|
Madeleine Kristoffersson made her debut with the Royal Opera of Stockholm, Sweden, as Salome by R.Strauss, followed by engagements with opera houses and festivals throughout Europe, Mexico and the United States. She has performed a number of operatic roles including Brunnhilde, Donna Anna, Elektra, Leonore and Tosca. She was engaged for the title role of Strauss’ Elektra at the Washington Opera, and sang Brunnhilde in Wagner’s Ring at the Dalhalla Festival, Sweden. At home in concert as well as the opera house, Ms. Kristoffersson has performed with European orchestras in works such as Beethoven’s 9th, R. Strauss’ Vier Letzte Lieder and concert versions of Cavallerina Rusticana and Tristan und Isolde. Her performances have been featured twice on ABC’s “Good Morning America” as well as on European and Mexican national television; and in recital venues such as Carnegie Hall, Bechstein, Lippes Concert Hall and the United Nations Assembly Hall. Her 2008-2009 performance of excerpts from La forza del destino and Tosca at the United Nations Assembly Hall was recorded for the United Nations web cast. She then performed excerpts from the same operas in Denmark and Greece. Recognized as a gifted recitalist, “Madeleine Kristoffersson’s recital was undoubtedly one of the best performances of the festival” Excelso, Mexico, Ms. Kristoffersson performed for two seasons at the Newport Music Festival, as well as concerts with the Festival International Cervantino, Mexico; Confidancen in Sweden and at Dalhalla Festival, Sweden. She was recently heard at Bechstein Hall presented by Stephen Brown, the company manager of the Metropolitan Opera, and performed a series of Jenny Lind concerts in New York.Ms. Kristoffersson has had several command performances for the King and Queen of Sweden and for special concerts honoring past and present Nobel prize winners. Hailed as a “heavenly soprano” by the Metro-Stockholm, Sweden, she has performed extensively in special national music events and for Swedish-American galas. She has served as an adjudicator for competitions and has held master classes in Mexico City and at the University of Buffalo, NY. Ms. Kristoffersson is a graduate of The Royal Academy of Music of Stockholm, The Royal Opera School of Stockholm, Sweden, and The Juilliard School of Music, New York. She is the soloist on the successful CD release of Ragnar Grippe’s “Requiem”; Ms Kristoffersson made an appearance on pop charts in several of the 36 countries where the CD was released. She is also the soloist in the forthcoming CD “Signorum Amor” by Ragnar Grippe.
Simon Shaheen is one of the most significant Arab musicians, performers, and composers of his generation. His work incorporates and reflects a legacy of Arabic music, while it forges ahead to new frontiers, embracing many different styles in the process. This unique contribution to the world of arts was recognized in 1994 when Shaheen was honored with the prestigious National Heritage Award at the White House. In the 1990s he released four albums of his own: Saltanah (Water Lily Acoustics), Turath (CMP), Taqasim (Lyrichord), and Simon Shaheen: The Music of Mohamed Abdel Wahab (Axiom), while also contributing cuts to producer Bill Laswell's fusion collective, Hallucination Engine (Island). He has contributed selections to soundtracks for The Sheltering Sky and Malcolm X , among others, and has composed the entire soundtrack for the United Nations-sponsored documentary, For Everyone Everywhere. Broadcast globally in December 1998, this film celebrated the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Human Rights Charter. But perhaps his greatest success has come with Blue Flame (ARK21, 2001), where he leads his group, Qantara, on a labyrinthian journey through the world of fusion music to discover the heart of the Middle East. The album has been nominated for eleven Grammy Awards, and the band's performances have been called "glorious." A Palestinian, born in the village of Tarshiha in the Galilee, Shaheen's childhood was steeped in music. His father, Hikmat Shaheen, was a professor of music and a master 'oud player. "Learning to play on the 'oud from my father was the most powerful influence in my musical life," Shaheen recalls. He began playing on the 'oud at the age of five, and a year later studying violin at the Conservatory for Western Classical Music in Jerusalem. "When I held and played these instruments, they felt like an extension of my arms."
|