Biography
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Miren Urbieta-Vega Biography
Born in San Sebastian. She studied clarinet and music education and then graduated in singing at the Centro Superior de Música del País Vasco, Musikene, in 2009. She studied with mezzo-soprano Maite Arruabarrena, vocal coaches Enrique Ricci and Maciej Pikulski, and stage director Horacio Rodriguez Aragón. She has received master classes from Jaime Aragall, Carlos Álvarez, Isabel Monar, Enedina Lloris, Ana Luisa Chova, Montserrat Caballé and Mirella Freni. She completed her training at the Centro de Perfeccionamiento Plácido Domingo, at the Palau de les Arts in Valencia, under the artistic supervision of Alberto Zedda, working with maestros such as J. M. Pérez Sierra, Gianni Fabrini, Jocelyne Dienst and Roger Vignoles.
Awarded in the «Premios Líricos Teatro Campoamor 2015» as a Revelation Singer, for her successful debut as Liù in ABAO, in the well-known production of Turandot by Nuria Espert, the San Sebastian soprano has won numerous awards: Best Spanish singer in the «Concurso de Canto Francesc Viñas 2014»; Second Prize in the «Concurso Internacional de Singing de Bilbao 2012», Third Prize in «Concours Médoc Bordeaux 2016″…
She has performed operatic roles such as Elsa (Lohengrin) at the Campoamor Theater in Oviedo; Mimí (La Bohème) at the Palacio Euskalduna in Bilbao, Auditorio Baluarte in Pamplona and Teatro Campoamor in Oviedo; Liù (Turandot) at the Teatro Real Madrid, Bilbao, Palau de Les Arts in Valencia and Teatro de la Maestranza in Sevilla; Contessa (Le Nozze di Figaro) at the Teatro Real in Madrid; Donna Elvira and Zerlina (Don Giovanni) at the Quincena Musical de San Sebastián and Palacio Euskalduna de Bilbao; Marguerite(Faust) at the Oviedo opera house; Adina (Elisir d’Amore) at the Teatro Principal in Vitoria; Arminda (La Finta Giardiniera) in Pamplona; Inés (La Favourite) at the Teatro del Liceo in Barcelona and Stella (Don Fernando el emplazado by V. Zubiaurre) at the Teatro Real in Madrid.
She also has a long career in zarzuela, performing works such as Katiuska, El Caserío, Tabernera del puerto, Gavilanes, Luisa Fernanda, Las Calatravas, Benamor and La Celestina (the last three at the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid).
She has sung under the baton of great maestros such as Evelino Pidó, Corrado Rovaris, Nicola Luisotti, John Mauceri, José Miguel Pérez-Sierra, Patrick Summers, Guillermo García Calvo, Iván López Reynoso… and has worked with stage directors such as David McVicar, Bob Wilsson, Christof Loy, Nuria Espert, Curro Carreres, Pablo Viar, Emilio Sagi and Enrique Viana among others.
A magnificent interpreter of oratorio and symphonic music, her repertoire include: Verdi’s Requiem; Missa Solemnis and 9th Symphony by Beethoven; Stabat Mater, by Dvorak, 2nd and 4th Symphonies by Mahler; Chausson’s Poeme de L’Amour et de la Mer; Ein Deutsches Requiem, by Brahms; Vier letzte lieder by Strauss…
In the field of chamber music is concerned, she has offered numerous lied recitals, among which stands out the absolute premiere of the Triptych of Songs, by Antón García Abril, at the Arriaga Theater (2015) which she later performed at the Life Victoria Festival or in the Ambigú of the Teatro de la Zarzuela. Finally, as a sign of his commitment to the dissemination and study of Basque music, she has recorded an album with the pianist Rubén Fernández Aguirre for the IBS Classical label called «Ametsetan» (2018) and has voiced the role of Maitena in Charles Colin’s opera with the same name, recorded by the same record label in September 2020.
Her recent and future engagements include the role and house debut of Turandot at Theater Basel (Switzerland); Verdi’s I Lombardi at Teatro Real de Madrid conducted by Daniel Oren; Verdi’s Requiem conducted by Perry So and she is going to do her house debut at Ópera Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Ópera Tenerife.