BIOGRAPHY
Maarja Purga is an Estonian mezzosoprano. Her unique warm voice and extensive vocal range make her an excellent singer for (late) romantic opera, verismo and Belcanto. Her creative use of the voice and musical interpretation also make her a captivative performer of lied and contemporary music.
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Opera
At the Bayreuther Festspiele side-programme she performed many roles in Siegfried Wagner`s operas, including Frau Kathrin (Friedensengel), Trude/Wirtin/Märchenfrau (An Allem ist Hütchen schuld) and Eustachia (Sonnenflammen). In 2019 she made her Debut as Fricka in R.Wagner „Das Rheingold“, conducted by Byron Knutson. Her other engagements have brought her to the Opera of Cologne, where she sang the alto-part in L.Janacek's "The diary of the one who wanished" and in G.Holst's "Savitri. Her opera roles include Orlovsky in Die Fledermaus at the Festival Classique, Carmen in Carmen and Marina Zwetajewa in 7 Briefe zur Begegnung (Narva Operadays, Estonia), Flora in La Traviata (Theater Solingen), Un Pâtre in L'Enfant et les sortilèges and Praskowia in Die Lustige Witwe (Theater Aachen), 3. Dame in E.Krenek's Das Geheime Königreich (Hfmt Köln).
Oratorio-Lied -
Chambermusic
In addition to the opera, Maarja´s great passion for vocal-symphonic music has made her an appreciated concert soloist, performing among others Verdi's Requiem, Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde, Händel's Dixit Dominus, Messias and Israle in Egypt, J.S.Bach's St John Passion, Mass in h-moll, Christmasoratorio, Durufle Requiem, F.Mendelssohn-Bartholdy's Elias and Paulus, Brahms Requiem, Palmeri Misatango, Mozart Requiem and many others. Her repertoire also includes chambermusic and Lied, performing regulary with the stringquartet Prezioso and varius pianists.
She has performed at the Festival Classique, Rotterdam Operadagen, Ammerseerenade, Narva Operadays in Estonia and Young Composers Meeting Apeldoorn.
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Maarja Purga has a Bachelor of Arts from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, where she studied with Barbara Pearson, and a Master of Music from the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, where she studied with Prof. Lioba Braun.
She has participated in master classes with Caroline Dowdle, Nadine Denize, Dalia Schächter, Edda Moser, Ira Siff, Derek Lee Ragin. Maarja has worked with conductors such as D.R.Coleman, L. Friend, W.Werner, M.Luig, P. Kuhn, Byron Knutson, H.Görtz, R.Schuhenn and R. Joost.
In 2016 she recieved for her artistic achievements the the Richard Wagner Scholarship granted by the Richard Wagner Assosiation in Ammersee and won in 2020 the audience price at the Vello Jürna Vocal Competition.
In 2024 her debut CD with songs by Estonian composer Ester Mägi will be released.
