What she’s doing with us: South African soprano Elza van den Heever is playing the title role in Bellini’s Norma with us this fall at the October 23, 26, 28, and Nov. 5 performances.
The role of Norma is one of the pinnacles of the dramatic soprano repertoire, and van den Heever is no stranger to this role. After her 2015 performance of Norma with the Opéra National de Bordeaux, she garnered both critical and audience acclaim: “The virtuosity of Ms. van den Heever is breathtaking… coloratura at the top of the range, with stunning maturity in the lower range. With her controlled virtuosity, [she] had the audience awaiting every note.” (Bachtrack)
For more information on our production of Norma, click here.
Where you might have seen her: Elza van den Heever has appeared on the stage at the Four Seasons Centre once before in the COC production of Il Trovatore, in which she played the role of Leonore. Her portrayal of this iconic role was widely praised: “Her performance as the piece’s tragic heroine… hit all of the emotional touchstones the part requires: vulnerability, ecstatic love and heart-rending despair. From the opening notes of ‘Tacea la notte placida,’ it was obvious we were in the hands of a singer for whom delicacy and power are not mutually exclusive.” (The Toronto Star)