Born in Riga (Latvia) Ira Bertman begun her musical studies in her home town and then studied with Miriam Meltzer at the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem and took part later in the young singers program at the Israeli opera in Tel Aviv and awarded the Garbov and the IVAI Prizes there.
She started her professional career in 2001, as Konstanze, in production of Mozart's Die Entfürung aus dem Serail under the baton of David Stern.
Ira has since then become the leading soloist lyric soprano of the Israeli Opera appearing in such roles as: Pamina in Die Zauberflöte (Mozart) under the baton of Dan Ettinger, the title role of Rusalka in Rusalka (Dvorák) under the baton of Asher Fish (alongside Anan Tomowa-Sintow) , Valencienne in Die lustige Witwe (Lehar), Second Wife in A Journey to the end of the Millennium (Bardanashvili) under the baton of Asher Fisch, Antonia in Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach) under the baton of Frederic Chaslin, Angelica in Suor Angelica (Puccini) under the baton of Asher Fisch, Tatiana in Eugene Onegin (Tchaikowsky) under the baton of Dmitri Jurowski, Mimi in La Bohème (Puccini) under the baton of Keri-Lynn Wilson, Micaela with Neil Shicoff under the baton of Emmanuel Joel…
Her interpretation of Adina in Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore won her wide public and press praise in the 2005 Israeli Opera production when it went on tour at the Deutsche Oper Berlin.
Her wide repertoire includes Mozart heroines as well as the XIXth century French and Russian heroines. Ira is also much in demand for her moving interpretations of the great Verdi and Puccini lyric characters.
In addition to her operatic engagement Ira Bertman appears on the concert platforms in such works as Mozart’s Requiem, Mahler’s 2nd & 4th Symphonies, Bach’s Weinachts Oratorium (which she sung under the baton of Peter Schreier), Rossini’s Stabat Mater and Petite Messe Solennelle…
Her operatic engagements at the Israeli Opera for the 2009 / 2010 season include: Rachel in La Juive (J.F. Halévy) under the baton of Daniel Oren, alongside Neil Shicoff (production : David Pountney), Lisa in Pikovaja Dama (Tchaikovsky) under the baton of Omer Welber, Marguerite in Faust (Charles Gounod) in a production by Paul-Emile Fourny…
In January 2010, Irina made her acclaimed debut in Paris at the Châtelet, appearing in a concert performance devoted to excerpts of Norma, followed in March / April , by her debut in Poland with Lisa in Pikovaja Dama (Tchaikovsky) at the Lodz Opera, a production which will be revived in Tel Aviv, in Lodz again (September 2010).
Irina made her debuts for the opening the 2010 / 2011 season at Warsaw Wielki Opera, singing there her first Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly (staging by Mariusz Trelinski), a role she repeated there in March 2011 and will perform also for her debuts in Cagliari in October 2011.
Since 2010, Irina has been a regular guest at Theater Mannheim where she has been invited to perform the role of Tatiana in Eugene Onegin (under the baton of Dan Ettinger), a role she has repeated several times during the 2010 / 2011 season and will revive during the 2011 / 2012 season.
Further engagements for Mrs Bertman during the 2011 / 2012 season include her assumption of the role of Nedda in I Pagliacci and Jenufa at the Israeli Opera, Tel Aviv.
AUGUST 2011
