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ELZA VAN DEN HEEVERS 2012-2013 SEASON HIGHLIGHTED BY METROPOLITAN OPERA DEBUT AS ELISABETTA IN A NEW DAVID MCVICAR PRODUCTION OF DONIZETTIS MARIA STUARDA Ms. van den Heever Makes Her Company Debut With Canadian Opera Company and Completes Her Tenure as Resident Artist in Frankfurt with Role Debuts in Les vpres siciliennes and Maria Stuarda

September 6, 2012 Blessed with a plush, dramatic voice capable of formidable power and dazzling high notes (Associated Press), Ms. van den Heever begins the 2012-13 season as Leonora in Verdis Il Trovatore with Canadian Opera Company and goes on to make her Metropolitan Opera debut as Elisabetta in Donizettis Maria Stuarda in a new David McVicar production opening December 31. During the 2012-13 Season, as she concludes her five-year residency in Frankfurt, Ms. van den Heever will perform role debuts as La Duchesse Hlne in the Companys new production of Verdis Les vpres siciliennes and as Elisabetta in concert performances of Maria Stuarda, in addition to revisiting the role of Elettra in a new production of Mozarts Idomeneo. Ms. van den Heevers most recent triumphs include outstanding role debuts as two formidable Handel characters: Armida in Rinaldo with Lyric Opera of Chicago where The New York Times proclaimed her a bright-voiced, fearless soprano [who] stole every scene she was in, and the title role of Alcina with Opra National de Bordeaux where she was applauded as an important soprano of our times by Seen and Heard International. Her critically acclaimed 2011 debut as Desdemona in Verdis Otello with Oper Frankfurt brought praise for her huge voice, full of tenderness and precision (Frankfurter Rundschau). Following her professional debut as Donna Anna in San Francisco Operas 2007 production of Don Giovanni and an internationally acclaimed European debut in 2008 as Giorgetta in Oper Frankfurts production of Il trittico, the South African sopranos performances have taken her to major stages worldwide, including Opra National de Paris, Munichs Bayerische Staatsoper, Viennas Theater an der Wien, Opra National de Bordeaux and Lyric Opera of Chicago. During her tenure with Oper Frankfurt, Ms. van den Heever has had numerous acclaimed performances including Elisabetta di Valois in Don Carlo, Elsa in Lohengrin, the title role in Donizettis Anna Bolena (concert version), Vitellia in La clemenza di Tito, Antonia in Les contes dHoffmann and Desdemona in Otello, in addition to concert performances of Verdis monumental Requiem. Other roles in Europe have included Elsa in Lohengrin for Munichs Bayerische Staatsoper; Agathe in Der Freischtz at Viennas Theater an der Wien; Fiordiligi in Cos fan tutte for Opra National de Paris; Donna Anna in Don Giovanni at Hamburgische Staatsoper; and Elettra in Idomeneo, the Composer in Ariadne auf Naxos, Leonora in Il Trovatore and, most recently, the title role in Alcina at Opra National de Bordeaux. Critically acclaimed performances in the United States include Fiordiligi with Dallas Opera and Armida for Lyric Opera of Chicago. In San Francisco, where she participated in both the Merola Opera Program and San Francisco Operas Adler Fellowship, she portrayed Mary Custis Lee in the world premiere of Philip Glasss Appomattox and Donna Anna in the Companys 2007 Don Giovanni, performances which were seen nationwide through the Companys Grand Opera Cinema Series and broadcast on Northern Californias KQED Public Television. She enjoys a

successful performance partnership with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony with performances of Strausss Four Last Songs and Grammy Award winning performances of Mahlers Symphony No. 8 in San Francisco, on tour in Europe and on dis c for SFS Media. Contact Information: International Press Representation: Karen Ames Karen@karenames.com (415) 641-7474 Columbia Artists Management, Inc.: http://www.cami.com/?webid=1879 2012-2013 PERFORMANCE CALENDAR Canadian Opera Company, Toronto, Canada VERDI: Il Trovatore (Leonora) Marco Guidarini, Conductor Performances: September 29; October 2, 5, 10, 13, 19, 21, 25, 28, 31, 2012 Official information: http://www.coc.ca Oper Frankfurt DONIZETTI: Maria Stuarda (Elisabetta) Concert Performances Pier Giorgio Morandi, Conductor Performances: November 14 & 16, 2012 Official information: www.oper-frankfurt.com Metropolitan Opera, New York, NY DONIZETTI: Maria Stuarda (Elisabetta) Maurizio Benini, Conductor Performances: December 31, 2012; January 4, 8, 12, 15, 19, 23, 26, 2013 Official information: http://www.metoperafamily.org Oper Frankfurt MOZART: Idomeneo (Elettra) Julia Jones, Conductor Performances: March 17, 21, 24, 30; April 3, 5, 19, 21, 25, 28, 2013 VERDI: Les vpres siciliennes (La Duchesse Hlne) Pablo Heras-Casado, Conductor Performances: June 16, 19, 22, 27, 30; July 3 & 6, 2013 Official information: www.oper-frankfurt.com