Luisa Islam-Ali-Zade  -  Curriculum Vitae

Luisa has studied with Konstantin Pluzhnikov, Sylvia Geszty, Konrad Richter, Tom Krause, Giuletta Simionato, Lamara Chikonia and Fedora Barbieri.

Award-winning mezzo-soprano Luisa obtained various prizes at major international competitions. Particularly to be emphasized are:

• 3rd Prize International ARD-Competition Munich, Germany
• 2nd Prize International Belvedere - Competition Vienna, Austria
• 1st Audience Prize and the 2nd prize Robert-Stolz-Competition Hamburg, Germany

Special awards State Opera House Stuttgart, Schwetzinger Festival, south west German Broadcasting SWR, Germany and Radio Dublin, Ireland Laureate International Music Competition Montréal, Canada Audience Prize and 3rd Prize Erika-Köth-Competition Neustadt, Germany Award International Colorature Competition Stuttgart, Germany Prix du Public International Colorature Competition Marmande, France Laureate 1st International competition Feruccio Tagliavini Deutschlandsberg, Austria Laureate Vercelli-Viotti-Competition in Italy Advancement Award Akademia Vokalis Tirolensis Wörgl, Austria Maestra Maestra del Balcanto Neunkirchen, Austria.

She began her career at the Zazerkalie Theatre in St. Petersburg, where she also fully developed her acting skills under the leadership of director Alexander Petrov. Various engagements led her to numerous European stages. To name but a few:

Luisa sang Carmen at the Volksoper Vienna (four Opera seasons in premiere line-up), at the Opera Studio in St. Petersburg and in Salzburg; Angelina (La Cenerentola) at the Royal Opera Copenhagen, at the Opera Göteborg, at the Opera Dublin, at the State Theatre Saarbrücken, at the Opéra de Toulon, in Bregenz, Zazerkalie St. Petersburg; Rosina (Il Barbiere di Siviglia) at the Hamburg State Opera, the Grand Théâtre de Limoges, the State Theatre Saarbrücken, the Aachen City Theatre and the St. Petersburg Opera Studio; Bersi (Andrea Chenier) at the Deutsche Oper Berlin; Varvara (Katya Kabanova) at the Hamburg State Opera and at the Opéra Royale de Wallonie in Liège; Mignon (Mignon by Ambroise Thomas) at the Théâtre Capitole in Toulouse and at the Opéra de Nantes; Cherubino (Le Nozze di Figaro) at the Théâtre Capitole in Toulouse, at the Opéra Royale de Nantes and at the Mozart Festival in Schönbrunn in Vienna; Zaide (Il turco in Italia by Rossini) at the Grand Théâtre de Génève and at the Opéra de Toulon; Preziosilla (La Forza del Destino) at the Grand Théâtre de Limoges; Despina (Cosi fan tutte) at the Opéra Royale de Wallonie in Liège; Périchole (La Périchole) at the Opéra Royale de Wallonie in Liège and at the Grand Théâtre de Reims; Zerlina at the Opéra de Nantes and at the Opéra de Toulon. Luisa has also appeared at festivals such as the Haydn Festival in Eisenstadt as Dardane (L'incontro improviso) or at the Rossini Festival in Wildbad as Isolier (Le Comte Ory), Anna (Maometto secondo), Amira (Ciro in Babilonia), Lucilla (La Scala di Seta), Mamma Lucia (La gazza ladra) and Pippo (La gazza ladra).

In addition to her opera successes, she has also made her mark in major solo concert appearances and solo recitals such as in the Philharmonie Berlin, the Auditorio Real de Mùsica in Madrid, the Herkulessaal in Munich, the Prinzregentensaal in Munich, the Musikhalle Hamburg, the Alte Oper in Frankfurt, the Staatsoper Kiew, the opening of the Neue Oper in Batumi, in Paris for Radio France and in St. Germain des Près or the Liederhalle in Stuttgart.

She has worked with many well-known artists such as: Alberto Zedda, Donald George, Pavel Boubelnikov, Jean-Francois Vinciguerra, Leopold Hager, Kirill Petrenko, Rita Gorr, Willy Decker, Ingo Metzmacher, Adam Fischer, Jonas Kaufmann, Anna Netrebko, Paoletta Marroccu, Annick Massis, Tom Krause, Bruno Pratico, Marc Soustrot, Michael Gielen, Klaus Peter Flor, Ophelie Gaillard, Dimitri Jurowski, Laurent Wagner, Jean-Louis Grinda, Guy Grinda, Alberto Rinaldi, Enrico Stringelli, Bernhard Kontarsky, Nicolas Joel, Alexander Petrow, Alexander Polinitschko, Peter Feranec, Charles Roubaud, Philippe Godefroid, Ludovic Tézier, Jean-Luc Tardieux, Eve Ruggieri, Antonino Fogliani, Annette Hornbacher, Martina Schwalbach, Filippo Zigante, Giampaolo Zennaro, Wolf-Dieter Hauschild, Friedrich Pleyer, Lior Shambadal, Yutaka Sado, Christine Mielitz, Bruno Felix and Jonathan Eaton and many others. Personalities like Cesare Siepi, Paolo Montarsolo, Jewgeni Nesterenko, Luigi Alva, Laurence Dale, Clauspeter Koscielny, Peter Sempel, Bazon Brock, Alexandre Brussilovsky, Vladimir Genin, Ileana Cotrubas, Rolando Panerai, Nicola Zaccaria, Guiseppe di Stefano, Joan Sutherland or Judith Blegen paid tribute to her.

In 1999, together with the Orchestre National de Lyon under Yan Pascal Tortelier, she performed the world premiere of Philippe Hersant's "Paysage avec ruines", which was later dedicated to her by the composer. For her performance of Angelina in "La Cenerentola" in St. Petersburg she was awarded the renowned theatre prize "Zolotoy Sofit".

Radio and television recordings in Germany, Austria, Canada, Belgium, Ireland, Greece, Russia and especially in France, often in collaboration with Eve Ruggieri, document her musical and scenic skills and abilities. In 2011 she gave a gala concert at the opening of the new opera theatre in Batumi. Mikhail Saakashvili, President of Georgia, was also present.

In 2014 Luisa Islam-Ali-Zade founded the Pyrmonter Salon e.V., of which she is the 1st chairperson. Goals, background information and information on events of the association can be consulted at www.pyrmonter-salon.de