Prima Donnas: Gyöngyi Lukács

Although one of the most successful Hungarian dramatic sopranos of recent decades studied at the Tchaikovsky Academy in Moscow, it was at the Erkel Theatre where she first sang an operatic role, stepping in at the last minute to perform the lead in Il trovatore in February 1988: at the age of twenty only. (And this is likely to be one of the historical records of the Budapest OPERA!) Since then, Gyöngyi Lukács’ career path at the Hungarian State Opera has been marked by 265 performances in 25 roles. Yet, she has also graced the stages of all major international opera houses, invariably in leading roles. She debuted abroad as Tosca, becoming “the youngest Tosca in the history of the Deutsche Oper.” She also performed the role under the baton of Plácido Domingo in San Francisco. 36 seasons after her debut, the soprano will select from her fondest memories and roles on her festive evening.