Mezzosoprano
Mezzo-soprano Alina Dragnea, honored with the highest distinction, Summa Cum Laude, at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, is a young artist with a rising career both in her native country of Romania and abroad.
Being a Verdian voice by definition, the mezzo-soprano excelled in roles such as Azucena from Il Trovatore in important opera houses, such as the Romanian National Opera Iași, the Brașov Opera and the Oleg Danovski National Theater of Opera and Ballet, and in the latter with the roles of Ulrica from Un Ballo in Maschera and Preziosilla from La Forza del Destino as well. Alina Dragnea was also invited for the role of La voix in Les Contes d'Hoffmann by J. Offenbach, at the Bucharest National Opera.
Abroad, she stood out especially at the Schlosstheater Schönbrunn - Vienna, in roles such as Bertarido in Rodelinda by G.F. Handel, Dryade in Ariadne auf Naxos by R. Strauss, at the Oper auf dem Dach Nürnberg with La Zia Principessa from Suor Angelica by G. Puccini and at the Meistersingerhalle Nürnberg with 9. Sybill from the opera De Temporum Fine Comoedia by C. Orff.
Another asset of the mezzo-soprano is the approach to large-scale dramatic roles from the baroque repertoire, such as Marc'Antonio from Marc'Antonio e Cleopatra by J. A. Hasse at Teatro Barocco in Vienna, Bertarido from Rodelinda at Schlosstheater Schönbrunn and Bradamante from Alcina by G. F. Händel, at the Jerusalem Lyric Opera Festival, Tel Aviv. Alina Dragnea is also focusing on her concert career, being invited twice to the Enescu Festival for W. A. Mozart's Krönungsmesse and Ode for the birthday of Queen Anne, by Händel, to Best of MDW Artists Gala at Musikverein Vienna, to Baden for the Licht ins Dunkel Opera Gala, as well as to various recitals and concerts (Kammermusik Festival Nürnberg, Liszt Institut Paris and many others).
The mezzo-soprano is the winner of the Anna Grobecker prize at the Althofen Competition in Austria, the Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung scholarships, the Grand Prize and the First Prize at the Victor Giuleanu Competition and a finalist at the Armel Opera Competition in Paris. In 2024, Alina has won three special prizes, the Special Prize of the Cluj-Napoca Romanian National Opera, the Special Prize of the Timisoara Romanian National Opera and the Special Prize of the Oleg Danovski National Opera of Theatre and Ballet at one of the most renowned opera competitions in Romania, Verum Solitus.
Alina Dragnea participated in the International Summer Academy Vienna and Harvard X masterclasses and studied with international artists, teachers, conductors and directors, such as Ramon Vargas, Michael Sturminger, David Crescenzi, Margit Klaushofer, Christoph U. Meier, Vladimir Kiradjiev , Guido J. Rumstadt, Elisabetta Lombardi, Iride Martinez, Peter Grossmann, Carlos Garcia Estevez, Ioana Bentoiu and Marina Krilovici.
The mezzo-soprano completed her Bachelor's studies at the National University of Music Bucharest, her Master's studies at UNMB and Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg and her second Master's studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.
About the artist
News
The DVD of our wonderful production of Marc'Antonio e Cleopatra by J. A. Hasse from Teatro Barocco Vienna is out in stores now.
It can be found in GRAMOLA am Graben and Josefstädter Straße 29 Heliocentric Worlds.
Mezzosoprano Alina Dragnea had the great pleasure to sing the role of Marc'Antonio in this beautiful baroque production next to all these wonderful artists: Bernd Bienert, Katharina Adamcyk, Davide Mariano, Sandy Starsich and the wonderful orchestra.
Education and studies
2020 - 2023 Master - University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna – Summa Cum Laude
2017 - 2019 Master Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg
2010 - 2014 Bachelor National University of Music Bucharest
Courses
2022 Althofen Masterclasses Austria
2018 & 2021 Vienna International Summer Academy ISA18 & ISA21
2020 Harvard X – Monteverdi's L’Orfeo and the Birth of Opera
Masterclasses
Ramon Vargas, Margit Klaushofer, Elisabetta Lombardi, Iride Martinez, Peter Grossmann, Carlos Garcia Estevez, Ioana Bentoiu, Marina Krilovici
Prizes
2024 Musicum Laude Competition
1st Prize - Lied Category
Verdi Special Prize
Cornelia Gavrilescu Specal Prize
2024 Verum Solitus Competition
Special Prize of the Cluj-Napoca Romanian National Opera
Special Prize of the Timisoara Romanian National Opera
Special Prize of the Oleg Danovski National Opera of Theatre and Ballet
2022 Althofen Masterclasses and Competition Austria
“Anna Grobecker” prize
2020 Hungarian Music Festival - Hungarian Institute Bucharest
2nd Prize Paris
2018 Victor Giuleanu Competition Bucharest
The Grand Prize
The 1st Prize
2017 Armel Competition Paris
Finalist
Professional experience
Opera
2023 Marc’Antonio - Marc’Antonio e Cleopatra – J.A. Hasse - Teatro Barocco Vienna
2023 Bradamante - Alcina - G.F. Händel - Jerusalem Lyric Opera Studio
2023 Sybil 9 - De Temporum Fine Comoedia – C. Orff - Meistersingerhalle Nürnberg
2023 Azucena - Premiere - Il Trovatore – G. Verdi - Iasi Opera House
2023 Azucena - Il Trovatore – G. Verdi - Brasov Opera House
2015 - 2022 Azucena - Il Trovatore – G. Verdi - Oleg Danovski Opera Theatre
2022 La Voix - Les contes d’Hoffmann - J. Offenbach - Bucharest Opera House
2022 Bertarido - Rodelinda - G.F. Händel - Schönbrunn Palace Theatre Vienna
2021 Dryade - Ariadne auf Naxos – R. Strauss Schönbrunn Palace Theatre Vienna
2019 La Zia Principessa - Suor Angelica – G. Puccini - Oper auf dem Dach Nürnberg
2017 Preziosilla - La Forza del Destino – G. Verdi - Oleg Danovski Opera Theatre
2017 Ulrica - Un Ballo in Maschera – G. Verdi - Oleg Danovski Opera Theatre
Sacred music and Oratorio
2023 Alto Soloist - Stabat Mater – G. B. Pergolesi - St. Joseph Cathedral Bucharest
2022 Alto Soloist - Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne G.F. Händel - Enescu Festival
2021 Alto Soloist - Coronation Mass – W.A. Mozart - Enescu Festival
2019 Alto Soloist - Johannes Passion – J.S. Bach - Hersbruck Cathedral
2018 Alto Soloist - Gloria in excelsis Deo – A. Vivaldi - St. Joseph Cathedral Bucharest
Concerts
2022 Soloist - Gala Concert - Beyond Talent – Best of MDW Artists - Musikverein Vienna
2022 Soloist - Song recital - Liszt Institute Paris
2019 Soloist - Opera Gala with Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra -Theatron Yerushalayim – Henry Crown Symphony Hall
2018 Soloist - ORF Opera Gala - Licht ins Dunkel Gala - Casino Baden Austria
Resume
Artist Portraits
Stage Photos
Video recordings
Reviews
"Alina Dragnea had already demonstrated a wide voice, rich in harmonics especially in the high register, with virtuosity in several passages and impeccable trills at the end. The endowments were also confirmed by the arias from "Dido and Aeneas" by Purcell, "L'incoronazione di Poppea ” by Monteverdi, “Marc' Antonio e Cleopatra” by Johann Adolf Hasse or “Alcina” by Händel, along with the elegant fit in style, the non-vibrato sounds, the attempts to grow the low ones, the incisiveness of the acutes and the solidity of the low notes emitted by petto. I think that Alina Dragnea's performance was a preparation, a school, a study for future developments in a repertoire close to romantic bel canto and even more."
Costin Popa
"Mezzo-soprano Alina Dragnea can already be considered a reference name of the young generation of Romanian soloists with an "entrance ticket" on the international stages. Without specializing in the interpretation of Gioachino Rossini's or Handel's creations, Alina Dragnea already possesses (a rare fact at the Romanian opera singers, especially the young ones) the technique that allows her to accurately and expressively reproduce the baroque ornaments, the long notes inserted in the melodic pattern that transform the arias of the mentioned composers into turntables from the sacred or secular scores of past centuries (Rossini, Pergolesi ), to the dramatic texts of the 20th century (Poulenc, Enescu). In the case of Alina Dragnea, the idea that "if you can sing Rossini, you can sing anything" comes true. Listening to her in the role of Azucena in "Il Trovatore" I liked the luminous equality of the voice, the beauty, the sincerity, the controlled pathos of the expression."
Alex Vasiliu
"Mezzo-soprano Alina Dragnea is a perfectly credible Azucena (despite the performer's youth), with a good technique and an excellent adaptation of the vocal emission that made her perfectly intelligible in the whole register, with an impressive low register, including in the duet and trio. Il Trovatore from The Corvin Castle at Opera Nights, 2021."
Virgil Oprina
"Alina Dragnea in Azucena, enchanted with the fluidity of her voice and the dramatic force."
Oltea Serban-Parau