Cristina Nassif
Violetta Valery
With a powerful and expressive voice and an electric stage presence, Cristina Nassif is quickly establishing herself as one of the finest singing actresses on the American operatic stage. In her Washington National Opera debut she brought her bold soprano and fiery temperament to the role of Vitellia in Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito. Audiences and critics alike have praised her recent performances as Violetta, Carmen and Nedda. Among others, her eclectic repertoire also includes Musetta, Rosina, Alice Ford, Donna Elvira, Pamina, First Lady, Despina, Tatiana, and Zemfira (Aleko) and her performances with the Virginia Opera, Shreveport Opera, Virginia Symphony, West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Wichita Grand Opera, Central City Opera, Chamber Soloists of Philadelphia, and the Opera Theater of Pittsburgh have all garnered rave reviews.
Hailed on the concert stage for the distinct quality of her voice, her charismatic stage presence and her innate ability to sincerely communicate both music and text, Ms. Nassif made her Carnegie Hall debut in the Italian Academy Foundation’s Winter Showcase Concert in Weill Recital Hall and returned in June for an Operatic Gala in Zankel Hall. Other appearances include Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Lobgesang, the Buffalo Philharmonic’s Concert of Operatic Highlights at ArtPark, the Ocean City Pops’ Patriotic Salute, Duende! (an all-Spanish solo recital sponsored by the International Poetry Forum in Pittsburgh, PA), Opera on the Square in Philadelphia, the AIDS Marathon Opera Gala in Washington, DC and her Embassy Series debut in A Tribute to Erich Korngold at the Austrian Embassy.
Even before it had ended, “patrons were raving about Piedmont Opera’s La Traviata. Some were calling it their favorite production of Verdi’s beloved opera” and critics were no less enthusiastic about Nassif’s debut there in the role of Violetta this October.
In early December, she will join the International Opera Alliance for a concert tour to Shanghai and Shenzhen, China. In 2008, she performs in an Operatic Gala at the Austrian Embassy in D.C., as a guest performer at the American Task Force for Lebanon’s Annual Awards Ceremony, Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and Violetta with Shreveport Opera.
The daughter of two musicians, Ms. Nassif began her vocal training with her mother, Spanish mezzo-soprano Cristina Herrera de Nassif, and the two have shared the concert stage with father/pianist, Dr. Thomas Nassif.
She earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Maryland (with Regina McConnell) and an Artist Diploma from The Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. While there, she began working with her current teacher, Bill Schuman.
Competition credits include Gold Medallion in the Rosa Ponselle All Marylander’s Vocal Competition, First Prize in the Marjorie Lawrence International Vocal Competition, Regional Award Winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Encouragement Award in the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation Competition, Audience Choice in the Annapolis Opera Competition, Third Prize and the coveted Critic’s Choice Award in the International Vocal Competition of Bilbao (Spain) and most recently the Gerda Lissner Foundation’s First Place Prize.
Cristina Nassif as Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata
With Virginia Opera
“Soprano Cristina Nassif permanently raised the critical bar for the role of Violetta.”
William Thomas Walker, Classical Voice of North Carolina“In the lead role as Violetta, Cristina Nassif's strong and lively soprano nailed the acrobatic sections and filled the contemplative arias with emotion. She sang with heart, whether in a crystalline tone in the first two acts, or with a sickly disposition in the final act.”
Grace Jean, The Washington Post“Displaying great emotional maturity and a seemingly unlimited vocal range, she melded effortlessly with her character and made the magic happen, made the audience believe in a way that happens infrequently even with the greatest of companies.”
T.L. Ponick, The Washington Times“Having seen a number of first-rate Violettas, I was unprepared for the fuller range of complexity that soprano Cristina Nassif brought to the role. Besides having the looks that are ideal for a courtesan, she has a dazzling voice that is dramatically effective whether used at a hushed piano or raised across its range to a precisely-placed high note at the climax of an aria. Her application of vocal color and nuanced dynamics to bring out the emotional truth of her character as she phrased her lines was thrilling.”
William Thomas Walker, Classical Voice of North Carolina“Vocally, Nassif shows almost limitless flexibility, from the suave and seductive to the brittle and throaty, from wild extroversion to unearthly quiet. Dramatically, her range is even wider. She masters all the dimensions of temperament and presence needed for this character. She pushes the limits, as a melodrama heroine should, but she never oversteps into cheap theatrics or vocal display for its own sake.”
Clarke Bustard, Richmond Times-Dispatch“Cristina Nassif proved herself to be the finest dramatic soprano seen in many of year on the opera stage. Her vocal and acting transitions were stunning thoughout this most demanding work. Her exciting trills of frivolity were well ranged with her tragic covered tones of tragedy.”
Bob Anthony, ALL ARTS REVIEW“The telling itself requires a Violetta of surpassing artistry, and Virginia Opera has one in Cristina Nassif.
An island of stability in the ceaseless activity of her party, she played Violetta as someone clearly making the best of this life while being eager to find a way out – a state of affairs that gives her “Sempre libera” more depth than this aria has in more typically flighty renditions. Nassif gives dignity to her scene with the odious Giorgio Germont in Act II, and in the second scene of the act shows real poignancy as she affirms her love for Alfredo even as she refuses to return to him. The final act, in which she sings flawlessly while lying down, bent over and kneeling, is more moving than this overlong bit of melodrama tends to be nowadays. Indeed, Nassif is as much actress as singer in this performance: her Violetta seems truly to live as well as to sing.”
Mark Estren, Infodad.com (and critic for The Washington Post)“As Violetta, Nassif presented an intelligent, complex performance…a performance all the more remarkable for being Nassif’s first go at the coveted role. Violetta is one of the more difficult roles to portray and sing; Nassif nailed it: Her Act I Violetta was sassy and defiant, yet warm and receptive to love, the big voice soared and sparkled weightlessly. Signature back-to-back arias “Ah, fors’ è lui” and “Sempre libera” were dramatic and vocal perfection. Violetta’s love for Alfredo in Act II transformed from bucolic bliss to self-sacrifice with heart-tugging veracity. On her Act III deathbed, Violetta’s final aria, “Addio! del passato” confirmed Nassif’s first steps to operatic stardom. Her phrasing and support throughout the evening were impeccable.”
B.J. Atkinson, Port Folio Weekly“Nassif is simply perfect as the courtesan. Slim, trim, and quite lovely, Nassif looked the role, without even opening her mouth. But, ah, when she did, it was clear that this performer had what it takes to sing the role. Add to this a superb stage presence and sense of dramatic portrayal and you’ve a Violetta worth hearing and seeing. Nassif is a singer to watch.”
John C. Shulson, Opera Canada“Last night at Virginia Opera, the stage glowed with a mystical, ethereal magic. A star was born. Her name is Cristina Nassif. We watched in awe as she revealed layer by layer a definitive Violetta. She transported us to a spiritual realm that happens rarely in the theater, whatever the genre may be. I go on record as saying the young lady has it all. Her vocal instrument projects every emotional nuance one could possibly imagine from large to small with perfect clarity. She sings with her whole body, an art one is not privileged to behold very often.”
Edgar Loessin, WHRO Public RadioWith Wichita Grand Opera
“Nassif looked every bit the part of a Parisian courtesan and immediately captured the audience's attention without singing a note. Then when she sang -- wow!Nassif possesses a vocal talent that in years to come when she is starring at La Scala or the Met will give WGO audiences a "remember when" moment. From her grand entry to her literally drop-dead finale, Nassif not only mastered the complexities of Verdi's score but imbued her arias with nuance and emotion.
Nassif also is a singing actress. She used not only the myriad facets of her voice but also her expressions, gestures and postures to embody her character. She also knows the benefits of restraint. In the climactic act, Nassif avoided deathbed histrionics and coughing fits as she succumbed to tuberculosis. Even lying down, Nassif's voice remained powerful, dynamic and dramatic.”
Bill Blankenship, The Capital-Journal (Topeka, KS)With Piedmont Opera
Piedmont Opera’s Triumphant Staging of Verdi’s La Traviata
“Her vivid embodiment and singing of the role drove me to my Rodale’s The Synonym Finder for non-redundant superlatives. Her powerful voice easily filled Stevens Center as it had Richmond’s Landmark Theater. More importantly, her most quiet passages floated into the hall and were readily audible. Her voice was beautifully focused, exactly on pitch, and she applied a refined palette of color to convey quicksilver changes of emotions. It was fascinating to watch Nassif add subtle character touches to her core interpretation in order to bring out new facets of the courtesan with a heart of gold.”
William Thomas Walker, Classical Voice of North CarolinaBravissimo: Piedmont Opera's La Traviata is worth raving about
“Last night, even before it had ended, patrons were raving about Piedmont Opera’s La Traviata. Some were calling it their favorite production of Verdi’s beloved opera. I share such enthusiasm wholeheartedly.
And though the opera’s final scene is in an entirely different vein, it comes off compelling — which is to say that all that singing before Violetta’s dramatic death is something to savor. Nassif’s gifts in acting manifest themselves most strongly in her final moments as well; even as she deteriorates, we sense an admirable defiance against the inevitable.”
By Ken Keuffel, RELISH Journal Reporter