Miwako Matsumoto Soprano Recital

Graduating at the top of her class from the Santa Cecilia Music Conservatory of Rome, Miwako Matsumoto made her debut as Michala in a production of Carmen at the National Opera of Rome in 1972. Since then she has appeared with many of the world’s top opera companies, including the Bayerischer Staatsoper, the Royal Opera (Covent Garden), the Berlin Deutschoper and the metropolitan operas of Florence, Genoa and Trieste. She was lauded in 1989 for her performances in the title role of Madame Butterfly with the Wien Staatsoper. In 1991 she became the first Japanese to be honored with a recital sponsored by the Wiener Music Verein, a production that received favorable reviews. To date, Miwako Matsumoto has appeared with Herman Prey, Alfredo Kraus, Jose Carreras, Gena Dimitrova, Juan Pons, Katia Ricciarelli and Ruggero Raimondi.
In Japan, Miwako Matsumoto has appeared in many operas and given many recitals since her debut in Le Nozze di Figaro in 1972. Her recent performances include Madame Butterfly with the New National Theatre Tokyo in 1998 and Die Fledermaus in 1999. A cycle of four recitals in which she sang 100 arias by Tosti on the occasion of the 150th year since his birth was widely acclaimed.
Performing mainly in Italy and Japan, Miwako Matsumoto continues to captivate audiences with her graceful stage presence as well as the beauty and power of her voice.

Still in her 20s, Anna Cuo’s voice has a maturity of expression
and depth that lend it beauty and charm.
An imposing debut with her performance of Micaela
in the National Theatre Prague production of Carmen in 1999!
A widely acclaimed rendition of Liu
in the November 2000 production of Turandot by the Sofia National Opera!

Born in Vienna. Accompanying her mother (Miwako Matsumoto) to theaters around Italy from before her first birthday, Anna Cuo grew up watching opera and ballet. She started to take piano lessons when she was 5 years old. At 15 she began an earnest study of the opera that she had loved from infancy. In 1996, she performed Mimi in the summer performance of La Boheme staged by the High School of Santa Margarita, which received rave reviews from all the Italian dailys (see below). In December 1997, Anna Cuo appeared in the Christmas concert held at the Art Tower Mito. Her duet with her mother, Miwako Matsumoto, received particularly good reviews in an April 1999 concert presented at the Nagoya Shimin Kaikan.
　 In the same month she gave a live performance of Ombra mai fu for an NHK hi-vision broadcast. Then in July, under the baton of Marco Armiliato, her bold and sonorous performances of operatic arias in a co-appearance with the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony; with the ensuing praise being but a recent memory. In October, she performed Micaela in the National Theatre Prague production of Carmen on their Japan Tour. She gave recitals throughout Japan in November and December of the same year.
In November and December 2000, Anna Cuo gave a performance of Liu in Turnadot on the Sofia National Opera’s tour in Japan at 7 venues nationwide, all of which received favorable reviews. She now resides in Rome.