Rihab Chaieb

Tunisian-born Rihab Chaieb is praised for both dramatic charm and vocal clarity and, swiftly after graduating from the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Program, has already established herself as a name of note in the lyric mezzo-soprano repertoire. The 2019/20 season brings her debut as Carmen for Oper Köln under Gabriel Feltz, and she creates the central character of Mère in the world premiere of Christian Jost’s Voyage vers l’espoir at Grand Théâtre de Genève in a production by acclaimed film-director Kornel Mundruczo. In her debut at Dutch National Opera, Rihab sings Lola in Robert Carsen’s new staging of Cavalleria rusticana under Lorenzo Viotti, and reprises her Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro for LA Opera under James Conlon.

“Her smoky, beguiling mezzo was poised and pliant, and she cut an exotic,
authoritative figure” – Opera Today

After a successful first presentation of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde at the Toronto Summer Music Festival, appearances on the concert platform in the 2019/20 season for Chaieb include de Falla’s Three-Cornered Hat with both Vancouver Symphony Orchestra under Music Director Otto Tausk and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra under Carlos Miguel Prieto, Rossini arias with Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal under Music Director Kent Nagano, and Beethoven’s Mass in C with Orchestre Symphonique de Québec under Bernard Labadie. A keen recitalist, she gives her first recital appearances in London and Montréal as well as in New York under the auspices of the George London Foundation.

On the stage of the Metropolitan Opera, Rihab Chaieb has appeared as Zulma (L’italiana in Algeri), Lola under Nicola Luisotti, Laura (Luisa Miller) under Bertrand de Billy, Sandman (Hänsel und Gretel) under Donald Runnicles and, last season, as Zerlina (Don Giovanni) under Cornelius Meister. Other recent highlights include Cherubino at Cincinnati Opera, Dorabella (Così fan tutte) at Teatro Santiago de Chile, Offenbach’s Fantasio at Opéra et Orchestre National de Montpellier, Kasturbai in Philip Glass’ Satyagraha at Opera Vlaanderen, and for Houston Grand Opera, a trio of roles in the world premiere of Tarik O’Regan’s The Phoenix, based on the life of Lorenzo Da Ponte.

A former member of both the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio, where she earned major acclaim as Sesto (La clemenza di Tito), and San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program, where she debuted as Cherubino, Chaieb also enjoyed several summers at the Glyndebourne Festival as Mércedès (Carmen) under Jakub Hrůša, and Flora (La traviata) under Andrés Orozco-Estrada. The recipient of many major grants, Rihab Chaieb has also enjoyed competition success, taking Third Prize at the 2018 Operalia Competition, winning the 2016 Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition, and taking prizes at both the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the 2018 George London Foundation Competition.

Rihab Chaieb performs as part of the OCM’s special series of eight mini online concerts.
Each week, the featured artist will have carte blanche to present their favourite repertoire during the 45 minute performance.

“We are proud to give our audience the opportunity to get to know next season’s soloists in such a personal and interactive way. It’s also a chance for all of us to escape isolation for 45 minutes every week, without leaving the comfort and safety of our homes. Music has always had the power to alleviate stress and anxiety”, says Taras Kulish, OCM’s Executive Director.

Rihab Chaieb’s performances will be broadcast at 7:30pm April 21, 2020 on l’Orchestre classique de Montréal’s Facebook page.
Link: https://www.facebook.com/orchestre.ca/