Viorica Cortez

Viorica Cortez (b. December 26, 1935, Bucium, Iasi, Romania)

Viorica Cortez is a world famous Romanian-born mezzo-soprano, later French by naturalisation. Starting her operatic and concert career in the mid-60's, she went on to become one of the most prominent female performers of the 70's and the 80's. An example of professional longevity, she is still present on some of the most prestigious European opera scenes.

Beginnings

With a well-determined Spanish origin (her grand-grand father, Anastasie Cortez, being a coral seller on his way to the Middle East), Viorica Cortez is the eldest one from three sisters (the other two being Stefania, a pianist, and Mioara, a truly Verdian soprano, who had a brief European career). She was born in Bucium, one of the most picturesque surroundings of Iasi. She enjoyed a particularly fervent artistic milieu in her parent's house, since there her passion and intense desire of studying music. Later on, she got received in the Iasi Conservatory and, for her final 3 years of academic studies, she switched to Bucharest's "Ciprian Porumbescu" Conservatory (today the University of Music). In Iasi, at only 17, Cortez made her debut in the alto part of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. She then toured for years the towns of Moldavia, starring almost exclusively in vocal-symphonical repertoire.

Final Studies and First International Recognition

In Bucharest, Viorica Cortez was the student of Arta Florescu, a renowed post-war Romanian soprano and a very esteemed professor (besides Cortez, some of her important apprentices were Marina Krilovici, Eugenia Moldoveanu, Maria Slatinaru-Nistor, Leontina Vaduva and even Angela Gheorghiu). She vividly encouraged the young mezzo-soprano to consider international competitions. Cortez took her advice and applied for the International "George Enescu" Contest in Bucharest (1964), where she ranked only the fourth. The same year, instead, she spectacularly and commandingly won the International Singing Contest in Toulouse, along with Romanian fellow tenor Ludovic Spiess. In "Le Monde", the well-known critic Jacques Lonchampt praised her dark, velvety mezzo, her artistry and technique, as well as her glittering beauty on the stage. This victory took Toulouse by storm and was immediately followed by a contract in the city's noted Theatre du Capitole for the year to come. In the final gala, Cortez sang Leonora's aria from Donizetti's "La Favorita", which, from now on, was to become one of her signature concert and recital pieces.

Still in 1964, Cortez graduated from the Bucharest Conservatory, thus making her debut in a staged opera production - Gluck's "Orphee et Eurydice". Next year, she got triumphant again, this time in the s'Hertogenbosch International Singing Contest, where she obtained the Great "Kathleen Ferrier" Prize. She made her debut in Saint-Saens' "Samson et Dalila" opposed to Ludovic Spiess in Toulouse the same year and she returned as Carmen one year later. In the following period of time, Viorica Cortez established herself as one of the most respected and recognized young Romanian opera singers, though in her native country she still kept appearing mostly in concerts and recitals. After being hired by the Romanian National Opera in Bucharest in 1967, this changed, as she toured the country and Europe (former Jugoslavia, France, Greece and especially Ireland), making her debut in Ambroise Thomas' "Mignon", Giuseppe Verdi's "Don Carlo", "Aida" and "Il Trovatore", Gaetano Donizetti's "La Favorita" and Jules Massenet's "Werther".

In 1967, she won the Grand Prize and the Golden Medal of the International "George Enescu" Contest in Bucharest, ending in glory her competition itinerary. Already an established name in Romania, she toured France alongside Arta Florescu (in "Aida") and made her Choregies d'Orange debut (still in Amneris from "Aida"). The same year, coming from Dublin, she auditioned for the first and only time in her career for Sir Georg Solti, who was looking for a Carmen in the London Royal Opera House's new production. Apparently, after hearing Cortez, he declared: "This IS the Carmen we've been looking for. We found HER". The highly attained in-situ debut occured in 1968 and, although the critics were not unanimously favorable to this newcomer, the performances were hailed as one the season's most notable events. For Viorica Cortez, that meant not only the launching in a new dimension of her professional career, but also the encounter of Sandor Gorlinsky, the legendary agent who added her on his star-studded roster.

More capital debuts came. While maintaining a particular relationships with French opera houses (Toulouse, Rouen, Bordeaux, Avignon, Nice) and still a member of the Bucharest Opera, Cortez sang her first performances in Barcelona (Gran Teatre del Liceu, "La Favorita", 1969), Vienna (Staatsoper, "Don Carlo", 1969), Naples (Teatro di San Carlo, "Norma" and "Aida" opposite Leyla Gencer) and Paris (Grand Opera, "Carmen", 1970).

A New Star Is Born

By the year 1970, Viorica Cortez was virtually on the list of every major opera house manager for booking. Still, for a Romanian artist, getting out of the country was a major challenge, very often insurpassable. The lack of a passport as well as endless difficulties with the local authorities (the famous Security who would have put under suspicion basically any trip to Western Europe) were obstacles not only for her, but for every Romanian performer whou would have hoped for an international career. Many fabulous contracts have been annuled because of this. In the winter of 1970, Viorica Cortez is in Naples, for a row of "Samson et Dalila" opposite Mario del Monaco. She will not return to Romania, deciding to continue her artistic destiny far from her native country and, for quite some time, far from any family member or close friend. It's the kick-off of a stellar career but the personal sacrifices are not to be forgotten.

Viorica Cortez's American debut occurs in 1970. Philadelphia, Pittsburgh then, finally, New York, where she first appears alongside Martina Arroyo in Verdi "Messa da Requiem" in Carnegie Hall. 1971 is a crucial year. Both La Scala and Metropolitan have scheduled her, the first in "Samson et Dalila", the other one in "Carmen". In Milan, succeeding Shirley Verrett's Dalila, Cortez is asked by the opera management and the conductor Georges Pretre to consider an extra performance, an exceptional decision of the theatre following the enormous success of her first appearance with the house. In New York, Richard Tucker (her Don Jose for the debut night) hails her as one of the most attractive and convincing Carmen he has ever sang with.