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"...I have never seen such a convincingly played pants role as Xenia Puskarz Thomas. All with no distortion of her voice... put wholly at the service of her role. She is of the new generation of actor/singers who are changing the way we think of opera...."​

Nicholas Routley for The Australian Stage

BIOGRAPHY

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Australian mezzo-soprano Xenia Puskarz Thomas is a young artist of the Bayerische Staatsoper Opernstudio.

 

Xenia’s roles in the 2022/23 season include Die Vertraute (Elektra), Sandmännchen (Hänsel und Gretel), Rabe (Der Mondbär), Brautjungfer (Der Freischütz), Küchenjunge (Rusalka) and Dackel/Specht (Das schlaue Füchslein). In addition to her operatic roles, Xenia has enjoyed regular performances with the Opernstudio in theatres across Germany and Italy. Particular concert highlights include soloist with the Bayerische Rundfunk in ‘Elias’ (Mendelssohn) under the baton of Duncan Ward, and alto soloist with players of the Bayerische Staatsorchester in both ‘Requiem’ (W. A. Mozart) and ‘Missa Solemni’ (L. Mozart). The studio production of Il Ritorno /The year of magical thinking (Monteverdi/Didion) premiers this May at the Cuvilliés Theatre, directed by renowned theatre director Christopher Rüping. Xenia will play the dual roles of ‘Melanto/Minerva’. Her position in the studio is renewed for the 2023/24 season.

Xenia received her Master's Degree from the Juilliard School of Music in 2021, under the guidance of professor Edith Wiens, while the recipient of the prestigious full-scholarship

© Xenia Puskarz Thomas.

Please do not replicate without permission. An updated version will be provided upon request. 

Kovner Fellowship.

 

 During her time at Juilliard, Xenia performed the 2021 Alice Tully Hall Vocal Arts Honours Recital with Gracie Francis; Ravel’s Shéhérazade in Pierre Vallet’s Liederabend; Bach’s B Minor Mass conducted by Richard Egarr with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra; and the role of “Aristeo” from Luigi Rossi’s Orfeo directed by Mary Birnbaum, and conducted by Avi Stein. Xenia’s interest in early music involves frequent collaborations with New York-based, early music ensemble Twelfth Night. Most recently, she joined Twelfth Night in their performance of Handel’s Cantata Aminta e Fillide as “Fillide”, as part of the Music Before 1800 concert series in New York.

 

Originally from Brisbane, Queensland, Xenia made her orchestral debut at age 16 with the Queensland Youth Orchestras, where she toured nationally as their soprano soloist. Xenia gained her Bachelor of Music from the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University (QGCU) in 2018 with first-class honours and the University Medal for Academic Achievement. National competition success in the final year of her studies included the generous Opera Foundation for Young Australians Lady Fairfax New York Scholarship and the Tinkler Encouragement Award at the IFAC Handa Australian Singing Competition. During her time in Australia, Xenia was a 2019 Melba Opera Trust Scholar supported by the Amelia Joscelyne Scholarship, as well as a 2021 young artist at Opera Queensland. She has performed Cherubino (Le Nozze di Figaro) with Opera Queensland and Dorabella (Così fan tutte) with Brisbane City Opera.

"...the riveting performance of Xenia Puskarz Thomas, an Australian mezzo with a vibrant, big scaled voice won me over completely...with the fervour of a prima donna... she seemed every bit an Amneris in the making."

 

Fred Cohn for OPERA NEWS

ROLES

Sandmann

Hänsel und Gretel (Humperdinck)

MD: Titus Engel

Bayerische Staatsoper 

Rabe

Der Mondbär (Whilds)

MD: Richard Whilds

Bayerische Staatsoper 

Aristeo

Orfeo (Rossi)

MD: Avi Stein

Juilliard, Peter Jay Sharp Theatre

Cherubino

Le nozze di Figaro (Mozart)

MD: Dane Lam/ D: Patrick Nolan

Opera Queensland, QPAC 

Dorabella

Così fan tutte (Mozart)

MD: Elli Welsh/ D: Chris McNee

Brisbane City Opera

Ramiro

La finta giardiniera (Mozart)

MD: Johannes Fritsch/ D: Imara Savage

Qld Conservatorium 

Mrs Gladys Callaway

World premiere: Dry River Run (Dean)

MD: Nicholas Cleobury/ D: Rodney Hall

Qld Conservatorium 

L'Enfant

L'enfant et les sortiléges (Ravel)

MD: Nicholas Cleobury/ D: Stephen Barlow 

Qld Conservatorium

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Le Prince Charmant*
Idamante*

Idomeneo (Mozart)

MD: Greg Massingham/ D: David Bell 

Qld Conservatorium

Cendrillon (Massenet)

MD: Nicholas Cleobury/ D: Anna Sweeny OM 

Qld Conservatorium

*asterisk indicates performance included scenes of this particular role

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