AdrianaBignagni Lesca

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  • Mezzo-Soprano
  • Contralto
Promotional photograph of Adriana Bignagni Lesca
Promotional photograph of Adriana Bignagni Lesca

About Adriana

Born in Libreville, Gabon, Adriana Bignagni Lesca studied at the Conservatoire de Bordeaux with Maryse Castets.

This 2024/25 season, Adriana will make her house and role debut at Hamburgische Staatsoper for Fernace Mitridate, re di ponto and makes returns to Opéra national de Paris for La Princesse de Grenade Les Brigands and Opéra national du Capitole for L’Opinion publique Orphée aux Enfers. On the concert platform, Adriana will sing Berio’s Folk songs with Symfonieorkest Vlannderen conducted by Duncan Ward in a short tour of Belgium.

Highlights from the previous season include her debut at Gran Teatre del Liceu for the European premiere of John Adam’s Antony and Cleopatra, a return to Staatsoper Berlin for the revival of Mozart’s Mitridate, re di Ponto (Arbate), Ježibaba Rusalka at Auditorio de Tenerife and Souffrance in Albéric Magnard’s Guercœur at Opera du Rhin. On the concert platform, Adriana sung Juno Orphée aux enfers with NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester and Marc Minkowski and a New Year’s concert with Philharmonie Zuidnederland conducted by Duncan Ward, including Montsalvatge’s Cinco Canciones Negras.

Previous engagements include Arbate Mitridate, re di Ponto at Staatsoper Berlin, Dorotea Frescopane Viva la mamma at Opernhaus Zurich, Zefka The Diary of the One Who Disappeared at Opera du Rhin, Junon Platée at the Opéra National de Paris, Brambilla in Offenbach’s La Périchole with Les Musiciens du Louvre and Marc Minkowski at Salzburg Easter Festival and on tour to Montpellier, Bordeaux, Grenoble, and Versailles; Fatouma in Marouf, Savetier du Caire by Henri Rabaud at the Opéra National de Bordeaux and the Opéra-Comique de Paris, Rossweisse Die Walküre in Bordeaux and numerous performances and recital at Aix-en-Provence and Montpellier Festivals.

Adriana is based in Bordeaux

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Contact

Mark Hildrew

Mark Hildrew

Executive Director
Grace Hewett

Grace Hewett

Assistant Artist Manager

Representation

Worldwide general management with Askonas Holt

Season Highlights

Sep 2024 - Oct 2024
Opéra national de Paris
Offenbach Les Brigands (La Princesse de Grenade) Stefano Montanari (conductor) Barrie Kosky (director)
Nov 2024
Concertgebouw Brugge/Muziekcentrum De Bijloke
Berio Folk Songs Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen Duncan Ward (conductor)
Jan 2025 - Feb 2025
Théâtre du Capitole
Offenbach Orphée aux Enfers (L’Opinion publique) Chloé Dufresne (conductor)
Feb 2025 - Jun 2025
Hamburgische Staatsoper
Mozart Mitridate, re di Ponto (Fernace) Adam Fischer (conductor)

Selected Repertoire

Adams

Antony and Cleopatra (Charmian)

Bizet

Carmen (title role)

Britten

The Turn of the Screw (Mrs Grose)

Debussy

Pelléas et Mélisande (Geneviève)

Donizetti

Viva la mamma (Dorotea)   •   La fille du régiment (Marquise de Berkenfield)

Dvořák

Rusalka (Ježibaba)

Gershwin

Porgy and Bess (Maria, Annie, Lily)

Janáček

The Diary of One Who Disappeared (Zefka)

Korngold

Die tote Stadt (Brigitta)

Magnard

Guercœur (Souffrance)

Mozart

Mitridate, re di Ponto (Arbate, Fernace)

Offenbach

La Perichole (title role)   •   Orphée aux enfers (Juno)

Rameau

Platée (Junon)

Rossini

I’Italiana in Alghier (Isabella)

Saint-Saëns

Samson and Delilah (Delilah)

Stravinksy

Rake's Progess (Baba the Turk, Mother Goose)

Verdi

Falstaff (Mistress Quickly)   •   Il trovatore (Azucena)   •   Un ballo in maschera (Ulrica)

Wagner

Das Rheingold (Erda)   •   Götterdämmerung (Second Norn)

News

Press

  • Magnard - Guercœur (Souffrance)

    Opéra national du Rhin
    Apr 2024
    • et il y a aujourd’hui Adriana Bignani Lesca (photo), irréprochable à chacune de ses interventions, où elle impose son timbre rare et une diction impeccable, l’actrice étant elle aussi à la hauteur (ah, ce sourire quand elle apprend que Guercœur renvoyé sur Terre va enfin souffrir !). and today there is Adriana Bignani Lesca (photo), flawless in every performance, imposing her rare timbre and impeccable diction, and the actress is also up to the task (ah, that smile when she learns that Guercœur, sent back to Earth, is finally going to suffer!).

    • Adriana Bignagni Lesca confère à sa Souffrance une ligne solide mais subtile, et des graves profonds et nourris. Adriana Bignagni Lesca gives her Souffrance a solid but subtle line, and deep, nourished bass.

    • Adriana Bignagni Lesca trouve dans Souffrance un rôle à la mesure de ses moyens : son timbre profond de contralto, servi par une projection assurée, captive immédiatement. In Souffrance, Adriana Bignagni Lesca finds a role worthy of her abilities: her deep contralto timbre, supported by confident projection, is immediately captivating.

    • tandis que les seconds rôles se montrent idéalement distribués. Ces derniers sont dominés par la superlative Souffrance d’Adriana Bignagni Lesca while the supporting roles are ideally cast. The latter are dominated by the superlative Souffrance by Adriana Bignagni Lesca

  • Dvořák - Rusalka (Jezibaba)

    Ópera de Tenerife
    Mar 2024 - Mar 2024
    • But the one who showed true charisma was the mezzo-soprano Adriana Bignagni Lesca , playing a magnificent and forceful Jezibaba . Lesca offered us a deliciously evil Jezibaba, giving the character undeniable strength and character. In each appearance she kept the entire audience in suspense, thanks not only to an authentic performance, but also to a rich voice where she had the opportunity to stand out by singing the memorable and magical aria Čury mury fuk . It was without a doubt the performance that she connected the most with the audience.

  • John Adams - Antony and Cleopatra

    Grand Theatre del Liceu, Barcelona
    Oct 2023
    • Every member of the supporting cast, led by Adriana Bignagni Lesca as Charmian and Alfred Walker as Enobarbus, was outstanding.

  • Donizetti - Viva la mamma

    Opernhaus Zurich
    Apr 2023
    • She sang an aria from Maria di Rohan and impressed with a deep, velvety mezzo bordering on contralto.

  • Leoš Janáček - The Diary of the One Who Disappeared

    Opera National du Rhin
    Mar 2022
    • La mezzo Adriana Bignagni Lesca (qui ne devait initialement assurer que les représentations de Mulhouse et qui remplace Josy Santos pour ces premières dates strasbourgeoises) descend aisément sous la voix du ténor, vers de profonds graves poitrinés et projette de puissants accents. Le médium aigu est très vibré e vibrant, au service d'un grand phrasé et d'une prononciation limpide, très déliée. [Translated] The mezzo Adriana Bignagni Lesca descends easily under the tenor's voice, towards deep low weights and projects powerful accents. The high mid-range is very vibrant, serving great phrasing and a clear pronunciation, very loose.

  • Gaetano Donizetti - La Fille du régiment

    Teatro Donizetti
    Nov 2021
    • Adriana Bignagni Lesca was a much appreciated surprise; she sang La Marquise de Berkenfield with a smooth bronzed mezzo tending to contralto, with a beautiful, warm low register, powerful yet contained (she would be an excellent Ulrica, methinks). She had a ball with the funny character, singing El arreglito by Sebastián Yradier – the habanera “borrowed” by Bizet to became Carmen’s – or barking with a cavernous bass at her butler, while interpolating smiles and high-pitched giggles for a Duchess. Born to be on stage.

  • Offenbach - La Périchole

    Festival de Radio France et Montpellier Languedoc-Roussillon
    Jul 2018
    • The arrival of Adriana Bignani Lesca as the fourth lady-in-waiting, beautiful mezzo, warm and sonorous. [Translated] L’arrivée d' Adriana Bignani Lesca, la quatrième dame d’honneur, beau mezzo, chaleureux et sonore.

    • The alto Adriana Bignagni Lesca Joins them later in Act II with her ample voice with the beautiful shaded timbre of viola to form a quartet of voices mocking the couple of lovers. [Translated] L’alto Adriana Bignagni Lesca les rejoint par la suite à l’Acte II de sa voix ample au beau timbre ombragé d’alto pour former un quatuor de voix railleuses contre le couple d’amants.