Prague, Sept 10 (CTK) – Czech-born opera singer and actress Sona Cervena received the title Lady of Czech Culture from Culture Minister Daniel Herman on the occasion of her 90th birthday that was celebrated at the National Theatre (ND) in Prague on Wednesday.
ND director Jan Burian recalled on this occasion that Cervena had played in more than 5000 performances in five continents during her long career.
“I always look ahead only, towards the light. I am looking forward to everything,” Cervena said.
Among many presents, she was given a CD with the recording of a performance of W. A. Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro from 1954 in which she sang the role of Cherubino.
Mezzo-soprano Cervena emigrated from East Berlin, where she was a member of the East German State Opera, to West Berlin under very dramatic circumstances, using the last open border crossing along the newly-built Berlin Wall in 1962.
Then she sang on the world’s leading opera scenes not only in Germany, but also in Milan’s La Scala as well as in Paris, Barcelona, Vienna, Amsterdam, Los Angeles, Chicago and tens of other opera houses as well as at many world festivals. She spent a record number of 11 seasons in San Francisco.
Cervena was highly acclaimed for her excellent performance in the operas by Richard Wagner and Czech Leos Janacek. However, her most famous role is Carmen that she sang more than 150 times all over the world.
Apart from classic operas, she also participated in modern music visual projects of Lou Reed and Robert Wilson, for instance.
After the fall of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia, Cervena returned home and she is still actively performing.
At present she appears on the scene of Prague’s National Theatre in the project entitled 1914, directed by American Wilson. She also played the leading role in his performance of The Makropulos Affair, based on drama by Karel Capek, which was premiered at the National Theatre in 2010.
Cervena won the Czech Thalia theatre award for life achievement in 2004 as well other prizes. She received the Artis Bohemiae Amicis medal from the culture minister in 2011. In September 2010, she became a honorary member of the State Opera Prague.
President Milos Zeman presented a medal of merit to her on the national holiday of October 28, 2013.
The Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts (KCICA) bestowed a golden medal for contribution to arts on her two years ago.
Cervena said she was full of invincible energy thanks to being a vegetarian for long.
“I do not eat anything that has eyes as my credo is I will not kill to live. And the other credo of mine sounds: I am happy not because I am getting on well, but I am getting on well because I am happy,” Cervena told CTK.
