It has been more than two years since Sonya Yoncheva last appeared at the Met鈥攁 comparatively long absence for one of the company鈥檚 most prolific recent stars鈥攁nd the captivating Bulgarian soprano can鈥檛 wait to return. 鈥淚 love the Met! I love this stage and this audience,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 probably why I have debuted so many new roles here.鈥� A natural risk taker, Yoncheva has made a habit of tackling touchstone roles鈥攊ncluding the title characters of Puccini鈥檚 Tosca, Verdi鈥檚 Luisa Miller, and Desdemona in Verdi鈥檚 Otello鈥攆or the first time on opera鈥檚 grandest stage. Her streak continues this spring, when she unveils her take on Lisa, the long-suffering heroine of Tchaikovsky鈥檚 Pushkin-inspired The Queen of Spades (through June 7).
The performances mark Yoncheva鈥檚 second Tchaikovsky role at the Met, following her 2019 appearance in the title role of Iolanta. Of her portrayal of the lovestruck blind princess, The New York Times praised her singing as 鈥渃lear and focused, yet with a vibration of youthful feeling at its core. It manages to be both bright and gentle, with a penetrating, fearless upper register.鈥� 鈥淔earless鈥� could also describe Yoncheva鈥檚 general approach to performing, as she throws herself fully into the hearts and minds of the characters she portrays. 鈥淢y first consideration when deciding whether I will sing a new role is the psychological aspect. Am I able to go into the character鈥檚 skin?鈥� she explains. 鈥淥f course, I have to be prepared musically, but what is most important is connecting my vocal abilities to the actress I am.'
Lisa promises to be the perfect vehicle for Yoncheva. Initially caught in an unhappy engagement, she abandons her fianc茅 in favor of the officer Hermann. But his fatal gambling obsession drives them both to despair and ruin. It is an emotional and dramatic journey Yoncheva is excited to undertake, and after headlining some of the repertoire鈥檚 most popular warhorses, she is eager to share this lesser-known gem with Met audiences. 鈥淎s ambassadors of art and classical music, we have a responsibility to present these masterpieces that are not as often performed,鈥� she says.
Yoncheva will share the stage with tenor Brian Jagde, who appears as Hermann for the first time, and baritone Igor Golovatenko, who returns as the jilted Prince Yeletsky. Maestro Keri-Lynn Wilson takes the podium to oversee Tchaikovsky鈥檚 chilling tragedy following her celebrated company debut at the helm of Shostakovich鈥檚 Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk in 2022.
