Photo By Devon Cass
Washington D.C. native Marquita Lister is taking audiences everywhere by storm with her intense, expressive portrayals of operatic roles and her enormous versatility. Critics all over the world rave about the soprano’s poignant, precise and intelligent technique, her exquisite voice, and her courage and determination to dare the utmost in her performances.
Marquita Lister studied at the “New England Conservatory of Music” in Boston and won prizes at several singing competitions. The Houston Grand Opera then noticed her talent and brought her into the house as a member of the famous Houston Grand Opera Studio, where Ms. Lister spent two years and appeared in roles such as that of Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Micaela in Carmen, and that of the High Priestess in the spectacular Wortham Theater Center's inaugural production of Aida with Mirella Freni and Placido Domingo (with a televised broadcast).
Her convincing performance of Bess in the celebrated production of Porgy and Bess at the New York City Opera (with a televised broadcast) prompted the opera house to award Marquita Lister its “NYCO Diva Award 2002”.
Other important stations in the soprano’s early career include the role of Vitellia in La Clemenza di Tito in San Francisco and that of Aida in Mexico City. Her international breakthrough followed swiftly, with roles in Montréal and Dresden. Later came Alice Ford (Falstaff) in Portland, Salome in Austin, Liù (Turandot) in Baltimore, Tosca in Vancouver, Nedda (I Pagliacci) with the Opera Pacific, and a tour of Bess, which included performances in the USA, Japan, at the Opéra Bastille Paris and the Teatro alla Scala di Milano.
With her performances of Nedda (I Pagliacci) and Musetta (La Bohème) for the prestigious Arena di Verona, Ms. Lister firmly established herself as an international star. She received the “Artist of the Year Award” of the Pittsburgh Opera and was engaged by Götz Friedrich, stage director and General Manager of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, for his production of Porgy and Bess at the Theater des Westens, followed by ground-breaking performances with the Bregenz Festival. Other highlights in Ms. Lister’s career so far include Aida at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Grosses Festspielhaus Salzburg, as well as performances with Placido Domingo (Houston Grand Opera Concert), Justino Diaz (Johnstown Sympony Orchestra Concert) and Simon Estes.
In the seasons of 2002-2004, Marquita Lister sang the roles of Mimì (La Bohème), Elisabetta di Valois (Don Carlo) and Tosca at the Staatsoper Stuttgart, Salome and Amelia (Un Ballo in Maschera) at the Semperoper in Dresden, and Aida and Santuzza (Cavalleria rusticana) at the Aalto Theater Essen.
Highlights for the season 2004/2005 included Tosca at the Graz Opera House, Porgy and Bess in Bologna, Ravenna, Prato, Udine and Bolzano, Aida at the Orlando Opera, and Salome at the Stadttheater Stuttgart.
The season 2005/2006 started with a huge success at the Semperoper Dresden, where Marquita Lister made her debut in the part of Lady Macbeth, celebrated by the press as “the ideal cast both in voice and stature” (Frank Piontek). In the coming months, Ms. Lister will also appear as Bess at the Atlanta Opera (November), as Salome (November and December - Semperoper Dresden; June - Michigan Opera Theater), as Lady Macbeth (February and July - Semperoper Dresden), and finally as Elena in I Vespri siciliani at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires (May).
Marquita Lister has appeared in numerous television productions, for instance with the Boston Pops, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, PBS, and in the broadcast “Live from Lincoln Center”. She has recorded George Gershwin’s Blue Monday for Telarc Records, and excerpts from Porgy and Bess with the Cincinnati Pops conducted by Erich Kunzel. She can also be heard on the Albany Records recording of Where the sunsets bleed by Edward Knight.
In February/March 2006, Ms. Lister will be recording Porgy and Bess for Decca Recording.
Marquita Lister – Operatic Repertoire
Marquita Lister’s impressive repertory includes works by Verdi,
Puccini and Strauss. She is equally versed in the lyrical, dramatic
and veristic genre, interpreting all of them with subtlety and confidence.
Her rendering of Bess in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess was praised
by the critics as one of the best interpretations ever.
- G. Gershwin Porgy and Bess (Bess)
- R. Leoncavallo I Pagliacci (Nedda)
- P. Mascagni Cavalleria rusticana (Santuzza)
- G. Puccini La Bohème (Mimì)
- G. Puccini La Bohème (Musetta)
- G. Puccini La Fanciulla del West (Minnie)
- G. Puccini Manon Lescaut
- G. Puccini Tosca
- G. Verdi Aida
- G. Verdi Don Carlo (Elisabetta di Valois)
- G. Verdi Ernani (Elvira)
- G. Verdi I Vespri siciliani (Elena)
- G. Verdi La Forza del Destino
- G. Verdi Macbeth (Lady)
- G. Verdi Il Trovatore (Leonora)
- G. Verdi Un Ballo in Maschera (Amelia)
- R. Strauss Salome
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Text: Maria Gabriella Mafara
Übersetzung: Studio Mafara