Tara Erraught Brings Operatic Hospitality to Salzburg’s Rossini Comedy

The Irish mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught starred as Madama Cortese in Rossini’s comic opera *Il viaggio a Reims* during the Salzburg Whitsun Festival in May. The production later moved to the larger summer stage, concluding its run the previous Sunday. In the plot, Erraught’s character runs a spa that hosts aristocratic guests stranded by a shortage of horses on their way to Charles X’s coronation in Reims, France.

New York Times

Erraught, now 40, has built an international reputation through roles in Rossini, Mozart and less-performed works such as the songs of Alma Mahler and an album of castrato Giusto Ferdinando Tenducci. Early in her career she faced criticism in 2014 when British reviewers questioned her suitability for the role of Octavian in Strauss’s *Der Rosenkavalier* on the basis of body type. Prominent singers, including Jessye Norman and Alice Cooteroose, publicly defended her, emphasizing vocal quality over appearance. In 2020 she launched “Celebrating the Voice,” a professional-development program offering master classes, lectures and performances, most recently at Dublin’s National Concert Hall. She served on the board of Irish National Opera through 2025, a company slated to mark its 10th anniversary in the 2027-28 season.

New York Times

She described her role as Madama Cortese as an opportunity to “hold the fort” for a diverse, high-profile audience, drawing on her upbringing as the daughter of professional chefs to inform her approach to performance and collaboration.

New York Times

Through “Celebrating the Voice,” Erraught has mentored the next generation of singers, providing practical training that mirrors the adaptability she champions onstage. Her dual focus on artistic excellence and inclusive professional development reflects a broader shift in opera toward valuing talent and resilience over conventional aesthetic expectations.

New York Times