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The Latvian soprano, Gunta Smirnova, studied first political science and English in 2004. She then began her studies in Baroque singing with Evelyn Tubb and Ulrich Messthaler at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis (Switzerland), where she also gained rich experience in historical performance practise. Further studies at the Hochschule der Künste Zurich (Switzerland) with Lina Maria Äkerlund, as well as in master-courses (with Jean-Paul Fouchécourt and Andreas Scholl) and privately, with Isolde Siebert (Basel), Yvonne Naef (Zurich) and Karen Brunssen (Chicago).
Gunta Smirnova has worked as a sought-after Baroque concert soloist in Switzerland and abroad. She has appeared, inter alia, with orchestras and ensembles such as the Barockorchester L'arpa Festante München, Les Cornets Noirs, Venice Baroque Orchestra (2008, Christmas Vespers by Monteverdi), Musica Fiorita (Director: Daniela Dolci) (2010, opera arias by G.A.Perti), Cantus Firmus Baroque Orchestra (2011, J.S. Bach's Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248), La Scintilla (2011, J.S. Bach's Johannes-Passion BWV 245), Ensemble Corundum (2013, J.S. Bach's Matthäus-Passion BWV 244; 2012, George Frideric Handel's Messiah). She has worked with conductors like Joshua Rifkin, Jörg-Andreas Bötticher and Sigvards Kļava. In December 2013, she sang Monteverdi's Vesper at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam with the La Cetra Barockorchester Basel under the direction of Andrea Marcon.
Gunta Smirnova has sung in several opera productions: title role in Alessandro Scarlatti's Penelope la casta in a production of the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis (2009), Belinda in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas at the Baroque Music Festival, Rezekne (Latvia, 2007) and at the Festival Les Doménicains, Guebwiller (France, 2010). In addition, she was the understudy for the role of Euridice in Monteverdi's L'Orfeo at Theater Basel (2008). In the summer of 2013, she celebrated success in the role of Mlle de Kirkabon in Grétry's opera Le Huron at Schloss Waldegg. |
