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- New York Times
A Soprano Who's Ready for Tragedy and Comedy at the Salzburg Festival
When the soprano Asmik Grigorian took on the title role of Strauss's 'Salome' at the Salzburg Festival, in 2018, the summer event found a new reigning diva.
With a voice of lush power and a raw authenticity that shines through in every character, the Lithuanian artist has become one of today's most sought operatic performers, in Vienna, currently her home city; London; Milan; and beyond.
But she has flouted conventions of stardom and challenged audiences' expectations. Onstage, she pushes well-known characters to dramatic extremes; offstage, she often stares into the camera with a defiantly non-glamorous expression.
In August, she will return to Salzburg as Lady Macbeth in Krzysztof Warlikowski's staging of Verdi's 'Macbeth,' first seen there in 2023. And on Aug. 24, with the pianist Hyung-ki Joo, she will present the comic recital 'A Diva Is Born.'
The 'Diva' show debuted in May of last year at the Vienna State Opera — where it will return this December — and was recently performed in Vilnius, Lithuania, where Grigorian was born and raised.
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