Adriana Bastidas-Gamboa

The mezzo-soprano was born in Cali, Colombia, and completed her vocal studies at the conservatory in her hometown, supplemented by postgraduate studies at the Cologne University of Music. In season 2007.08, she was a member of the International Opera Studio at Cologne Opera and joined the Cologne Opera ensemble in 2008, where she has been a permanent member ever since. At the Cologne Opera, she has performed in a variety of roles, including Martina Laborde in Peter Eötvös' “Love and Other Demons,” the title roles in Bizet's "Carmen" and Handel's “Rinaldo,” Maddalena in “Rigoletto,” Dorabella in “Così fan tutte,” Olga in “Eugene Onegin,” Suzuki in “Madama Butterfly,” Judith in “Herzog Blaubarts Burg,” Faust/a in “Das Lied der Frauen vom Fluss,” Preziosilla in “La forza del destino,” Margarita in York Höller's “Meister und Margarita,” Le Pélérin in "L'amour de loin", and as Rosina in Ruth Berghaus's production of "Il barbiere di Siviglia". She has also made repeated guest appearances in this role at the Berlin State Opera.

Her most recent roles include Angelina in Rossini's “La Cenerentola,” the title role in Purcell's “Miranda,” Federica in Verdi's “Luisa Miller,” Cornelia in "Giulio Cesare in Egitto", Virtù & Ottavia in "L'Incoronazione di Poppea", Mother in "Hänsel und Gretel", Zia Francesca in Frank Pesci's "The Strangers", and Mrs. Sedly in "Peter Grimes".

In May 2012, she was awarded the Offenbach Prize in recognition of her outstanding achievements at the Cologne Opera. In November 2013, her first solo CD, entitled “Un viaggio in Italia,” was released, taking listeners on a musical journey through the stages of her career. At the Munich Opera Festival of the Bavarian State Opera in 2016, she appeared in the role of Penthesilea, composed especially for her, in the world premiere of Hauke Berheide's opera “Mauerschau.” This was followed by Felix Leuschner's “Requiem für einen Lebenden” at the 2019 Opera Festival. She also sang under the musical direction of Gabriel Feltz in Verdi's Requiem with the Dortmund Philharmonic Orchestra, Judith in Herzog Blaubarts Burg” with the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra and the Dortmund Philharmonic Orchestra, and with the Flemish Symphony Orchestra and Jan Latham-Koenig in “El amor brujo” by Manuel de Falla.

During season 2024.25, she performed the title roles in "Carmen" and "Maria de Buenos Aires", Medoro in "Orlando", Fenena in "Nabucco", the First Maid in "Elektra", and Cornelia in "Giulio Cesare in Egitto" at the Cologne Opera.