COMMANDOpera has selected only 3 young artists to look for in 2012 who own distinctive promise for ranking global careers in the future. All of them are American based soprano’s with some curiously incidental ties to the Opera scene in San Francisco. COMMANDOpera is compelled to advise the three artists to consider their repertoire with extreme care and to firmly reject unsuitable roles offered out of hand. The cautionary tales of Miss Dessay who’s instrument is virtually in shreds today, as appears to be the rising case for Miss Damrau. Miss Netrebko’s top is no longer what it was: and she in her thirties. Not to mention the young American soprano Angela Meade only a few years out, yet her instrument is already exhibiting worrying signs from unwise choices. It is to be noted, there have been a number of interesting young artists which have arrived under the gaze of COMMANDOpera during 2011 in all vocal ranges, however these three alone have been generating unusually significant buzz globally.

Photo credit: Miss Arielle Doneson

Miss Joélle Harvey perhaps created the the most significant furore in 2011 with her throw down assumption of Galatea in Häendel’s Acis and Galatea at Aix en Provence, followed by further performances at the Gran Teatro la Fenice. Up until this time, Häendel soprano repertoire had become overly decorated for modern audiences thanks to the early work of Miss Sutherland, yet during the composers lifetime, there was another school known as the ’Faustina’. Miss Harvey’s singularly triumphant assumption of Galatea in the Faustina style, was the talk of Europe overshadowing virtually all others who considered such repertoire in 2011. The agility and assured technical qualifications of this vocal instrument, make Miss Harvey a force to be reckoned with in the future.

Miss Tamara Wilson’s presence is exploding onto global stages to unilaterally huge acclaim, with her most recent Aida’s receiving endless standing ovations at the Teatro Municipal de Santiago. Miss Wilson is a most careful artist when it comes to her selection of repertoire, although she has put her dramatic soprano vocal instrument to good use with Verdi heroines. COMMANDOpera highly approves of the fact that Miss Wilson obviously exercises her instrument in the classical manner by essaying different period works concurrently within her repertoire. Miss Wilson is assuredly on the COMMANDOpera to do list in the very near future.

Miss Elizabeth Zharoff has not quite completed her studies, however managements in theatres across the United States have Miss Zharoff on their shortest of short lists. COMMANDOpera can personally attest to the clamour surrounding this artist during conversations with a number of prominent Artistic Directors. Although this venue would have waited another year to speak about this artist, global readers have every right to know in advance on this one. Miss Zharoff is an exceptional actress on stage rivetting all eyes with ethereal physical beauty, but more importantly: it is that voice. The timbre is exceptionally distinctive and instantly recognisable and COMMANDOpera advises to all concerned, Miss Zharoff may well become the top ranked soprano globally within the next five years.