Is there any way you can refer to yourself, or anybody else (for that matter) as “Singer of the World” without sounding pretentious to the point of silliness? I mean, people climb on our backs for perceived overuse of the term “world-class.” Well, perhaps the best way to avoid being accused of singing with your nose in the air is to have a down-to-earth, real world name like “Shcherbachenko.” For the first time since a fellow with an equally impressive last name won the Cardiff Singer of the World title 20 years ago, a Russian has taken the prize: soprano Ekaterina Shcherbachenko.
Praised for her “silvery gleam at the top, golden bloom to the middle,” (and, for non-aficionados, it’s her VOICE we’re refering to, not her physique), it was Shcherbachenko’s evening–until Dame Joan Sutherland (who made her American debut right here at The Dallas Opera) prompted a standing ovation.
(Image from livejournal.com)
Suzanne Calvin, Assoc. Dir. of Marketing, The Dallas Opera