“The star was undoubtedly mezzo Emilia Boteva. Her voice has a freshness about it that does not change with the register or volume that she might be singing in. It is clear and strong and retains its smooth velvety quality in all its ranges, particularly in her transitions from one register to the other. Above all her performance was extremely musical.” (Verdi REQUIEM)
Canadian-Bulgarian mezzo-soprano Emilia Boteva studied at the Bulgarian Academy of Music in Sofia. An award winner at the Svetoslav Obretenov National Competition in Bulgaria and a finalist in the Toulouse International Vocal Competition, she made her professional debut at the State Opera House in Sofia and has appeared there in such roles as Ulrica, Azucena, Maddalena, Fenena, Eboli and Amneris.
Ms. Boteva was introduced to Canadian audiences by Opera Ontario, singing Amneris in AIDA under the baton of Maestro Daniel Lipton. She has since appeared with Opera Ontario in ‘Popera’, Opera in Concert as Lyubov in MAZEPPA, Opéra de Québec as Emilia in OTELLO and Opéra de Montréal as Marie in DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER as well as the Opéra de Montréal Gala Night at Place des Arts. Recent appearances in Europe include Ulrica in UN BALLO IN MASCHERA in Bari, Italy, LA SONNAMBULA in Bilbao, and Wagner’s Ring cycle (Wellgunde and Rossweisse) and Suzuki in MADAMA BUTTERFLY for Las Palmas de Gran Canaria with Maurizio Barbacini. She also appeared in Las Palmas in RIGOLETTO, DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE and CARMEN and returned to Sofia in Bulgaria for a Verdi REQUIEM in honour of Ghena Dimitrova. Her most recent engagements in Spain have included performances as Albine in THAÏS and Countess de Coigny in ANDREA CHENIER.
She has sung both Alexander Nevsky and Mahler’s 3rd Symphony with the Regina Symphony, and Hamilton audiences enjoyed her in an opera night with Brott Summer Music. In the fall of 2010 she was heard in Vancouver for Verdi’s REQUIEM with Bramwell Tovey, a work she also performed for Brott Summer Music in 2012. In the 2011/2012 season, she sang Mamma Lucia in CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA for Opera Lyra in Ottawa, Filipievna in EUGENE ONEGIN for Opera de Quebec, Azucena in IL TROVATORE for Opera Hamilton, and Mary in DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER for Opera Lyra Ottawa. This spring she travels to Edmonton to sing the role of Filipyevna in EUGENE ONEGIN for Edmonton Opera.
In past seasons, Ms. Boteva was heard at the Edmonton Opera as Mary in DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER, as Azucena in IL TROVATORE for Manitoba Opera, as Mistress Quickly in FALSTAFF in Jerez, Spain and as Filipievna in EUGENE ONEGIN for Opera Lyra Ottawa. Further credits include appearances at Malta’s Festival Mediterranean in SUOR ANGELICA, in Jerez (Spain) in EUGENE ONEGIN, Manitoba Opera’s Gala Concert and for Toronto’s Off Centre series in highlights from I CAPULETI E I MONTECCHI.
Ms. Boteva is well regarded in Europe and she has appeared with the opera companies of Bulgaria, Switzerland, Poland, Portugal, Lithuania and Macedonia. Fluent in Italian, English, Russian, French, and Bulgarian, she has collaborated with important conductors including
Maurizio Barbacini, Gunter Neuhold, and Rizzi Brignoli among others, in repertoire such as ALEXANDER NEVSKY and VESPERS, Op. 37 (Rachmaninov). As a concert artist, she has toured Spain in Respighi’s IL TRAMONTO and de Falla’s EL AMOR BRUJO. Works by Elgar, Verdi, Britten, Mahler and Rossini are in her repertoire and her recordings include Mozart’s REQUIEM with the National Bulgarian Radio Orchestra and Rachmaninov’s VESPERS with the French National Radio Orchestra from Lyon.
Bilbao Opera, Spain Calgary Philharmonic Edmonton Opera Las Palmas, Gran Canaria Manitoba Opera National Opera, Sofia Opéra de Québec Opéra de Montréal Opera in Concert, Toronto Opera Lyra Ottawa Opera Ontario Opera Tampa Reginia Symphony Varna Opera, Bulgaria Teatro Puccini, Bari, Italy Vancouver Symphony
“Mezzo-soprano Emilia Boteva was in outstanding voice in the beautiful 'Field of the Dea', and sang a moving elegy.” Calgary Herald, Stephen Bonfield [Alexander Nevsky]
“… the phenomenal Azucena of Emilia Boteva. The voice is absolutely huge, though also very capable of softer more gentle passages…her high notes as well as her low ones, are thrilling. She sang a fantastic ‘Stride la vampa’…she held the last note of ‘Condotta ell’era in ceppi’ for an almost indecently long time.” (Verdi’s TROVOTORE at Royal Theatre Carre, Amsterdam)
“…mezzo-soprano Emilia Boteva was a powerhouse.”
The Buffalo News – Garaud ManTaggart
“The star was undoubtedly mezzo Emilia Boteva. Her voice has a freshness about it that does not change with the register or volume that she might be singing in. It is clear and strong and retains its smooth velvety quality in all its ranges, particularly in her transitions from one register to the other. Above all her performance was extremely musical.” (Verdi REQUIEM)
Malta – Cecilia Xuereb
“Emilia Boteva…sonorité raffinée dans l’aigu, timbre lumineux et puissant dans le grave, ce mezzo dispose de beaucoup de resources.”
Le Soleil – Richard Boisvert
“The most successful performance came from the Amneris of Emilia Boteva. From both a vocal and dramatic point of view, she delivered a sublime performance.” (Translation)
Leeuwarder Courant – Rudolf Nammensma
“…pero a su vez Emilia Boteva resultó una extraordinaria Suzuki, de gran empaque vocal, especialmente en el hermoso dúo de las flores con la soprano.”
La Provincia/Diario de :as Palmes – Rodrigo Barbosa
“L’Ulrica de Emilia Boteva è stata, appunto una strega da favola nordica; bella voce, capace di realizzare sempre un espressivo fraseggio, alonandolo con misteriosi accenti innervati da una sincera apprensione par I funesti presagi che è chimata a dare.”
