Bridging borders through Verdi: How soprano Angela Ceban conquered the stages of La Monnaie and Opera Ballet Vlaanderen.
The lights dimmed at the Opera Ballet Vlaanderen in Antwerp for a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Nabucco. Among the ensemble stood Angela Ceban, a soprano from the Moldovan village of Cotiujenii Mari.
Today, Ceban holds a unique distinction as the only Moldovan artist collaborating with Belgium's two premier opera institutions: La Monnaie in Brussels and Opera Ballet Vlaanderen. Her journey from a rural music school to the 2024 OPER! Awards "Best Opera House of the Year" is a testament to persistent discipline.
From village violin to European stages
Ceban’s musical foundation began with the violin in the 1990s, the only instrument available in her home village. She credits this early technical rigor for shaping her vocal endurance and professional focus.
Financial constraints initially halted her studies in Chisinau, leading her to Iasi, Romania, at age 19. With no prior experience in classical music, she pivoted from folk interests to the Conservatory’s only available slot: classical vocal performance.
The breakthrough at La Monnaie
After honing her craft at the Iasi Philharmonic, Ceban’s curiosity drove her to Brussels for a Master’s degree in Bel Canto. This leap led to a successful audition at La Monnaie, the Belgian federal national opera.
She later secured a second collaboration with Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, the largest cultural institution in Flanders. Her work now spans four languages—Italian, German, French, and English—within a diverse international choir.
A mirror to modern displacement
In the recent production of Nabucco, the famous Va, pensiero chorus resonated deeply with Ceban’s own biography. The director used a massive stage mirror to link the biblical exile to contemporary themes of war and nationalism.
"It is about longing for home and the loss of roots," Ceban noted, reflecting on the relevance of the performance to modern audiences. She emphasizes that an opera voice is built on extreme patience and intuitive trust in one's body.
Despite her European success, Angela Ceban has yet to perform on a professional stage in her native Republic of Moldova—a potential future chapter in an already remarkable career.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
