Raring to Go: Danielle de Niese readies for Bel Canto

When Lyric asked Danielle de Niese to star as diva Roxane Coss in the world premiere of Bel Canto, “I was completely beside myself – really gobsmacked,” the renowned Australian-born soprano recalls.  “It was such an honor to be entrusted with this role. In a sense, it’s also quite a burden to bear, because the character is the most famous singer of our age!”

It was thrilling for Danielle to participate in working sessions in New York with the opera’s creative team. She felt “all of this energy, and thoughts and interpretive contributions, which came from so many different angles.” She’s captivated by Nilo Cruz’s libretto which she describes as very emotive, very ethereal and mystical at time, and Jimmy López’s music, which is “lush, in terms of color – you hear emotion, you hear nature in the sounds of the composition.”

Danielle is ready to give her all to Bel Canto, and feels gratified that “in this role I know I’m going to be cradled and nurtured by everyone.” She’s thrilled to be performing in a work she considers “so crucial for right now, for all the people outside our business who would be questioning the relevance of the arts in the world we live in today.” 

The world premiere of Bel Canto is on Monday, December 7 at 7:30pm with additional performances through January 17. Tickets are in high demand – secure your seats today. 

Are you a member of a book club? Consider reading Ann Patchett's New York Times best-selling Bel Canto this fall, and then bring your group to experience Bel Canto with special discounts for groups of 10 or more. Lyric has even created an on-line book discussion guide to help you organize your reading group! For information on group sales, contactgroupsales@lyricopera.org.