Latvian mezzo, Zanda Švēde joins the ensemble at Oper Frankfurt this season and makes her house debut as Dryade Ariadne auf Naxos; later in the season she sings the title roles of Xerxesand Barrie Kosky’s Carmen. She travels to Seattle Opera to sing further performances of Carmen in Paul Curren’s production before the end of the 2018-19 season.
Celebrating a long and fruitful relationship with San Francisco Opera since joining its summer Merola Opera Program in 2013, Zanda became an Adler Fellow in Season 2014-15 and remained for three seasons, appearing on the main stage as Flora La Traviata, Tisbe La Cenerentola, Lena in the world premiere of Marco Tutino’s Two Women, Alisa Lucia di Lammermoor, Rychtarka Jenufa, Third Lady Die Zauberflöte, Suzuki Madama Butterfly, Maddalena Rigoletto, Maid The Makropulos Case, and Handmaiden/The Flower in the world premiere of Bright Sheng’s Dream of the Red Chamber.
Other principal guest highlights in the US include Zanda’s debut at Palm Beach Opera as Suzuki, and Olga Eugene Onegin at Opera Idaho. She went on to cover Olga at Lyric Opera of Chicago and sang it in concert at North Carolina Opera. Other roles in Chicago at Lyric Opera include Grimgerde Die Walkure and Maddalena Rigoletto. She made her role and house debut in the title role Carmen at Lyric Opera of Kansas City, winning exceptional reviews.

Full biography