead of her debut with Opera Australia as their La traviata in Melbourne.
April 1, 2018
““There are times in life where there just isn’t a question that it’s the right next step to take. With opera and my husband it has felt like that – like I didn’t have a choice. It’s that strong of a pull.””
Ahead of her Australian debut in the beloved Moshinsky production of La traviata at Opera Australia, American soprano Corinne Winters spoke with the Herald Sun.
Conducted by Carlo Montanaro, La traviata runs through May 11. Tickets can be purchased via Opera Australia.
Photo by Fay Fox
Corinne Winters Digs Deep in New Daniel Kramer La Traviata
"No one could ask for more from the role: a Traviata who delivers glittering coloratura runs as well as intimate lyrical passages, extroverted self-expression, and bitterest pain with magnificent touching intensity.” Winters makes her Theater Basel debut as Violetta in a new co-production with English National Opera.
October 22, 2017
Photo by Sandra Then
““No one could ask for more from the role: a Traviata who delivers glittering coloratura runs as well as intimate lyrical passages, extroverted self-expression, and bitterest pain with magnificent touching intensity.””
Soprano Corinne Winters makes her Theater Basel debut in a new Daniel Kramer production of La traviata.
The production runs intermittently through February 25, 2018; tickets can be purchased via Theater Basel.
Photo by Sandra Then
Read more reviews:
“The star of the evening is soprano Corinne Winters, who in the lead role wholly convinced as both actor and vocalist… Winters shapes her role of Violetta Valery to the end, with differentiated vocals for every turn of phrase. Winters is a woman with the beauty of a Catherine Zeta-Jones and the voice of a young Anna Netrebko. She makes use of the enormous range of this part with all her facets and shades. Her Violetta is frivolous, girlish, in love, humiliated, and eerily strong. She pulls off the coloratura in the cabaletta 'Sempre libera' and moves us with consummate dynamics in the romance 'Addio del passato.'”
O-Ton
"Victim and driving force in one: Corinne Winters, Zürich’s memorable Mélisande, here in her signature role. She does not belong to the league of twittering sopranos who so often inhabit this role. No, her's is a lyric soprano without all of the extraneous high notes – a voice that actually sings the suffering, a vocal actress who intones her own requiem."
Badische Zeitung
Photo by Sandra Then
“The American Corinne Winters filled her role with vocal refinement and touching intensity – in the end, the entire audience lay at her feet without reserve.”
Aargauer Zeitung
“Corinne Winters gives a poignant Violetta. She does not rely on high, long-held top notes, but on emotion. It flows best in the third act - many a patron wiped a tear from his cheek.”
Der Neue Merker
“With Corinne Winters, the Theater Basel has an outstanding protagonist who gives this Violetta dignity and depth. Even in the dazzling first act, for which the stage designer Lizzie Clachan has built a round mirror hall in the art deco style, this attractive, doomed upper-class courtesan – in the midst of bodices, wigs and suspenders, in her slit white silk dress – is never vulgar. In the second act, she resembles a Madonna when she squeezes her bedspread like a cloak, and, kneeling on the ground, sings her love for Alfredo. Corinne Winters, in her multi-faceted interpretation, always returns to this intimate, warm tone. Her perfectly rounded dark timbre soprano can also harden in order to shine in the fortissimo outbursts above the full orchestra. In his opulent production, Daniel Kramer sets the stage on optical luster and strong contrasts. In the last act, the evening also gains a scenic appeal. Here Violetta dug her own grave. One last time Corinne Winters is entrancing with her compelling artistry, before this lover, carried by the warm orchestral sound, goes without quarrel to death.”
Neue Zürcher Zeitung
Corinne Winters Is The Bee's Knees in San Diego's Art Deco Traviata
"As moving and vocally compelling as I have ever experienced...” Winters makes her San Diego Opera debut as Verdi's tragic heroine in a Marta Domingo production.
April 24, 2017
Photo by Katarzyna Woronowicz
““Sublime singing and acting...Winters showed why she’s one of the world’s top interpreters of the role. Her voice is creamy, delicate and flexible in the coloratura role, but she also brings a raw authenticity to her acting.””
Soprano Corinne Winters continues her 2017 trio of La traviatas with her debut at San Diego Opera. She is joined in Marta Domingo's art deco production by tenor Jesús Garcia and baritone Stephen Powell, with David Agler conducting.
The production runs through April 30; tickets can be purchased via San Diego Opera.
Read more reviews:
“Corinne Winters, who has made Violetta her signature role, gives a marvelous performance. She sparkles in the darker moments. Her high notes are magnificent; she is able to project her pianissimos perfectly, even in a recumbent position. Impressive technique, and a smooth, creamy, effortless sound throughout. When Winters is paired with velvety-voiced baritone Stephen Powell, magic ensues.”
Times of San Diego
"Corinne Winters gave an engrossing rendition of her role. Winters’ interpretation showed the audience both the public glamor of the celebrated nineteenth century courtesan and the private tragedy. Winters’ vocal and physical acting in the ensuing acts made her Violetta truly memorable. When she sang that love and understanding had come far too late, many audience members were in tears as the opera ended."
Opera Today
“It proved to be an auspicious San Diego debut for Corinne Winters in the title role. Her bright, lithe soprano jumped through all of the role’s coloratura hoops, yet it displayed warmth and body for her more lyrically sustained vocal confessions. Her incisive dramatic instincts energized every encounter, and her final act death scene was as moving and vocally compelling as I have ever experienced in this opera.”
San Diego Story
Corinne Winters's 2017 Traviata Trifecta
"Opera is alive, and exists only from the downbeat until the curtain falls." The soprano sings Verdi's tragic heroine in productions at Seattle Opera, San Diego Opera, and the Royal Opera House Covent Garden this season.
February 7, 2017
This season, soprano Corinne Winters sings Verdi's doomed La traviata in debuts at Seattle Opera and San Diego Opera, and in her return to the Royal Opera House Covent Garden.
Winters, who considers Violetta her life's work, spoke with Bachtrack, Opera Sense, and Opera Wire about her signature roles, major house debuts, and why she identifies with the titular courtesan.
For performance dates, visit www.corinnewinters.com.
Photo by Fay Fox
Corinne Winters Stuns in Return to Konwitschny Traviata
"Corinne Winters is an especially compelling Violetta, alternating power with subtlety...as heartbreaking as any I have ever seen." Corinne Winters appears as Violetta at Seattle Opera.
January 16, 2017
Corinne Winters returns to Peter Konwitschny's intermission-less La traviata in her Seattle Opera debut, alongside Joshua Dennis as Alfredo and Weston Hurt as Germont.
Winters triumphed in her European debut as Violetta in the same production at English National Opera, earning her both critical acclaim and a coveted Opera Magazine cover in the UK.
Performances run through January 28; tickets can be purchased from the Seattle Opera website.
Photo by Jacob Lucas
Read reviews:
"Konwitschny’s pared-down production places the focus firmly on Violetta, and Corinne Winters is theatrically and vocally the ideal fit for Konwitschny’s vision. An intensely compelling presence, Winters’ Violetta is by turns angry, vulnerable, and gritty. Fascinatingly, she was at her most desperately moving in the first act, showing compassion for Alfredo’s humiliation and physically shielding him from the taunting chorus. Vocally, her rich soprano best suits the spinto outbursts of Act II, though she ably navigated the Act I coloratura with fearless brilliance and a ringing E flat. Best of all, her nuanced shading and projection of the text eliminated the need for the projected supertitles."
Bachtrack
"Corinne Winters, as Violetta, brought her character to life with a rich, commanding soprano that gripped the audience from the first moment to the last. Her 'Sempre libera' shone through the starkness of the production to conjure up the demi-monde with her youth, beauty, lush voice, and passionate performance."
Seattle Gay News
"Soprano Corinne Winters, also in her Seattle Opera debut, as Violetta, ranges convincingly from sharp and fiery to meek and broken as bodily illness and social rejection catch up with her."
The Stranger
"On opening night the singers were in excellent voice, with Corinne Winters an especially compelling Violetta. She is a talented actor as well as singer, alternating power with subtlety; her performance of Violetta’s final aria was especially touching, as heartbreaking as any I have ever seen."
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
"Corinne Winters' Violetta is a sublime blend of fiery and fragile. Plus she has a gorgeously clear soprano voice, progressing with eloquent ease from fierce to desperate to seriously ill, on even the highest notes."
Queen Anne News
"Winters was the opening evening’s star as she performed a flawless Violetta. Winters achieved a convincing portrayal due to her terrific technique and her tasteful approach to the character... Hurt’s bronze-like voice combined magnificently with Corinne Winters’ fine vocal nuances in their duet of the Second Act, in the best moment of Saturday’s performance."
Opera World
"The young and slender Winters looked and acted the role superbly. She has the voice too, beautiful, expressive, and able to sing softly and expressively including on the highest notes, as she gradually fades to death in the last act."
The SunBreak
"From beginning to end, the opera is all Violetta’s. Winters sang Violetta in the original Konwitschny production at the English National Opera in 2013, and her familiarity with the role allowed her to perform it with full-blown confidence. With so many arias and duets – many when Violetta is taken down by her worsening consumption and sings on the floor or in other compromised positions – her secure strong soprano resonates. She does everything right in the role. Winters embraced Violetta so thoroughly that we don’t pity her. We are sad that she has to die, that she loses her true love, but she goes out with dignity, backing away triumphantly into those red curtains."
Oregon ArtsWatch
"What’s more vital is the singing, and here the show satisfies. To her sure-footed performance of her showpiece 'Sempre libera,' Corinne Winters brings a hint of a hard edge, making audible the desperation in her assertion to remain unencumbered following Alfredo’s declaration of love. That this was a choice and not a vocal given she demonstrated later in her satiny, quiet opening phrases in 'Dite alla giovine' and in the headlong passion of her farewell declaration, 'Amami, Alfredo.'"
Seattle Weekly
"On the plus side, there’s the singing, chiefly that of Corinne Winters in the title role. She is a beautiful and fearless Violetta, capable of both power and subtlety, and able to leap onto the lone chair during one of the most feared of all soprano arias, “Sempre libera.” An affecting actress, she made Violetta’s exuberance, despair, and inexorable decline in health all very clear."
Seattle Times
Corinne Winters to Make San Diego Opera Debut
Corinne Winters will sing her signature role of Violetta in Verdi's La traviata in Marta Domingo's Roaring Twenties era production.
April 19, 2016
Corinne Winters will make her San Diego Opera debut in the 2016/17 season, singing her signature role of Violetta in Verdi's La traviata.
Next season, Winters will tackle the famously difficult role in three different productions, also appearing as Violetta at Seattle Opera and at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden.
In San Diego, she will be joined onstage by Joshua Guererro as Alfredo and Stephen Powell as Germont. Stephen Lord conducts Marta Domingo's Roaring Twenties era production.
Performances will run April 22-30, 2017.
Corinne Winters to Bookend Her 2016/17 Season at Royal Opera House
Corinne Winters will make her ROH Covent Garden debut as Fiordiligi in a new production of Così fan tutte in the fall and return in the summer in her signature role of Violetta in La traviata.
April 6, 2016
Corinne Winters will open her 2016/17 season with her Royal Opera House Covent Garden debut this fall as Fiordiligi in a new Jan Philipp Gloger production of Mozart's Così fan tutte.
She will return to close out her season as Violetta in the beloved Richard Eyre production of La traviata, marking her first London Violetta since her explosion onto the international opera scene in the 2013 English National Opera production.
Così fan tutte performances will run September 22 – October 19, 2016, and will also feature Angela Brower as Dorabella, Daniel Behle as Ferrando, and Alessio Arduini as Guglielmo. The October 17 performance will be screened live in cinemas in over 35 countries.
Winters will appear in La traviata June 27 – July 4, 2017, alongside Atalla Ayan as Alfredo and George Petean as Germont. The July 4 performance will be featured as a live, free relay to several outdoor screens as part of BP Big Screens.
Tickets for both productions will be available via the Royal Opera House website.
Corinne Winters to Debut at Seattle Opera in 2016/17
Corinne Winters will appear as Violetta in the Peter Konwitschny La traviata – the same production that launched her international career and landed her on the cover of Opera magazine in the UK – as well as the title role in Katya Kabanova.
January 4, 2016
Corinne Winters will make her Seattle Opera debut in the 2016/17 season as Violetta in the Peter Konwitschny La traviata – the same production that launched her international career and landed her on the cover of Opera magazine in the UK.
Of that performance, The Spectator wrote, "Corinne Winters gives a performance of genius, with a wonderfully supple voice...Her ‘Amami Alfredo’ was the most heart-rending since Renata Scotto. This Violetta is perfectly poised between Lulu and Mimì." The London Times raved, "Winters is the best ENO Violetta in decades" and BBC Music Magazine wrote, "Corinne Winters delivered a performance of white-hot intensity and consummate control."
Winters will sing opposite Stefano Secco's Alfredo under the baton of Stefano Ranzani, a regular at La Scala, the Vienna Staatsoper, and the Metropolitan Opera.
Also next season at Seattle Opera, Winters will sing her first performances of the title role in Katya Kabanova. Oliver von Dahnányi will conduct a new production by Australian director Patrick Nolan.
