AdrianaBignagni Lesca
- Mezzo-Soprano
- Contralto
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.
Contact

Rowan Bidmead

Mark Hildrew

Grace Hewett
Representation
Worldwide general management with Askonas Holt
Season Highlights
Video
- Playing
Adriana Bignagni Lesca: Cinco Canciones Negras (Xavier Montsalvatge)
The New Year's Concert PhilZuid conducted by Duncan Ward with the PhilZuid Orchestra Credit: OMROEP BRABANT
“L’odio nel cor frenate” from Mozart's Mitridate, rè di Ponto (Arbate)
Credit: Warner Classics
Offenbach: ‘Ô mon cher Amant, je te jure’ – La Périchole
Credit: Auditorium de Bordeaux
‘Ah’ que j’aime les militaires’ from Offenbach’s La Grande Duchesse de Gérolstein
Credit: Auditiorio de Bordeaux
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 RhinApr 2024et 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!).
- Laurent Bury, Concert Classic
- 29 April 2024
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.
- Damien Dutilleul, Olyrix
- 30 April 2024
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.
- Clément Mariage, Forum Opera
- 29 April 2024
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
- Florent Coudeyrat, Premiere Loge
- 29 April 2024
Dvořák - Rusalka (Jezibaba)
Ópera de TenerifeMar 2024 - Mar 2024But 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.
- Celia García, Enplatea
- 15 March 2024
John Adams - Antony and Cleopatra
Grand Theatre del Liceu, BarcelonaOct 2023Every member of the supporting cast, led by Adriana Bignagni Lesca as Charmian and Alfred Walker as Enobarbus, was outstanding.
- Fiona Maddocks, The Guardian
- 04 November 2023
Donizetti - Viva la mamma
Opernhaus ZurichApr 2023She sang an aria from Maria di Rohan and impressed with a deep, velvety mezzo bordering on contralto.
- Laura Servidei, Bachtrack
- 17 April 2023
Leoš Janáček - The Diary of the One Who Disappeared
Opera National du RhinMar 2022La 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.
- Charles Arden, Olyrix
- 21 March 2022
Gaetano Donizetti - La Fille du régiment
Teatro DonizettiNov 2021Adriana 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.
- Laura Servidei, Bachtrack
- 23 November 2021
Offenbach - La Périchole
Festival de Radio France et Montpellier Languedoc-RoussillonJul 2018The 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.
- Yvan Beuvard, Forum Opera
- 11 July 2018
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.
- Nicolas Mathieu, Olyrix
- 13 July 2018