 Mezzo Soprano Anna Tonna has been described as mezzo heroine who knows how to sing Rossini by the Rossini Gessellschaft and as showing off her warm, secure mezzo-soprano to maximum advantage by the New York Magazine; accolades such as these explain her constant demand as a recitalist and opera singer in both Europe and the Americas. The combination of a highly developed coloratura with a full, balanced, flexible lower register have guaranteed her acclaim as a lyric mezzo, both in familiar roles Rosina, Carmen, Dorabella, as well as in more rare repertoire by Paisiello, Vivaldi, Mascagni, Zandonai and Giordano.
Additionally, Ms. Tonna’s passion for and excellence in the recital genre have garnered her increasing acclaim in both the U.S. and Europe, particularly her path breaking explorations of the repertoire of composers from Spain and Latin America. Ms. Tonna’s recitals are a source of constant expectation and excitement in New York City, where she has performed at both the Alice Tully Hall and Rose Center of Lincoln Center, Bargemusic, Merkin Hall, New York's Town Hall, Weil Recital Hall as well as at the Hispanic Society of America, Museum of the History of New York, Italian Cultural Institute and Goethe Haus. The same excitement greets her appearances in Spain, with performances at the Auditorio Nacional de Madrid, Gran Teatro de Castellón, Gran Teatro de Huelva, as well as the Sala Manuel de Falla at the Palacio de Longorio. She has collaborated with Casals Festival of Puerto Rico, Festival Iberoamericano de las Artes in Puerto Rico, Música de Cámara, Joy in Singing, Elysium Between Two Continents among others. Of note amongst the countless such performances are a recital with the Musica Nova Recital Series at SUNY Binghamton, a recital of songs by Latin American composers with North South Consonance in Manhattan, and recitals at the Asociación Rioja Lírica in Logroño (Spain) the Ateneo de Madrid and Barcelona, La casa de la Moneda in Madrid, Teatro Comica-Lírica de Madrid, Fundación Euterpe in León, two editions of the Otoño Cultural Iberoamericano de Huelva and Project Canción Española. Her recital of “Songs of post civil war Spain” at the Fundación Juan March of Madrid was broadcast on Radio Television Española and hailed as “a tour de force” by the Spanish newspaper ABC. It is to be noted her appearance in June of 2012 at the St. Anton palace in Valletta, the presidential palace of the country of Malta, for a command performance for his Excellency George Abela. Hispanic Society of America in New York City has featured her in concert for voice, guitar and dance about the life of the Duchess of Alba of Goya in December of 2012.
Ms. Tonna’s artistry has been recognized by the Liederkfranz Foundation, The Gerda Lissner Foundation, National Opera Association, BRIO (Bronx Recognizes Its Own) grant from the Bronx Council of the Arts (Bronx Recognizes Its Own), and a Fulbright Scholarship to conduct research in and perform Spanish Art Song in Spain, where she has established a thriving career. Recordings that have preserved some of these efforts include “Las canciones de Julio Gómez” with Spanish pianist Jorge Robaina with discographic label VERSO.
Upcoming engagements include a return to Madrid for solo recitals at the Museo de Romanticísmo and Centro Cultural José Saramago (Albacete) and she in April of 2013 will give her second performance of Berlioz' Nuits d'eté with the Balet Nacional de Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
A native and resident of New York City, Ms. Tonna holds a B.A. in Music from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida and a Masters in Performing Arts from the Mannes College of Music in New York City.
Albéniz:
Olympia – The Magic Opal
Alonso:
Trini – Curro el de Lora
Bellini:
Adalgisa – Norma
Romeo – I Capuleti e i Montecchi
Bizet:
Carmen – Carmen
Falla:
Candelas – El Amor Brujo
Giordano:
La Astrologa – Il Re
Handel:
Julius Ceasar – Julius Ceasar
Bradamante – Alcina
Humperdinck:
Hansel – Hansel and Gretel
Leoncavallo:
Musetta – La Boheme
Mascagni:
Willi – Guglielmo Ratcliff
Lola- Cavalleria Rusticana
Moreno-Torroba:
Luisa Fernanda – Luisa Fernanda
Mozart:
Dorabella – CosíFan Tutte
Cheubino – Le Nozze di Figaro
Marzellina – Le Nozze di Figaro |
Nieto:
La Roldán– Barbero de Sevilla (Zarauela)
Paisiello:
La Molinara – La Molinara
Piazzolla:
Maria – María de Buenos Aires
Puccini:
Suzuki – Madama Butterfly
Purcell:
Sorceress – Dido and Aeneas
Roig:
Isabela – Cecilia Valdes
Rossini:
Ernestina – L’Equivoco Stravagante
Angelina – La Cenerentola
Rosina – Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Isabella - L'italiana in Algeri
J. Strauss:
Prince Orlofsky – Die Fledermaus
Tchaikovsky:
Madame Larina – Eugene Onegin
Thomson:
St. Theresa II – Four Saints in Three Acts
Verdi:
Dorothea – Stiffelio
Maddalena – Rigoletto
Fenena - Nabucco
Vivaldi:
Gualtiero – La Griselda
Zandonai:
Dona Mercedes – La Farsa Amorosa |
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