BIOGRAPHY
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Hila Plitmann has been praised by the New York Times for her "brilliant top register"; the Los Angeles Times calls her "exceptionally gifted" and the Chicago Tribune has described her as "...superb, with an expressive range and communicative power." Born in Jerusalem, she is quickly becoming a cherished soprano voice on the international music scene. Her professional career began In 1998, when she premiered Pulitzer Prize winner David Del Tredici's The Spider and the Fly with The New York Philharmonic under the baton of Maestro Kurt Masur.
She has performed as a featured soloist with The New York Philharmonic, The Chicago Symphony, The Israel Philharmonic, The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, The Cleveland Chamber Orchestra, The New Israeli Opera and numerous other orchestras and ensembles in the U.S. and abroad. Recent performances include the orchestrated world premiere of Mr. Tambourine Man by Oscar and Pulitzer Prize winning composer John Corigliano, with the Minnesota Orchestra; her acting debut in the role of Sharon in the Fountain Theater's production of MASTER CLASS by Terrence Mcnally; and her debut recital in Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall premiering David Del Tredicia's song cycle Lament on the Death of a BullFighter. Her performed operatic roles include Monica in The Medium, Sister Constance in Dialogue of the Carmelites, Zerlina in Don Giovanni and Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflote.
Ms. Plitmann is accumulating an impressive catalogue of Del Tredici recordings, beginning with the highly virtuosic song cycle Ms. Inez Sez under the CRI label, and two additional recordings to be released in 2004: Vintage Alice and Dracula with the Cleveland Chamber Orchestra and Lament on the Death of a Bullfighter with the composer at the piano.
She received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees with high honors from The Juilliard School of Music, and has been awarded the coveted Sony ES Prize for her outstanding contribution to the vocal arts.
Among future engagements are the premiere of Eric Whitacre and David Noro's groundbreaking Opera Electronica Paradise Lost in Los Angeles; John Corigliano's Mr. Tambourine Man with the Brooklyn Philharmonic; The world premiere of Andrea Clearfield's The Long Bright with Orchestra 2001; and the world premiere of Essa-Pekka Salonen's Wing on Wing with the Los Angeles Philhamonic
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REVIEWS |
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Los Angeles Times |
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"...achieving the right balance of character and vocal prowess is nervy Hila Plitmann (as Sharon)...(singing) a fiery rendition of an aria from Macbetto."
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Rob Kendt, Review of McNally's Master Class |
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Easy Reader |
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"Hila Plitmann, as student soprano Sharon generates considerable sparks...holding her own in the verbal battle. Plitmann soars absolutely skyward with breathtaking vocals at point blank range."
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Joseph Sirota, Review of McNally's Master Class |
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Hollywood Reporter |
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"Plitmann...(does) excellent work...displaying an outstanding voice as well."
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Jay Reiner, Review of McNally's Master Class |
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New York Times |
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"...In Mr. Del Tredici's piece (Haddock's Eyes)...the soprano soloist was Hila Plitmann, who was every bit as gleeful and arch as the music seemed to want. She also paid the composer the fine compliment of singing from memory...her precise singing in a brilliant top register..." |
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Paul Girffiths, Review of Haddock's Eyes |
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The Westsider
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| "...Del Tredici's song cycle-cum-theatre piece Miz Inez Sez, which received it's world premiere...running the gamut of emotions and humor, and it's virtually impossible to perform...for a soprano for whom the crazy role of Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos would be child's play...one wonders if a soprano of the spectacular gifts of Hila Plitmann is available anywhere else."
Bill Zakariasen, Review of Miz Inez Sez |
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Chicago Tribune
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| "...Soprano Hila Plitmann was superb, with an expressive range and communicative power."
Michael Cameron, Review of Corigliano's Mr. Tambourine Man |
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The Los Angeles Times
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| "...Soaring above the comic fray were exceptionally gifted solo singers Hila Plitmann and Nazani Ashjian, who reiterated many of the beauties Strauss created for the female voice."
Daniel Cariaga, Review of Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme |
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The Westsider |
| "...The song cycle Lament on the Death of a Bullfighter, which received it's world premiere...the stratospheric vocal writing is near impossible but irresistible, and soprano Hila Plitmann's mastery of "cluckatura" could give the Met Opera's current reigning queen on that repertory, Sumi Jo, frightening competition."
Bill Zakariasen, Review of Lament on the Death of a Bullfighter |
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Fanfare |
| "...Hila Plitmann deserves extra battle pay. She negotiates her often torturously high-lying passages with commendable ease, and projects the subtexts of the poems masterfully."
William Zagorski, Review of Miz Inez Sez |
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The Plain Dealer |
| "Del Tredici's Vintage Alice Fantascene on a Mad Tea Party capped the exhilarating concert...The soloist, soprano-actress Hila Plitmann, looked like a young Alice in long blond curls and a lacy party dress, and she sounded like a British nanny telling bizarre stories...Plitmann, performing the piece for the first time, gave a fabulous interpretation."
Wilma Salisbury, Review of Vintage Alice |
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Miami Herald |
| "...Hila Plitmann was a commanding amplified soprano, spinning off the breathless, intricate White Night's Song with ecstatic ease - and from memory, which Del Tredici said was a first."
James Roos, Review of Haddock's Eyes |
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Jerusalem Post |
| "...One factor which made all shortcomings look insignificant - the angelic singing of Hila Plitmann. The clarity and purity of her voice are nothing less than bewitching."
Benjamin Bar-Am, Review of Chichester Psalms
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UPCOMING
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Soloist |
Wing on Wing (Salonen) |
Los Angeles Philharmonic |
2004 |
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Soloist |
Mr. Tambourine Man (Corigliano) |
Brooklyn Symphony |
2004 |
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Extasis (lead role) |
Paradise Lost (Whitacre) |
Cal State Long Beach |
2004 |
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Soloist |
The Long Bright(Clearfield) |
Orchestra 2001 |
2004 |
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Soloist |
Gloria (Poulenc) |
Naples Symphony (Florida) |
2005 |
CONCERT
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Soloist |
Mr. Tambourine Man (Corigliano) |
Minnesota Orchestra |
2003 |
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Soloist |
Esther Oratorio (Handel) |
Capriccio Chamber Players |
2003 |
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Soloist |
Mass in C minor (Mozart) |
Mexico City Philharmonic |
2002 |
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Soloist |
Gloria (Poulenc) |
Xalapa Symphony Orchestra |
2002 |
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Soloist |
Mr. Tambourine Man (Corigliano) |
Chicago Chamber Musicians |
2002 |
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Soloist |
Knoxville: Summer of 1915 (Barber) |
Mexico City Philharmonic |
2001 |
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Soloist |
Requiem (Fauré) |
Pacific Chorale and Symphony |
2001 |
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Soloist |
Chanson de Ronsard (Milhaud) |
Mexico City Philharmonic |
2001 |
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Soloist |
Les Illumination (Britten) |
Pasadena Symphony |
2000 |
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Soloist |
Exultate Jubilate (Mozart) |
Israel Chamber Orchestra |
2000 |
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Soloist |
Vocalise (Corigliano) |
New York Philharmonic (cover - Sylvia Mcnair) |
1999 |
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Soloist |
Brentano Lieder (Strauss) |
Mexico City Philharmonic |
1999 |
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Soloist |
Carmina Burana (Orff) |
Mexico City Philharmonic |
1999 |
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Soloist |
The Spider and the Fly (Del Tredici) |
New York Philharmonic |
1998 |
PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE |
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Sharon |
Master Class(Terrence Mcnally) |
The Fountain Theatre (Los Angeles) |
2004 |
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Extasis (excerpts) |
Paradise Lost (Whitacre) |
Berliner Dom |
2003 |
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Musician (singing role) |
Bourgeois Gentleman (R. Strauss) |
Chicago Symphony (Ravinia) |
2003 |
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Extasis (excerpts) |
Paradise Lost (Whitacre) |
Angel Orensanz Center |
2003 |
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Lysia (excerpts) |
The Nude Goddess (Adamo) |
New York City Opera |
2001 |
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Little Girl (excerpts) |
E-Motion (Machover) |
L'Opera de Monte Carlo |
2001 |
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Queen of the Night |
Die Zauberflöte (Mozart) |
Israel Philharmonic (staged concert version) |
2001 |
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Alice/White Knight |
Haddock's Eyes (Del Tredici) |
Orpheus Chamber Orchestrav |
2000 |
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Dracula/Young Woman |
Dracula (Del Tredici) |
Cleveland Chamber Orchestra |
1999 |
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Monica |
The Medium (Menotti) |
Israel Vocal Arts Institute |
1996 |
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Barbarina |
Le Nozze di Figaro (Mozart) |
Juilliard Opera Center |
1996 |
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Alice/White Knight |
Haddock's Eyes (Del Tredici) |
New World Symphony |
1996 |
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Zerlina |
Don Giovanni (Mozart) |
Israel Vocal Arts Institute |
1995 |
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Sister Constance |
Dialogue of the Carmelites (Poulenc) |
Israel Vocal Arts Institute |
1995 |
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Flora |
Turn of the Screw (Britten) |
The New Israeli Opera |
1988 |
AWARDS |
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Finalist |
Regional competition |
Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions |
2003 |
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Winner |
Verdi Award |
The Orpheus Vocal Competition (Tennessee) |
1998 |
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Winner |
Sony ES Award |
The Juilliard School |
1996 |
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Winner |
America-Israel Cultural Foundation |
Study Scholarship |
1989-97 |
EDUCATION |
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Workshop |
OperaWorks |
Summer Intensive Program |
1998
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School |
The Juilliard School |
Master of Music Degree |
1997 |
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School |
The Juilliard School |
Bachelor of Music Degree |
1995 |
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Workshop |
Israel Vocal Arts Institute |
Joan Dorneman, Artistic Director |
1993-96 |
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Private study |
The Rubin Academy of Music |
Piano |
1980-91 |
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TEACHERS |
COACHES |
DIRECTORS |
CONDUCTORS |
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Elizabeth Hynes |
Lucy Arner |
Ted Altschuler |
Marin Alshop |
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Deborah Birnbaum |
Ann Baltz |
Frank Corsaro |
Andrew Litton |
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Daniel Ferro |
Nico Castel |
John De Lancie |
Kurt Masur |
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Penina Schwartz |
Coradina Capporello |
Mignon Dunn |
Bobby Mcferrin |
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Thomas Grubb |
Simon Levy |
Jorge Mester |
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John Norris |
Carlos Miguel Prieto |
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Robert Spano |
SPECIAL SKILLS |
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Languages spoken: Spanish (fluent), Hebrew (fluent) |
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Piano |
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Gymnastics |
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Black belt in Tae-Kwon-Do |
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Exceptional memorization skills - can learn a 40 minute piece by heart in less than a week! |
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