American-born British singer
Maria Ewing is generally regarded as one of the leading soprano/mezzo-sopranos from the last quarter of the 20th century. She is still active, but since 1997 has withdrawn from operatic performance. While her voice could divulge a great beauty of tone in its light quality, she was better known for her versatility and intensity in performance. Her dramatic skills were outstanding and her ability to convey an exotic or erotic sense was uncanny. Her operatic repertory was extremely broad, taking in major roles, both soprano and mezzo-soprano, of
Purcell,
Mozart,
Bizet, Offenbach,
Richard Strauss,
Puccini,
Debussy,
Poulenc,
Shostakovich, and countless others.
Ewing has also sung jazz songs and performed a range of works in recital, but much of it from opera, including
Wagner and
Rossini.
Ewing's recordings are available on many major labels, including DG, EMI Classics, Chandos, RCA, and Kultur Video.
Maria Ewing was born in Detroit, MI, on March 27, 1950. In 1968-1970 she studied music with
Eleanor Steber at the Cleveland Institute of Music. She had further studies with
Jennie Tourel in New York City.
Ewing's major debut was at the 1973 Ravinia Festival, with the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra under
James Levine. Three years later she debuted to great acclaim at both the Salzburg Festival and the Met as Cherubino in
Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro.
Throughout the 1980s
Ewing continued to draw critical plaudits for both her operatic performances and recitals. Her recordings were attracting attention, as well: her 1989
Mozart Requiem on DG, with
Leonard Bernstein conducting, was a major success. In 1992 she created a bit of controversy at Covent Garden when, as Salome, she appeared completely nude after the Dance of the Seven Veils.
Ewing's 1993 appearance as Katarina Ismailova in
Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk at the Opéra-Bastille in Paris was another success. From 1997
Ewing limited her appearances to the recital hall. Her April 2000 Royal Albert Hall recital made many wonder why she ever gave up opera: her performance of operatic works by
Rossini,
Bizet,
Puccini, and
Wagner was hailed by British critics. In the new century
Ewing's operatic recordings have appeared, if anything, with even greater frequency. The 1992 Salome, considered by many the benchmark recording, was first issued on Kultur Video in 2001. In 2005, the same label issued
Ewing's highly praised Carmen from the 1985 Glyndebourne Festival.