Victoria Livengood
Mezzo soprano
New England Regional First Place Winner 1984
National Council Winner 1984

Internationally renowned Metropolitan Opera star Victoria Livengood is a Grammy nominated mezzo-soprano whose artistry has been hailed by audiences and critics worldwide for her multi-faceted and powerhouse performances in a remarkably varied repertoire.   The New York Times called her "naturally seductive and vocally alluring," Opera News raved that "her singing and acting radiate intensity," the German press hailed her as "the ideal Carmen of our time," the Italian press proclaimed that the power of her voice could straighten the Tower of Pisa," and the Buenos Aires Herald named her "one of the leading singer-actresses of her generation."

The Thomasville, North Carolina native skyrocketed onto the opera scene as a national winner of the Metropolitan Opera auditions and went on to make her mark on the opera world with a critically acclaimed Metropolitan Opera debut in 1991 as Laura in Luisa Miller under James Levine's baton. Since then she has become known for her dynamic portrayals in well over 100 performances with the prestigious company, and has established herself as a 'house favorite.' In October of 2002, she reached yet another career milestone when she triumphed in the title role of Carmen at the Met, fulfilling a life long dream. One critic stated, "No previous Met Carmen has approached Livengood's passionate acting and powerful vocalism." Her other acclaimed Met roles have included Herodias in Salome, Giulietta in Les contes d'Hoffmann, Myrtle Wilson in The Great Gatsby, Maddalena in Rigoletto, Prince Orlovsky in Die Fledermaus, Queen Isabella in The Voyage, Preziosilla in La forza del destino, Lola in Cavalleria rusticana, Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Margret in Wozzeck, Waltraute in Die Walkure, Sonyetka in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk as well as Helene in the company's premiere of War and Peace both of which were under the baton of Valery Gergiev. Furthermore, she has been heard on numerous "Live from the Met" international radio broadcasts.

Victoria’s illustrious career has taken her throughout Europe, South America, Canada and the United States .  Her European debut took place in 1991 in Idomeneo followed by La clemenza di Tito with L’Opera de Nice.  Other European credits include the title role in the world premiere of La Senorita Cristina for the Teatro Real in Madrid, Carmen with Opera der Stadt Koln, Oedipus Rex at the Salzburg Festival and The Consul, War and Peace, Lohengrin and the title role in The Medium all at Italy’s Spoleto Festival under the direction of Gian Carlo Menotti. She also made her debut at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires in Menotti’s The Consul once again under the composer’s direction followed up by The Rake’s Progress at The Colon and has sung both Les contes d’Hoffmann and Die Fledermaus in Santiago, Chile. Canada has seen her in The Rake’s Progress in Vancouver, in both Carmen and Rigoletto at the Edmonton Opera, in Falstaff at Calgary, and as Dalila in an operatic gala for L’Opera de Montreal. 

Nevertheless, it is in America that this Dixie Diva primarily bases her career. Besides her frequent performances at the Metropolitan Opera, the mezzo recently made a highly successful debut with the Houston Grand Opera in the world premiere of Mark Adamo’s Lysistrata. She has sung in Falstaff and Jenufa with the San Francisco Opera, Boris Godunov and Les contes d’Hoffmann for Washington Opera, Werther at Seattle Opera, Il Trovatore for Portland Opera, Samson et Dalila and Les contes d’Hoffmann at Baltimore Opera, Hamlet for Florida Grand Opera, the American premiere of Beauty and the Beast for Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Carmen, Samson et Dalila and Les contes d’Hoffmann for Cleveland Opera, Carmen with Palm Beach Opera, Cosi fan tutte in Hawaii, Carmen for Opera Carolina in Charlotte and both Carmen and Samson et Dalila for Opera Company of North Carolina in Raleigh. Much of Victoria ’s schedule is absorbed by her signature role of Carmen.  She has performed this heroine over 150 times worldwide opposite such tenors as Neil Schicoff and Placido Domingo.  Critics have hailed her Carmen as “picture-perfect, electrifying, soaring, sizzling, seductive and sensational.” Audiences have enjoyed her multi-faceted gypsy in New York, Koln, Portland, Boston, San Diego, Cincinnati, Brooklyn, Edmonton, West Palm Beach, Cleveland, Grand Rapids, Raleigh, Knoxville, Hartford, Charlotte, Sarasota, Milwaukee, Memphis, Kansas City, Erie, Springfield and Jacksonville.

Her frequent concert performances at Carnegie Hall have included Verdi’s Requiem with the Brooklyn Philharmonic, The Civil Wars by Philip Glass with the American Composers’ Orchestra, Del Tredici’s Child Alice with the American Symphony Orchestra, Rossini’s Ermione with MidAmerica Productions and the North Carolina Symphony’s tribute to composer Robert Ward.  She has sung Alexander Nevsky with The National Symphony at the Kennedy Center and at Italy’s Spoleto Festival and Oberon with the Cologne Symphony in Germany.  Ms. Livengood has also been featured with the symphony orchestras of Atlanta, Minnesota, Baltimore, San Diego, Honolulu, Tucson and Jacksonville.  She has been heard with the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society in a tribute to mezzo Marilyn Horne, as guest artist at the Rosa Ponselle Centennial Gala, as a featured soloist at New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral and at the Cincinnati May Festival under James Conlon’s baton.

As a devoted recitalist, Ms. Livengood has been hailed as “gold-medal caliber, breathtaking, mesmerizing and emotionally charged” at such venues as the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian Institute, and New York City ’s Alice Tully Hall.  She has been heard in concert in Paris, Venice, Verona, Milan, Kiev, Odessa, St. Petersburg and Moscow as well as in the Caribbean on the Queen Elizabeth II, and has performed on numerous occasions as part of the “Meet the Artists” series at Lincoln Center.  She gave the world premiere performance of the Academy Award-winning song “When You Believe” from The Prince of Egypt , for Steven Spielberg’s DreamWorks Pictures and has performed the “National Anthem” for the New York Mets’ baseball game and for the opening of the North Carolina Senate meetings.  She also recently serenaded world famous tenor, Luciano Pavarotti at a dinner in his honor for Opera Company of North Carolina.

In the initial stage of Victoria ’s career, she attracted worldwide attention, as the winner of many of the operatic world’s most prestigious awards and competitions. In addition to her Metropolitan Opera Auditions award, Victoria has been an international winner of the Rosa Ponselle, Luciano Pavarotti and George London Competitions.  It is no surprise that both Opera News and Musical America magazines named her “a singer on the rise to stardom.”  She is an initial inductee into the North Carolina Musicians’ Hall of Fame, a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Boston Conservatory of Music as well as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an award she shares with fellow alumnus, Michael Jordan.  Furthermore, she has recently been awarded the title of “Distinguished Artist in Residence” and received an honorary doctorate degree from Jacksonville University in Florida where she and her husband currently reside.

Ms. Livengood’s discography includes Menotti’s The Consul and Prokofiev’s War and Peace for Chandos, both with Richard Hickox conducting, EMI’S Oberon with Ben Heppner, Deborah Voigt, and conductor James Conlon, James Adler’s MementoMori: An Aid’s Requiem” for Albany Records and the recently Grammy nominated recording of Edward Thomas’ Desire Under The Elms with Jerry Hadley, James Morris and Maestro George Manahan conducting the London Symphony.  Her upcoming recordings include the title role in Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Medium.  Her solo releases include Piercing Eyes for Albany Records as well as four live recital recordings entitled We GatherTogether, Simple Gifts, Opening Night and The Secret of Christmas.  Her crossover gospel recordings include On Holy Ground and Ten Thousand Joys, recorded at the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville , where she is a member.

Upcoming performances for this season include a return to Boston for Samson and Dalila with Chorus Pro Musica followed by her summer debut with the Central City Opera as the Baroness in Barber’s Vanessa.  In the 2005-06 Season, she returns to the Jacksonville Symphony for Mahler’s Das Knaben Wunderhorn followed by her debut with the Fort Worth Opera as the Old Prioress in Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites.  In the spring of 2006, Victoria will make her New York City Opera debut as Lampito in the New York premiere of Adamo’s Lysistrata.  The 2006-07 season will mark her return to the Washington Opera for the Marquise in Donizetti’s La Fille Du Regiment as well as her debut with L’Opera de Monte Carlo in the title role of Menotti’s The Medium.

Having been inspired by her travels around the world, Victoria is please to share with you her line of diva fashion accessories called "Opening Night." For more information about this artist, please visit her official website at www.victorialivengood.com.

Ms. Livengood is represented by Randsman Artists Management.

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