Biography
Print-ReadyThe internationally acclaimed soprano Joanna Mongiardo is recognized for her effortless coloratura and spell-binding charisma on stage and is in high demand for both operatic and symphonic repertoire. Opera News gushes: “Petite, with a theater-filling smile, Mongiardo radiated warmth through her unforced, pearly-fresh timbre.” Sharing the stage with such conductors as Neeme Jarvi, Charles Dutoit and John Fiore, the singer has appeared at New York City Opera, Portland Opera, Caramoor Festival and with such orchestras as Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Detroit Symphony and the Minnesota Orchestra.
During 2008/09, Mongiardo sings Adina in L'elisir d'amore with Opera Grand Rapids, before appearing at Boston Lyric Opera as Zerlina in Don Giovanni. Following her success last season, she is re-engaged with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Charles Dutoit in Carmina Burana. And she makes a return to the Deutsche Oper am Rhein to sing Blondchen in Die Enführung aus dem Serail and Oscar in Un ballo in maschera.
The 2007/08 season brought an array of debuts with major American orchestras, most notably Messiah with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Carmina Burana with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Colorado Symphony and Florida Orchestra, and Haydn’s Creation with the Louisiana Philharmonic under Carlos Miguel Prieto.
Two seasons under a fest-contract at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf, Germany, culminated in August 2007 in Taipei, where she sang Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier with the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan. During her stint in Düsseldorf she performed the roles of Nannetta in Falstaff, Blondchen in Die Enführung aus dem Serail, Gianetta in a new production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Gondoliers, Erstes Blumenmädchen in Parsifal, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier, and Oscar in a new production of Un ballo in maschera.
Upon returning to the US, Mongiardo sang the title role of The Ballad of Baby Doe’s 50th Anniversary production at Central City Opera, a major operatic event that produced remarkable acclaim from the national press. The Denver Post noted that “Joanna Mongiardo handles the vocal demands of the title role with her suitable rich, golden voice.”
She made her New York operatic debut as Adina in L’elisir d’amore with the Caramoor Festival where she recently returned to sing Amore in Gluck’s Paride ed Elena. She was also part of the Mostly Mozart Festival production of Così fan tutte and several productions at the New York City Opera, including Orlando and Il barbiere di Siviglia. Mongiardo also sang Susanna with Portland Opera and Knoxville Opera, as well as Juliette with Madison Opera.
Joanna Mongiardo made her American symphonic debut in concert with the Minnesota Orchestra in L’Enfant et les Sortileges and quickly returned to sing the world premiere of Marc-André Dalbavie’s song cycle, Troubadour. Among her signature works with orchestra figures Carmina Burana, which she performed twice with the Detroit Symphony and with the Oratorio Society of New York on occasion of her Carnegie Hall debut. She also repeated the work with the symphonies of Memphis, Youngstown and Chattanooga, among others.
Overseas, she was heard as Adele in Die Fledermaus at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall in Greece and as soprano soloist with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Xalapa.
The American born soprano of Italian, Greek and Armenian heritage is a 2003 Sullivan Award recipient, and received a Master’s Degree in music from Yale University.