Zajick (real name, Zajic), Dolora
Zajick (real name, Zajic), Dolora
Zajick (real name, Zajic), Dolora, American mezzo-soprano; b. Reno, Nev., 1960. She took premed courses at the Univ. of Nev. and received some vocal instruction. After joining the Nev. Opera chorus, she studied voice with its artistic director, Ted Puffer. She began her career singing comprimario roles with the Nev. Opera before pursuing training at the Manhattan School of Music in N.Y. In 1982 she took the Bronze Medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. Following further studies with the San Francisco Opera Merola Program, she made her formal operatic debut as Azucena with the San Francisco Opera in 1985. In 1986 she won the Richard Tucker Award, and then sang at the Houston Grand Opera in 1987. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut in N.Y. on Oct. 8,1988, as Azucena. In 1989 she portrayed that role again at the Vienna State Opera and sang Amneris at the San Francisco Opera. She returned to San Francisco as Marfa in 1990, the same year she appeared as Amneris at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and as Azucena in Florence. In 1993 she sang Azucena in Barcelona. After singing Ulrica at the Metropolitan Opera in 1995, she returned there as Santuzza in 1997, the same year she appeared as Lady Macbeth in Hamburg. In 1999 she returned to the Metropolitan Opera as Amneris. She also appeared as a soloist with many orchs. and as a recitalist.
—Nicholas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire