María Espada, soprano
María Espada was born in Mérida (Spain), where she studied singing with Mariana You-Chi. Later she completed her graduate studies in singing at the Conservatory in Madrid and did post-graduate studies with Alfredo Kraus at the “Reina Sofia” Academy of Music. She won prizes at the international singing competition “Alfredo Kraus”.
She attended masterclasses under Charles Brett, Thomas Quasthoff, Helena Lazarska, Hilde Zadek, Júlia Hamari, Montserrat Caballé and Manuel Cid.
She has worked with conductors such as Frans Brüggen, Andrea Marcon, Diego Fasolis, Martin Gester, Christophe Coin, Fabio Bonizzoni, Eduardo López Banzo, Jesús López Cobos, Juanjo Mena, Alberto Zedda, Giuseppe Mega, Antoni Ros Marbà, Josep Pons, Ernest Martínez Izquierdo, etc, with orchestras such as Venice Baroque Orchestra, Orchestra of the 18th Century, L’Orfeo Baroque Orchestra, “Al Ayre Español”, “La Risonanza”, “I Barocchisti”, Helsinki Baroque Orchestra, Seville Baroque Orchestra, Nacional Orchestra of Catalunya, Madrid Symphony Orchestra, Hungarian Radio Orchestra, etc.
Among her recordings, Scarlatti’s “Colpa, Pentimento e Grazia” and “A batallar estrellas” (spanish baroque music), both for Harmonia Mundi, should be mentioned.
She regularly collaborates as a soloist with ensembles such as “Armoniosi Concerti”, “Estro Cromático” and “Forma antiqva”.
Since 1996, when she started her career as a solist, she has sung in halls such as Konzerthaus in Vienna, Teatro Real in Madrid, Concertgebow in Amsterdam, Vredenburg in Utrecht, Santa Cecilia in Rome, Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, L’Auditori in Barcelona, Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid, Maestranza in Seville, etc.
As a concert singer she has performed works such as Haydn’s The Creation and The Seasons, Fauré’s Requiem, Mozart’s Requiem, C minor Mass and Coronation Mass, Bach’s St. Matthew-Passion, St. John Passion, Mass in B minor and Magnificat, Haendel’s Messiah and Resurrezione, Brahms’ Requiem, Kodály’s Te Deum, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, etc. As an opera singer, La Bohème (Musetta), The Magic Flute (Pamina), L’Elisir d’amore (Giannetta), La Traviata (Annina), L’incoronazione di Poppea (Virtù, Damigella, Amore II), Gazzaniga’s D. Giovanni (D. Anna), etc.
In her chamber music concerts she has performed a wide repertoire (for voice and piano or small ensembles) from the baroque up to the 20th century.
