Jordanka Derilova
Guest of the OperaBiography
The Bulgarian soprano Jordanka Derilova is a graduate of the Lubomir Pipkov Music School and Pancho Vladigerov Music Academy in Sofia, Bulgaria, later studying under Aleksandrina Milcheva at the Boris Christoff Academy in Rome. She made her debut with the opera company in Burgas, Bulgaria, as Elisabeth in Verdi’s Don Carlos. In 1996, Ms Derilova received a permanent contract with the National Opera in Stara Zagora where she sang Mimi, Amelia, Fiordiligi and other roles. In 1997–98, guest performances led her to the National Opera in Sofia (Elisabeth, Amelia). In 1998 the singer became a member of the Prague State Opera, singing the central soprano repertoire – Abigaille (Nabucco), Leonora (Il trovatore), Aida, Amelia (Un ballo in maschera), Elisabeth (Don Carlos), Tosca, Turandot, Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly) and others. The year 2001 saw her on Prague State Opera tour of Japan in the role of Aida with José Cura as Radames.
In 2003 Jordanka Derilova became a member of the Anhaltisches Theater Dessau where she made her role debut as Isolda in Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde in 2006, and was nominated for the Singer of the Year Award by Opernwelt for the same role. In 2005 she was the laureate of the Vissi d’Arte competiton in Salerno, Italy, receiving the Premio di Aida Award; in the same year, she received the Theo Award for the Best Singer, and was nominated for the prestigious Czech Thalia Award for her rendition of Tosca. In 2009 Ms Derilova received the title of Kammersängerin. She has been a regular guest of opera companies in Italy, Switzerland and Germany. In Austria, she has performed at summer festivals at St. Margarethen, Gars am Kamp and Graz. Her most recent engagements include Strauss’ Elektra at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm and Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania, Sicily; Ortrud (Wagner: Lohengrin) in Dortmund and Brünnhilde (Wagner: Götterdammerung) at the National Opera in Sofia.
Update: July 2013