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Magdalena Kožená

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Magdalena Kožená is a Czech mezzo-soprano, born in Brno in 1973. As a child she sang in the children's and youth choir Kantiléna of the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra. She first wanted to become a concert pianist, but after a hand injury in a sports accident at school she turned to singing. She studied at the Brno conservatory and in Bratislava, won a prize at the International Mozart Competition in 1995 and was attached to the Volksoper in Vienna in 1996 and 1997.

Music and breakthrough

Her first recording was an album of Bach arias, made in the Czech Republic. Deutsche Grammophon then signed her. Italian Cantatas, Love Songs, Juditha triumphans, French Arias, Lamento and an album of works by Dvořák, Janáček and Martinů followed, which won a Gramophone Award in 2001. In 2004 she became Gramophone's Artist of the Year. She often sang with Marc Minkowski, including as Orfeo, Nerone and Mélisande and later in operas by Mozart, among others under Nikolaus Harnoncourt in Salzburg.

Influence

Her repertoire runs from the Baroque to the twentieth century. She sings Czech songs and Handel with the same warm, supple voice, and she regularly performs at the Prague Spring festival. In this way she contributes to the classical tradition of Central Europe.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to a song by Dvořák or Janáček sung by Kožená and notice how she shapes the Czech text into melody. Can you hear how she moves from soft to full singing?

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists