The soprano Rosa María Hernàndez Zambrano was born in Monterrey, Mexico. She received a first-class Bachelor in Music at the University of Regiomontana, later specializing in voice under the tuition of Gracelia Luarez.

 

In 2000-2002, she was part if the IOS (Internationales Opernstudio Zürich) with which she sang roles such as Anna in Nabucco as Ines in Il Trovatore on the main stage. Within her repertoire are the much sought after roles of Mimi (La Boheme), Donna Anna and Marzelline.

 

Rosa Hernàndez's career lead her to Germany where she toured successfully as Donna Elvira, Nedda, Cio-Cio-san, and last but not least, the renowned Aida. Most recently, Rosa has sung solos at Zurich Opera's latest season in more contemporary works such as Manfred Trojan's Orest and Prokoviev’s Fiery Angel.  She also sang in Mozart’s classic opera, Die Entführung aus dem Serraill on the main stage of the Zürich Opera House.One of Rosa María Hernàndez's most exciting career steps has been to appear in Puccini's Tosca as the leading lady herself, in Mallorca.

 A great privilege of Rosa María Hernàndez's career has been to sing under the direction of great conductors such as Nello Santi, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Maurizio Arena, Stefano Rangani, Wolfgang Gönnewein and Erik Nielson. Many renowned directors have also crossed her professional path, such as Peter Konwitschny, Gilbert Deflo and John Norris. The newest additions to Hernandez's already rich repertoire are Liu from Turandot, Leonora in il Trovatore and Rosalinde in Fledermaus. Rosa María Hernàndez's great passion for performing lends her a radiant stage-presence which has moved many a audience member and critic. Directors and Conductors always value the great musicality of her voice.

The mezzosoprano Larissa Schmidt studied in Novosibirsk and Lübeck. She then  graduated from the Milan Scala Academy where she took master classes from Leyla Gencer, Shirley Verrett, Leo Nucci and Riccardo Muti. As early as 2000, Schmidt made her debut at La Scala di Milano. Since then she has appeared regularly in major  roles such as Rosina in Barbiere di Seviglia and Cuniza in Oberto. Schmidt'a fast-flourishing career has lead her to  various Italian cities. Touring with the company Teatro Comunale she has performed in Genova, Bologna, Florence, Trieste, Pisa, Sevilla and Valencia, among others.

 

Larissa Schmidt also worked in Germany, for Theater Klagenfurt, as well as appearing in various theatres and festivals such as the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, the Krefeld-Mönchengladbach theatre, and the Schlossfestspiele in Schwerin. During this period she sang main roles by Flotow, Briten, Poulenc, Mussorgsky, Rossini, Mascagni and Verdi.

 

In the last few years Larissa Schmidt has worked in Switzerland. At the beginning of the 2011/12 opera season at Theater Basel, she made her debut as Jezibaba in Rusalka. In 2012/13 she sang the part of Ulrika in Sullivan's Ivanhoe. In the summer of 2013 Schmidt sang at the Oper Schenkenberg, as well as in 2016, in Prokoviev's Maddalena.

 

Most recently she repeated her performance of the role of Ulrica  in the Staatstheater Braunschweig, and in Theater Basel's Hölderlin, by Peter Ruzika. Larissa Schmidt's musical talents do not, however, limit her to operatic roles. She has also sung in religious oratorios: most notably in Verdi's Requiem at the Tonhalle, Zürich.