Eva Urbanová / soprano

Eva Urbanová is one of the stars of the National Theatre in Prague. She has performed on world stages, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York, collaborates with prominent personalities and musicians, and regularly records for the Supraphon label. She is considered the best Czech Libuše, holds the title of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters of France and the Medal for Merit to the State in the Field of Arts.

Thanks to her fascinating stage expression and resonant voice, Eva Urbanová has become the first lady of the Czech opera scene. Eva Urbanová's most important trophies include the Thalia Award for Kostelnička in Janáček's Jenůfů and the American Grammy Award for her recording of Celeste Aida: Famous Opera Arias. In 2003, in collaboration with the Canadian Opera Company, she received the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Opera Performance in Toronto, again for her portrayal of Kostelnička. Her recording of Fibich's Šárka conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras was nominated for a Grammy in 2001, and in 2003 Eva Urbanová was named a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters of France. In 2017 she was awarded the Medal for Merit to the State in the Field of Arts.

Outside the domestic stage, she has repeatedly performed in prestigious opera houses including La Scala in Milan, Covent Garden in London, Opera San Francisco, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Volksoper Wien and especially the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where she made her debut as Ortrude in Lohengrin and later as Santuzza from Cavalleria Rusticana, Tosca, The Strange Princess and Turandot. She excels in her interpretative skills and communicative performance on concert stages. She has sung at gala concerts in Toronto, Canada, Valencia and Seville, Spain, as well as at the Prague Spring. On the Swiss tour she performed in Verdi's Requiem, Mozart's Requiem for Change in Munich, Britten's War Requiem at London's Royal Albert Hall, Martinů's Gilgamesh in London and Janáček's Gla­golitic Mass again in the city on the Thames and also in Toronto, Vienna and Athens.

Eva Urbanová studied singing privately with Ludmila Kotnauerová and at the same time worked with the renowned soprano Renata Scotto. Her frequent collaborators were conductors Jiří Bělohlávek, Sir Charles Mackerras, Kent Nagano, Ondrej Lenárd, Sir Andrew Davis, James Conlon, James Levin. Nello Santi, Leonard Slatkin, Roberto Abbado and Riccardo Chailly.

Eva Urbanová's most important recordings on CD include Smetana's Libuše and Dalibor, Fibich's Šárka, Dvořák's Rusalka, Mahler's Lament and Janáček's Gla­golitic Mass. The world premiere of the recording of Janáček's Šárka with the Prague Philharmonic Choir and the Czech Philharmonic conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras was nominated for a Grammy Award.

In 2022, Eva Urbanová celebrated 35 years of her artistic career. Despite her original profession as a 3.5th generation computer operator at Czech Railways and her first steps in the rock band RH+, her star has risen to the singing Olympus. She has performed dozens of title roles around the world, collaborated with many prominent figures, churned out pop waters in sold-out halls with Karel Gott, and regularly collaborated with the media and Supraphone. Recently, she has been extremely popular on concert stages, where she rewards her large audience with recitals of unforgettable opera roles or as an unbridled rocker in the show Druhá táč with the Barock kalepa in world hits by Scorpions, Nightwish, Nazareth, Billy Idol, and Queen.

www.evaurbanova.com