Vaclovas Daunoras

Bass

Performances of Distinction:
La Scala * The Metropolitan Opera * Lithuanian State Opera * Houston Grand Opera
Moscow State Symphony Orchestra * Carnegie Hall Solo Recital

Honors
International Tchaikovsky Vocal Competition Winner
Toulouse Grand Prix Competition Winner
Glinka Competition, Moscow - Bronze medal
Soviet Union conferred honorary title of "Merited Artist" for Outstanding Contribution to Vocal Art

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Biography: (As of 6/08/04)

Vaclovas Daunoras has an illustrious career with international performances including La Scala, and major competition prizes such as the International Tchaikovsky Vocal Competition. Daunoras sings his ninth consecutive season at the Metropolitan Opera in 2004/5, appearing in Turandot , Madama Butterfly, and Tosca and covering Lodovico (Otello). In 2003/4 coveringPimen in Boris Godunov was added to other standards. In 2002/3 he had reprisals of two roles oft repeated for the company: Doctor Grenvil (La Traviata) and Mandarin (Turandot). The previous season he added two roles in the great War and Peace: Bolkonsky's Old Lackey and German General 2, to his Met repertoire. Other roles performed at the Metropolitan are Lodovico (Otello), Old Hebrew in Samson et Dalila, the role of Director in The Gambler, Innkeeper (Manon), Zaretski (Eugene Onegin)), Jailer (Tosca), Commissioner (Madama Butterfly), 1st cover of Dosifei at the same time he performed 2nd Strelyets (Khovanshchina), and the company tour of Japan. In November 1997 he sang Ramfis in Aida Tulsa Opera.

Born in Lithuania, he joined the Lithuanian Opera and Ballet Theatre in 1960, where through 1993 he performed leading roles with the company throughout the world. He has critical acclaim for his numerous appearances as Philip II in Don Carlos, seen at the Bolshoi in Moscow, Sweden's Malme Opera House, Ruse State Opera in Bulgaria, and many houses in the Netherlands, Italy and Belgium. Other major roles in Daunoras' repertoire are the title role in Boris Godunov, sung on the Lithuanian State Opera Tour to the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, where he earlier appeared as Monterone in Rigoletto. He sang the latter role at La Scala in 1967 with Pavarotti as leading tenor. In Bulgaria he performed Gremin in Eugene Onegin and sang Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia in Russia and Bulgaria. Other performed roles in his repertoire are Mephistopheles (Faust), Raimondo (Lucia de Lammermoor), Galitsky (Prince Igor), Grand Inquisitor (Don Carlos), King Henry (Lohengrin), Gran Sacerdote (Idomeneo), and Marcel (Les Huguenots). Daunoras often represented Soviet art in other countries, in particular Great Britain, Italy, Canada, Germany, Finland, Poland, Rumania and Czechoslovakia. Appearances in the United States included solo recitals at Carnegie Hall, Weill Hall, and Chicago's Orchestra Hall. Other major recitals include Leningrad Philharmonic Hall, London's Royal Albert Hall, the Kremlin Palace of Congresses with Obraztsova, and festivals throughout Egypt.

Daunoras was a winner of the 1971 Grand Prix in Toulouse, France, and, in 1962, he received the Bronze medal at the Glinka Competition in Moscow. In 1965, the Soviet Union conferred on him the honorary title of Merited Artist, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to vocal art. He was commissioned to study at La Scala for two years, where he performed several roles and worked with Genaro Barra and Eduardo Piazza. During this period he added Italian to English, Lithuanian and Russian as languages in which he is fluent. Recognized for orchestral work, he has sung Verdi's Requiem in Moscow, as well as countries throughout Europe and in May 1996 at the renowned Meyerson Symphony Hall in Dallas. His appearances have included performances of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 and the Bach Magnificat. In 1993 Daunoras moved to the United States, and has now established residences in both New York City and Florida. Rev 6/08/04

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Opera Repertoire:

Aida - - Ramfis

Boris Godunov - - Boris, Pimen

Il barbiere di Siviglia - - Basilio

Don Carlos - - Philip II

Don Carlos - - Grand Inquisitor

Eugene Onegin - - Gremin

Faust - - Mephistopheles

The Gambler (Prokofiev) - - The Director

Les Huguenots - - Marcel

Idomeneo - - Gran Sacerdote

Khovanschina - - Dosifei

Lohengrin - - King Henry

Lucia di Lammermoor - - Raimondo

Madama Butterfly - - Commissioner

Otello - - Lodovico

Prince Igor - - Galitsky

Rigoletto - - Monterone

Samson and Delilah - - Old Hebrew

La Traviata - - Dr. Grenvil

Turandot - - Mandarin

Turandot - - Timur

War and Peace - - Bolkonsky's Old Lackey; German General 2

Selected Opera Engagements:

Philip II in Don Carlos - over 25 performances

1993 Lithuanian State Opera Tour - Netherlands: Amsterdam, Hagg, Utrecht, Groningen, Arnhem; Belgium: Hasselt (2 performances)

1992 Lithuanian State Opera Tour - Netherlands: Haag, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Enschede

Verdianaeum '92 - Roncole Verdi, Italy (4 performances)

1991 Lithuanian State Opera Tour - West Germany: Heilbron State Opera (6 performances)

1986 Lithuanian State Opera Tour - Russia: Moscow, Bolshoi Theatre

1975 Sweden: Malme Opera House

1970 Bulgaria: Ruse State Opera House

Boris in Boris Godunov

1986 Lithuanian State Opera Tour - Russia: Moscow, Bolshoi Theatre

Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia

1976 Russia - Leningrad, Kirov Theatre

1974 Bulgaria - Burgas State Opera

1973 Bulgaria - Varna State Opera

Gremin in Eugene Onegin

1974 Bulgaria - State Opera at Burgas

Monterone in Rigoletto

1967 Italy - La Scala (with Luciano Pavarotti)

1969 Lithuanian State Opera Tour - Russia: Moscow, Bolshoi Theatre

1970 Bulgaria: Ruse State Opera House

Marcel in Les Huguenots

1972 France: Theatre du Capitole (with Liviero, T'Hezan, Cales, Garner, Soumagnas; cond: Plason

Gran Sacerdote in Idomeneo

1967 Italy - La Scala (with Schreier, Gencer, Rinaldi, Kmentt, Trimarchi; conductor: Sawallisch

Other Performed Roles:

Grand Inquisitor - - Don Carlos

Mephistopheles - - Faust

King Henry - - Lohengrin

Raimondo - - Lucia di Lammermoor

Galitsky - - Prince Igor

Orchestra Engagements:

Verdi Requiem

Moscow State Symphony Orchestra - Fomina, Borisova, Antonov Dudarova, conductor

Moscow State Symphony Orchestra - Sotkilava, Apanaviciute, Ambrazaityte Dudarova, conductor

Cathedral of Padua, Italy - Wiener, Kosseva, Klosinski Penazzi, conductor

Southern Methodist University - B.H. Moore, Dupuy, del Valle - Meyerson Symphony Hall, Dallas; D. Milnes, conductor

Beethoven Symphony No. 9

Bach Magnificat

Recitals and Concerts:

Festivals in Egypt: Cairo, Alexandria, Tanta, Asyout - Conductors: Lazarev amd Dudarova - Singers: Klimov, Bobrineva, Timofeeva, Sotkilava

New York: Weill Hall - Solo recital: 1992

Stuttgart: Kamerorchester - Kirche-Kamerkonzert with Sondeckis, conductor: 1992

Bryan, TX: Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra - opera arias: 1992

New York: Carnegie Hall - Solo recitals: 1979, 1970

Chicago: Orchestra Hall - Solo recital: 1970

Leningrad: Philharmonic Hall - with Pjavko and Sotkilava: 1968

London: Royal Albert Hall - Gerogian (cello), Slobodyanik (piano), Grach (violin): 1967

Italy: in Cento, Cesena, Piacenza, Olivetti, San Marino: 1975

East Berlin: Recital as part of the Berolina Concert, Komische Oper: 1974 & 1975

Milan: Picola Scala - "Rossiniana" Recitals with Nuccia Rossi: 1968

Torino, Italy: Casa del Popolo - with I. Oistrakh, Biechu, Sotkilava, Krumm: 1967

Moscow: Kremlin Palace of Congresses - with Obraztsova, Petrov, Mazurok: 1962

Current Schedule:

Metropolitan Opera 2003 - 2004 Season
Pimen (1st cover) - - Boris Gudonov; Dr. Grenvil - - La Traviata; Jailer - - Tosca

Metropolitan Opera 2002 - 2003 Season
Mandarin - - Turandot; Dr. Grenvil - - La Traviata

Recent Opera Engagements:

Metropolitan Opera 2001 - 2002 Season
Jailer - - Tosca; Bolkonsky's Old Lackey, German General 2 - - War and Peace

Metropolitan Opera 2000 - 2001 Season
Doctor Grenvil - - La Traviata; Zaretski - - Eugene Onegin; Old Hebrew - - Samson et Dalila - - cast: Borodina, Domingo, Leiferkus; Director - -The Gambler; Dr. Grenvil - - La Traviata

Metropolitan Opera 1999 - 2000 Season
Mandarin - - Turandot; Commissioner - - Madama Butterfly; Lodovico - - Otello; Jailer - - Tosca; Dr. Grenvil - - La Traviata

Metropolitan Opera 1998 - 99 Season
Dr. Grenvil - -La Traviata Fall and Spring, 1st cover of Dosifei and perform 2nd Strelyets - - Khovanshchina; and Fall and Spring performances of the Jailer - -Tosca

Metropolitan Opera 1997-98 Season
Mandarin - - Turandot; Innkeeper - - Manon; Commissioner - - Madama Butterfly; Forester - - Don Carlo (cover); Mitiukha - - Boris Godunov (cover)

Metropolitan Opera Debut Season 1996-97
Dr. Grenvil - - La Traviata; Bartolo (cover) - - Le nozze di Figaro; Gremin (cover) and sing Zaretsky - - Eugene Onegin; Sam (cover) - -Un ballo in maschera; Jailer - -Tosca, with reprisal on Tour of Japan

Tulsa Opera - November, 1997
Ramfis in Aida

Verdi Requiem - May, 1996, Meyerson Symphony Hall, Dallas

Philip II in Don Carlos - over 25 performances

1993 Lithuanian State Opera Tour - Netherlands: Amsterdam, Hagg, Utrecht, Groningen, Arnhem; Belgium: Hasselt (2 performances)

Reviews:

Recital, Carnegie Hall

"Mr. Daunoras's voice is a handsome one - ample, well-equalized, more throaty than plush. There is something of Chaliapin in Mr. Daunoras's timbre and temperament. The best thing in a Schubert set was a huge reading of "Der Doppelgaenger," too melodramatic to inspire real terror, but formidable in its way. In "Der Tod und das Maedchen," Mr. Daunoras's impersonation of Death was imposingly sepulchral." Joseph Horowitz, The New York Times

Don Carlo, Philip, Teatro dell'Opera; Lithuanian State Opera Tour

"We need to stress that the greatest applause, among the lead roles, went to the authoritative performance of Philip's aria sung by Daunoras." Vincenzo R. Segreto, Gazzetta Di Parma

Don Carlo, Philip, Congresbebouw, Den Haag; Lithuanian State Opera Tour

"Also Vaclovas Daunoras, a sonorous and strong Philip II." Marijke Mol Lous, Haagse Courant

Don Carlo, Philip, and Boris Godunov; Moscow Bolshoi Tour

"V. Daunoras showed himself as a great master. Temperament, inner spirit, synchronization of acting and singing - the qualities that rightfully let the artist become the center of Don Carlos and Boris Godunov performances." N. Akulova, Culture - Time And The Artist

Recital, Orchestra Hall

"Remember well the name Vacys Daunoras. If this distinguished Lithuanian bass keeps singing the way he did last night in Orchestra hall, the name is certain to head every roster of every major opera company throughout the world. He is a formidable talent. When he started "Jau saulele leidos," his voice took over so completely that nobody would have cared had he motorocycled on stage wearing a Batman costume. His voice, big on top and smooth all over, had the same fullness and focus as Nicolai Ghiaurov's. Soft tones, aided by a fast though steady vibrato, spun like those of Boris Christoff. There was plenty to admire that was all Daunoras: an ability gradually to shave loud tones down into bare whispers, making simple folk songs build and bend to every mood, and proving that opera arias don't need orchestral accompaniment to be exciting. But what a great act IV aria from Don Carlos he presented!" Kenneth Sanson, Chicago Today

Recital, Central TV and Radio Programs

"It's no wonder critics maintain Daunoras' singing style is characterized by subtlety. Without unnecessary motions or mimicry, everything is expressed by the voice, which is broad, luxuriant and agile. We can recall the words of newspaper and magazine articles: 'His tragedy is not whining. His joy is not shrieking. In his voice, there are as many colors as registers in an organ.'" Govorit I Pokazivaet Moskva

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