Magdalena Wór (born c. 1981)[1][2][3] is a Polish opera singer (mezzo-soprano).
Early life and education edit
Wór was born in Poland, the daughter of Andrzej and Teresa Wor,[1] and grew up in Lądek-Zdrój in the south-west of the country.[4] She relocated to the United States along with her family in 1991 when her father, a physiotherapist, accepted a job in Maine.[1] The family moved to Georgia in 1996,[1][5] where Wór attended Chattahoochee High School.[1] She sang in church as a child, but did not consider pursuing a career in music until the age of 18.[1][5] She attended Georgia State University where she received her bachelor's and master's degrees in music.[1][6]
Career edit
Wór participated in the San Francisco Opera's Merola Opera Program in 2003,[1] during which she sang Rosina in The Barber of Seville;[2] in Chautauqua Music Institution's Marlena Malas Voice Program; and the GSU Opera Workshop in 2005, where she sang Zita in Gianni Schicchi.[2] In 2006, she participated in the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis's Gerdine Young Artists Program[7] and the Washington National Opera's Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program.[2][4][8] With the latter, she appeared in a short version of The Ballad of Baby Doe;[9] The Washington Post music critic Tim Page wrote that "Wor sang an aria for Tabor's first wife, Augusta, with appropriate gravity".[10] Also in 2006, she appeared with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in performances of Handel’s Messiah and Bach’s Magnificat.[4] An Atlanta music critic wrote of the performance of the Magnificat, "The standout voice belonged to mezzo-soprano Wór … she brought unexpected warmth to Esurientes implevit bonis (‘The hungry he has filled with good’), a darling little aria accompanied by two flutes. She garbled a few words, but it was otherwise a pleasure to hear the plush textures and dark, chocolatey timbre of her voice."[4]
Her first professional appearance was in November 2008, singing Tisbe, one of the ugly stepsisters in La Cenerentola with the Atlanta Opera.[4] She had also sung with In 2010, she sang the title role in Carmen with the Palm Beach Opera.[4]
After a 2016 performance with pianist Brian Ganz, a review in The Washington Post stated that Wór "has that kind of velvety rich mezzo that makes you want to follow her anywhere."[11]
Awards and recognition edit
- 2010 - First Prize, Kosciuszko Foundation Marcella Sembrich Voice Competition[3]
- Finalist and Prize Winner of the Moniuszko International Voice Competition
- 2002 - Finalist, Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions[4]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h Osinski, Bill (25 May 2003). "Her voice, not she, is 'God's gift'". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. pp. J1, J2. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
- ^ a b c d Osinski, Bill (26 December 2006). "After late start, opera singer comes on strong". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. p. J3. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
- ^ a b "Kosciuszko Fdn Sembrich Competition Winners". Polish Music Reference Center Newsletter. 16 (4). Polish Music Center, University of Southern California. April 6, 2010. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g Ruhe, Pierre (September 1, 2010). "From Vivaldi to Carmen to "Messiah," meet Atlanta mezzo Magdalena Wór". ArtsAtl. Atlanta, Georgia. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
- ^ a b Rohde, David (2015-04-10). "A Q&A with Mezzo-Soprano Magdalena Wór on Her Training in Washington and Return This Weekend to Strathmore". DC Metro Theater Arts. Retrieved 2019-11-15.
- ^ "Atlanta Symphony Orchestra - Magdalena Wór". Atlanta Symphony. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
- ^ "Street Scene, 2006". Opera Theater of Saint Louis. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
- ^ "Magdalena Wór Biography - InstantEncore". www.instantencore.com. Retrieved 2019-11-15.
- ^ McBride, Jerry L. (2011). Douglas Moore: A Bio-bibliography. A-R Editions, Inc. pp. 200, 389. ISBN 9780895796660. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
- ^ Page, Tim (October 23, 2006). "'Baby Doe' Returns, Still Girlish at 50". The Washington Post. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
- ^ Rucker, Patrick (January 10, 2016). "A night of Chopin by a pianist with impressive finesse". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 15, 2019.