Vlada Borovko

The Royal Opera House announced their 2019/20 season on 14 May 2019, unveiling a wide range of new commissions, world premieres and revivals, supported by a diverse range of ticketed and free daytime events, activities and festivals for people of all ages. The season is the first full season since the completion of Covent Garden’s three-year Open Up initiative and features 13 new productions (including two world premieres). Among the new works is the world premiere of Jules Maxwell The Lost Thing, an adaptation of Shaun Tan’s picture book. The production is staged in association with Candoco Dance Company, the commission features a cast of disabled and non-disabled singers, dancers and musicians.

>Click here to see full details of the Royal Opera House’s new season.

Following his critically acclaimed performances in Billy Budd in April, Jacques Imbrailo returns to the Royal Opera House to star as Albert in Massenet Werther from 17 September. Benoît Jacquot’s production is conducted by Edward Gardner and also features Stephanie Wake-Edwards, who begins her debut season as a Jette Parker Young Artist with the role of Käthchen.

Rhian Lois returns to Covent Garden on 25 September to perform as Jerusha in Gerald Barry The Intelligence Park at the Linbury Theatre. Conducted by Jessica Cottis, the production is the first of Barry’s opera in London since 1990.

On 14 October, Evelino Pidò conducts the premiere of a new production of Donizetti Don Pasquale from Damiano Michieletto. The production stars Bryn Terfel and is co-produced with the Opéra national de Paris and Teatro Massimo, Palermo. The performance on 24 October will be broadcast live to cinemas around the world as part of the Royal Opera House’s Live Cinema Season.

Leo Hussain made a critically acclaimed debut at Covent Garden in 2016 helming the Royal Opera’s first production of Enescu Oedipe. He returns to the Royal Opera House on 1 November to conduct David McVicar’s production of Die Zauberflöte, which also features Hongni Wu as Zweite Dame. Wu is currently a member of the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme, with other roles in the 2019/20 season including Flora in La traviata, Karolka in Jenůfa and Tebaldo in Don Carlo.

Tim Mead returns to the Royal Opera House to star in David McVicar’s new production of Britten Death in Venice from 21 November. Performing under the baton of Sir Mark Elder, Mead performs the role of Apollo opposite Mark Padmore and Gerald Finley.

Gregory Kunde performs one of his signature roles at Covent Garden from 9 December, starring in the title role of Verdi Otello under the baton of Sir Antonio Pappano. Keith Warner’s production also stars Freddie De Tommaso, who makes his Covent Garden debut as Cassio.

Pamela Helen Stephen, Vlada Borovko, Hongni Wu and Stephanie Wake-Edwards join the cast for Richard Eyre’s production of La traviata from 17 December. Stephen takes the role of Annina, while Borovko stars as Violetta on 1 February 2020. She also returns to star as Musetta in three performances of La bohème directed by Richard Jones on 7, 11 and 13 February. Wake-Edwards and Wu share the role of Flora.

Lise Davidsen sings her first lead role at the Royal Opera House from 1 March 2020 when she stars opposite Jonas Kaufmann in a new production of Beethoven Fidelio. The production is directed by Tobias Kratzer, who directs Davidsen in Wagner Tannhäuser at this summer’s Bayreuth Festival. The production will be broadcast live in cinemas on 17 March.

Hongni Wu and Stephanie Wake-Edwards join the cast of Janáček Jenůfa from 24 March 2020. Directed by Claus Guth and conducted by Vladimir Jurowski, Wu takes the role of Karolka while Wake-Edwards sings the Herdswoman.

Ruxandra Donose returns to the Royal Opera House for two productions next season. On 27 April, she joins Christof Loy’s production of Wagner Tristan und Isolde to sing the role of Brangäne under the baton of Semyon Bychkov. She then returns on 29 June to star in Don Carlo as Eboli. Nicholas Hytner’s production also features Hongni Wu as Tebaldo.

Stephanie Wake-Edwards continues her debut season as a Jette Parker Young Artist with the role of Kate Pinkerton in Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier’s production of Puccini Madama Butterfly from 22 June. This co-production with the Gran Teatre del Liceu is conducted by Dan Ettinger.

Hongni Wu and Stephanie Wake-Edwards round off the season alongside their colleagues on the Jette Parker programme with the Jette Parker Young Artists Summer Performance on 18 July.

Vlada Borovko and Freddie Tommaso begin the new year in Munich, where they join the cast of Jürgen Rose’s production of Norma at Bayerische Staatsoper from 5 January 2019. De Tommaso sings Flavio while Borovko takes the role of Clotilde. Daniele Callegari conducts the production, which runs until 12 January.

Currently a member of the studio of the Bayerische Staatsoper for the 2018/19 season, future highlights for De Tommaso include a return to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and debuts at Dutch National Opera, Semperoper Dresden and Wiener Staatsoper.

Borovko’s recent highlights include included her house debuts at Oper Köln as Violetta La traviata and Oper Stuttgart starring as Mimi La bohème, her role debut as Adalgisa Norma with Teatro Municipal de Santiago de Chile and her return to the Royal Opera House to star as Musetta La bohème.

Vlada Borovko makes her house debut at Oper Stuttgart this month when she stars as Mimi in La bohème from 26 December 2018. Andrea Moses' new production is conducted by Thomas Guggeis.

Borovko’s recent highlights include her house debut at Oper Köln as Violetta La Traviata, her role debut as Adalgisa Norma with Teatro Municipal de Santiago de Chile, her sensational jump in as Clotilde in Jürgen Rose’s production of Norma at Bayerische Staatsoper and her return to the Royal Opera House to star as Musetta La bohème.

Borovko's following performance of La bohème is on 13 January 2019. For further information, please click here.

Vlada Borovko makes her role debut as Adalgisa in Bellini's Norma on 10 November 2018 at Teatro Municipal de Santiago de Chile. The performance also marks Borovko's debut at the house. The production is directed by Francesca Zambello and conducted by Pedro-Pablo Prudencio.

Borovko's highlights last season included her house debut at Oper Köln as Violetta in Verdi’s La traviata and, following her graduation from the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme, she returned to the Royal Opera House to star as Musetta in Pucinni’s La bohème.

This season Borovko makes her house debut at Oper Stuttgart performing as Mimi in La bohème.

Norma runs in Santiago until 16 November.

Danielle de Niese makes her role debut as Musetta in La bohème at the Royal Opera House, which opens on 16 June 2018. This is the first revival of Richard Jones’s production, with musical direction from Nicola Luisotti.

Vlada Borovko also sings the role in her first return appearance to Covent Garden as a guest artist since graduating from the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme last year.

Earlier this season de Niese made her critically acclaimed Australian operatic debut as Hanna Glawari in Opera Australia’s production of The Merry Widow in Melbourne and at the Sydney Opera House, including a New Year’s Eve gala performance. She also returned to Wiener Staatsoper as Norina in Don Pasquale. Other debuts include a tour of Asia with the Festival Strings Lucerne, the role of Eileen in performances of Bernstein Wonderful Town with Sir Simon Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra, and an evening of chamber music with Sir James Galway, Menahem Pressler, Mark Simpson and the Navarra Quartet at the newly refurbished Queen Elizabeth Hall as part of the Southbank's International Chamber Music Series. Future highlights include her debut at La Monnaie as Norina Don Pasquale and a return to the role of Musetta for Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Recent highlights for Borovko include her house debut at Oper Köln as Violetta La traviata, several appearances at the Royal Opera House including Aspasia Mitridate, re di Ponto and Violetta La traviata and Verdi Requiem at the inaugural Grange Festival. Borovko was also a finalist at Placido Domingo’s 2017 Operalia competition.

Performances of La bohème run until 20 July. The 30th year of the Royal Opera House and BP’s Big Screens series continues with a free outdoor screening of La bohème on 26 June.

Vlada Borovko makes her house debut at Oper Köln on 10 November 2017, starring as Violetta in La traviata. The production is conducted by Matthias Foremny and directed by Benjamin Schad.

This marks Borovko's third appearance in the role after stepping in for ailing colleauges at the last minute both last season at the Royal Opera House and earlier this season at Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe.

Borovko is a recent graduate from the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme where last season she also stepped in at short notice to replace Albina Shagimuratova as Aspasia for three performances of Mitridate, re di Ponto at the Royal Opera House to critical acclaim:

“She opened the opera with a stunning display of vocal fireworks and emotional intensity that was balanced best by the incredibly tender and astonishing 'Pallid'ombre' in Act III."
Schmopera, July 2017

Other recent roles with the Royal Opera House included Frasquita Carmen, Xenia in a new production of Boris Godunov which was also presented at the BBC Proms, Anna Nabucco and a venture into another Verdi role, Leonora in Il Trovatore. On the concert platform she performed Verdi’s Requiem at the Grange Festival as part of their inaugural season and was a finalist in Placido Domingo’s prestigious 2017 Operalia competition.

Upcoming highlights include a return to the Royal Opera House as a guest artist to sing Musetta La bohème. Further ahead she makes her house debut at Teatro Municipal de Santiago de Chile.

Performances of La traviata run until 1 December.

Vlada Borovko stepped in as Aspasia in Mozart Mitridate, re di Ponto at the Royal Opera House on 29 June and 1 July in place of Albina Shagimuratova. Borovko made her role debut in this performance under the baton of Christophe Rousset in a production by Graham Vick.

Last year Borovko was called at the last moment to step in for Violetta Valéry on the main stage in Verdi La traviata. This marked not only her debut in the role but also her stage debut in a leading role. These two performances as Aspasia, again at short notice, have received critical acclaim:

“Some of the best singing of the evening came from Vlada Borovko, filling in for Albina Shagimuratova as Aspasia. She seemed utterly comfortable and confident, taking the stage with grace and fleshing out the vulnerabilities of her character easily. Her tone was round and plummy, yet incredibly agile and flexible. Particularly, her quiet singing was something to be remarked on - very well controlled, but it seemed to always be deeply felt. I kept thinking I'd heard her best aria, but then she would impress me again. She opened the opera with a stunning display of vocal fireworks and emotional intensity that was balanced best by the incredibly tender and astonishing ‘Pallid'ombre’ in Act III.”
Schmopera, July 2017

Mitridate, re di Ponto will run until 7 July.

Vlada Borovko and Rupert Enticknap compete in Placido Domingo's Operalia competition this month in Astana, Kazakhstan, beginning on 24 July 2017. The Operalia competition has helped to launch the careers of some of the most promising young opera singers of today and is one of the most prestigious and competitive showcases in the world.

Borovko is a member of the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. During her time in the programme, highlights have included Clotilde Norma, Gianetta L'elisir d'Amore as well as covering Leonora Il Trovatore and Violetta La traviata, a role in which she made an impressive debut, stepping in for an ailing colleague. Next season, Borovko makes her debut at Oper Köln as Violetta La traviata and returns to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden to make her role debut as Musetta La bohème.

Enticknap has most recently been seen as Rosencrantz in Brett Dean’s new Hamlet at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, a role he repeats later this year on the Glyndebourne tour. This summer he also sings Tolomeo in Giulio Cesare for Early Opera Company, and next season appears in concert with the Israel Camerata, singing works by Pergolesi and Scarlatti.

On 16 July 2017 Vlada Borovko, David Junghoon Kim and Simon Shibambu star in the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme showcase on the main stage of Royal Opera House, alongside other programme members.

Fresh from her successful run of Mitridate, re di Ponto when she sang the role of Aspasia, Borovko joins Kim in a performance of the second act duet of Verdi’s I due Foscari. Kim also sings Rossini’s Le Comte Ory whilst Borovko joins as Donna Anna in a showcase of the second act performance of Don Giovanni, which also features Shibambu as Commendatore and Masetto.

Next season, Shibambu embarks upon his second year in the Jette Parker Programme, appearing in eight mainstage productions whilst both Kim and Borovko, who graduate from the programme this year, make their debuts at Oper Köln in a new production of La traviata and also return to Covent Garden for their first performances as guest artists: Borovko as Musetta in Richard Jones’ new production of La bohème and Kim as Macduff Macbeth and Leone de Casaldi in the world premiere of Donizetti’s L’ange de Nisida. He can also be heard as Romeo Roméo et Juliette at Grange Park Opera.

Leonardo Capalbo and Vlada Borvko join the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra at the Grange Festival to perform Verdi Requiem on 9 June 2017. The performance is conducted by Francesco Cillufo.

Capalbo remains at the Grange following the Requiem to star as Don José in Bizet Carmen, which opens on 11 June. He performs alongside Na’ama Goldman in the title role, Phillip Rhodes as Escamillo and Shelley Jackson as Micaëla.

Borovko is currently a Jette Parker Young Artist at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and this month performs as Gianetta in the ROH's revival of Laurnet Pelly's production of Donizetti L'elisir d'amore. Conducted by Bertrand de Billy, the production runs until 22 June.

Simon Shibambu and Vlada Borovko return to the Royal Opera House to perform in the first revival of David McVicar’s production of Adriana Lecouvreur from 7 February 2017. Shibambu sings Quinault, while Borovko takes the role of Mademoiselle Jouvenot.

Shibambu and Borovko are both members of the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme, and this season sing roles including Flemish Deputy (Don Carlo) and Montano (Otello) and Giannetta (L'elisir d'amore). They were both highly praised for their performances in Handel Orest, in which Shibambu sang Toante and Borovko Ermione:

"Vlada Borovko (Ermione) brought the house down with her furious demisemiquavers".
Guardian, November 2016

“Simon Shibambu is excellent as the tyrant Toante”
Express, November 2016 

Adriana Lecouvreur runs until 2 March.

Vlada Borovko joins her fellow members of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden's Jette Parker programme on 3 October 2016 for a recital at St Clement Danes in the Strand, performing a series of operatic arias and ensemble pieces accompanied by the Artistic Director of the programme David Gowland. The recital forms part of Meet the Young Artists Week, which gives audiences a chance to see  members of the programme in recitals and workshops. Borovko returns to the Opera House for her second year in the programme following a profound success in 2015-16, and recently opened the season as Clotilde in a new production of Norma with Sonya Yoncheva in the title role.

Borovko’s roles and performances as part of the lunch time recital include Donna Anna Don Giovanni, Frasquita Carmen, and embracing her strength in native Russian repertoire, ‘Marfa's aria’ from Rimsky-Korsakov The Tsar's Bride.

Later this season Borovko performs in Handel Oreste with her fellow Jette Parker Young Artists. Borovka sings the role of Ermione in Richard Gerard Jones’ contemporary production which opens on 8 November, with further on 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18 and 19 November.

Vlada Borovko and David Butt Philip make their BBC Proms debut, and Rebecca de Pont reprises her role as the Innkeeper, on 16 July with a concert version of Mussorsgy Boris Godunov from the Royal Opera House. The cast led by Bryn Terfel in the title role is conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano. Listen to the concert live on BBC Radio 3 from 7pm. 

Vlada Borovko, who is a member of the Jette Parker Young Artist Programme, reprises the role of Xenia, Boris’s daughter:

Vlada Borovko impresses as Boris's unhappy daughter Xenia."
Sunday Express, March 2016 

“And, in the Tsar’s apartments – where a map marks Russia’s territories in red, as if the land is bathed in blood – sweet-toned relief is offered by Xenia (Vlada Borovko), who laments the death of her fiancé, and her Nurse (Sarah Pring), who tries to console her.”
Opera Today, March 2016

“Jette Parker Youth Artist Vlada Borovko was heartbreakingly beautiful as Xenia, Boris’ daughter. She sang with a clear, powerful sound that fit this masculine opera.”
Schmopera, March 2016

David Butt Philip, himself an alumnus of the programme, returns to the role of Grigory, having recently finished a triumphant run of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly at English National Opera:

“The main musical attraction of this revival is the chance to hear young British tenor David Butt Philip making his role debut as Pinkerton... it’s one of the best-sung Pinkertons we’ve heard yet in this production, the voice even and lovely from bottom to top (and what a top it is in this piece) and phrasing consistently sensitive and musical.”
Arts Desk, May 2016

“David Butt Philip’s strikingly well sung Grigory”
Guardian, March 2016

“David Butt Philip, ringingly clear of tone and diction”
Arts Desk, March 2016

Rebecca de Pont Davies returns to the Proms following her critically acclaimed portrayal as Auntie Peter Grimes in 2012:

“…superbly characterised… Rebecca de Pont Davies's androgynous brothel madam Auntie”
Guardian, August 2012

Upcoming highlights for De Pont Davies include debuts at the Opera National du Rhin as Mrs Grose in Robert Carsen’s new production of The Turn of the Screw and at the Teatro Regio di Torino as Kabanicha Káťa Kabanová.

Intermusica is pleased to announce the signing of Russian soprano Vlada Borovko for worldwide management.

Borovko became a member of the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden at the start of the 2015/16 season, immediately upon her graduation from the Kazan State Conservatory. Shortly after joining the program, she made an impressive debut as Violetta Valéry on the main stage of Royal Opera House, when she was called at the last moment to step in for an ailing colleague. The event marked not only her debut in the role but also her stage debut in a leading role.

Borovko made her professional opera debut as Mércèdes Carmen at Tatar State Opera and Ballet Theatre and sang Annie and Strawberry Woman Porgy and Bess with Marco Boemi at the International Shalyapin Opera Festival.

As part of the Jette Parker programme her roles have also included Frasquita Carmen and Xenia Boris Godunov. Later this season she will re-join the Royal Opera House cast of the Boris Godunov on the Royal Albert Hall stage as part of the BBC Proms 2016.

"Jette Parker Young Artist Vlada Borovko was heartbreakingly beautiful as Xenia, Boris' daughter. She sang with a clear, powerful sound that fit this masculine opera well."
Schmopera, March 2016

Her roles next season include Clotilde Norma, Ermione Oreste, Mlle Jouvenot Adriana Lecouvreur and Giannetta L’elisir d’amore.

Vlada Borovko will be represented by Maria Mot.