Atala Schöck (Mezzo-soprano)

Born: Hungary

The Hungarian mezzo-soprano, Atala Schöck, received a degree in the Catholic University in Budapest of German language. She then studied singing at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest. She also attended various master-classes with Julia Hamari, Anna Reynolds, Adrienne Csengery, Walter Berry and Walter Moore. In 1999 she won the International Wagner Scholarship. In 1998 she won the Simándy József Singing Competition, 2000 she got 3^rd Prize in he Singing Competition of the Hungarian Broadcasting.

While still a student, Atala Schöck began performing as a guest at the National Theatre in Szeged, Hungary in the role of Fidalma in Cimarosa’s Il matrimonio segreto. In Szeged she also obtained her first engagement and prepared the roles of Cherubino in W.A. Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, Siebel in Charles Gounod’s Faust, Verdi’s Maddalena in Rigoletto and Meg Page in Falstaff.

Since 2003 Atala Schöck has worked on a freelance basis, appearing as a guest on a number of European stages. She has rendered the roles of Javotte in Massenet’s Manon and Tisbe in Rossini’s La Cenerentola at Städtische Bühnen Frankfurt, sang The Third Lady in W.A. Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte at Dresden’s Semperoper, portrayed Amphinomo and Melanto in Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria (The Return of Odysseus) at Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels. She has also appeared at Theater an der Wien, Teatro de la Maestranza Sevilla, Opéra Bastille Paris and the Prague Narodni Divadlo. In 2004, she debuted as Meg Page and Cherubino at Budapest’s State Opera and between 2004 and 2007 she performed in the roles of The Second Esquire and the Flower Maiden in Parsifal at the Bayreuther Festspiele (conductors: Pierre Boulez, Adam Fischer). Since 2006, she performed many roles at the Budapest International Wagner Days. At the National Theatre Prague she has performed the roles of Sesto in W.A. Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito and Muse and Nicklausse in Offenbach’s Les contes d'Hoffmann, during the 2010-2011 season, her repertoire will also include Georges Bizet’s Carmen.

Atala Schöck can also regularly be seen on the concert platform, for example in Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Santa Cecilia Rome, Konzerthaus Wien and Musikverein Wien. For example, in 1999 she sang in J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion (BWV 244) at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and in 2005 she sang J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion (BWV 245) conducted by Helmuth Rilling.

Atala Schöck worked with conductorts Helmuth Rilling, Pierre Boulez, Alessandro de Marchi, Daniele Gatti, Paolo Carignani, Kyrill Petrenko, Pedro Halffter, Vincent Monteuil, Michel Swierczewski, Philippe Jordan, Iván Fischer, Zoltán Kocsis, Péter Csaba and Adam Fischer. With regisseurs Keith Warren, Calixto Bieito, Company El Fura dels Baus, William Kentridge and the Handspring Puppet Company, Karl Ernst und Ursel Hermann, Ondrej Havelka, Christoph Schlingensief, Hartmuth Schörghofer, Balazs Kovalik and Günther Kramer.

Her most important performed roles are Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Dorabella in Cosí fan tutte, Sextus in La clemenza di Tito, Ascanio in Ascanio in Alba, Siebel in C. Gounod’s Faust, Nicklausse/La Muse in Les contes d’Hoffmann, Pauline in La Dame de Pique and Carmen.

Atala Schöck makes her debut at the St Galler Festspiele 2012 as Marguerite in Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust conducted by Sébastien Rouland and directed by Carlos Wagner.

Source: Atala Schöck Website; National Theatre Opera Prague Website (2011-2012)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (May 2012)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Salamon Kamp

Alto

BWV 5 [2^nd, TV], BWV 14, BWV 17 [2014], BWV 20, BWV 23, BWV 26, BWV 80 [3^rd, TV], BWV 81 [1^st, 2006], BWV 81 [2^nd, 2015], BWV 94, BWV 96 [2^nd], BWV 97, BWV 99, BWV 106, BWV 112, BWV 113, BWV 116 [2013], BWV 117 [1^st, Video, 2012], BWV 117 [2^nd, 2012], BWV 117 [3^rd, 2013], BWV 133 [2012], BWV 181 [2013]
[C18-2] (2018, Video): BWV 130
BWV 243 [3^rd, TV], BWV 245 [2^nd, TV], BWV 245 [4^th, TV], BWV 245 [6^th, TV], BWV 245 [8^th], BWV 248/1-3 [5^th]
[C18-3] (2018, Video): BWV 248/1-3

Links to other Sites

Atala Schöck (Official Website)
Atala Schöck (The National Theatre)