Éva Marton

Born: as Éva Heinrich on 18th June 1943 in Budapest

Degree: professor emerita, Prof. Dr. Habil and honorary professor of University of Szeged

Studies:
1962-1968: Franz Liszt Academy of Music - opera singer and a vocal teacher degree

Academic activities:
2005–2013 Head of the Department of Vocal and Opera Studies of the Franz Liszt Music Academy between, teaching as professor emeritus after 2013.

Master classes:
Besides the numerous international and national master classes, she is regularly giving international masters classes since 2005 within the framework of the Szeged International Music Days.

Selected concerts:

Éva Marton is one of the most outstanding dramatic soprano singers in the world. Her wide repertoire is nearly unparalleled, beside Verdi, Puccini, Richard Strauss and Wagner roles she also feels home in the world of verismo (Giordano, Ponchielli) too. As a result of her consistent work, the lyric soprano Éva Marton has become one of the greatest dramatic sopranos of our age and she now belongs to the best singers of the world since more than 30 years.

She has performed in every notable opera of the world, such as La Scala in Milan, the MET in New York, the Staatsoper in Vienna, in Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, in Barcelona, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston the Covent Garden in London, in Paris, Hamburg, München, Berlin, Moscow, Sydney to mention a few. Besides the significant concert halls, she is a regular participant at various music festivals; she returns regularly to the Arena in Verona, to festivals in Salzburg and München, Bayreuth, to the Caracalla in Rome, Torre del Lago, Macerata etc.

Thanks to her wide repertoire, she has approximately 30 complete opera, several aria and concert recordings and video, laser and DVD recordings. She is regularly participating at charity concerts and is an honorary board member of several humanitarian companies. The New York Times chose her singer of the year in 1981, 1986 and artist of the year in 1982. We should highlight the Bartók-Pásztory and the Kossuth Prize along with the prize “For the Reputation of Hungarians” from her numerous flattering awards beside her being a life member of the Vienna Staatsoper and owner of the Kammersängerin (Ks.) title. She is an honorary citizen of Ferencváros since 1996, artistic director of the Miskolc International Opera Festival between 2002 and 2007 and is an honorary citizen of Miskolc since 2008 and of the capital since 2015 (see the detailed list of awards, prizes).

As a recognition of her life path and artistic career Ferenc Mádl, President of the Hungarian Republic awarded her the “Middle Cross with Star of the Hungarian Republic” on 20th August 2003, then the honorary professor title of Franz Liszt Music Academy of Budapest on 15th September. She has been heading the Department of Vocal and Opera Studies of the Liszt Academy since September 2005. She is university professor since 1 September 2007.

In 1972, under the baton of Riccardo Muti she performed Mathilde in Rossini’s Guillaume Tell at the Maggio Musicale of Firenze, her partner was Nicolai Gedda among others. The summer of the same year she sang Odabella in Verdi’s Attila under the baton of Lamberto Gardelli. She made her debut as Tosca on Vienna Staatsoper stage in 1973 with great success soon followed with Tatjana’s role in a new Onegin production. In 1974 she conquered the Bayerische Staatsoper audience in München as Don Giovanni’s Donna Anna with Ruggero Raimondi and Peter Schreier on her side under the baton of Wolfgang Sawallisch. In 1976 she already debuted at the Metropolitan in New York as Eva in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

In 1977-1978 she sang both Elisabeth and Venus in Tannhäuser at the Bayreuther Festspielhaus under the baton of Sir Colin Davis with a huge success. Her La Scala debut in 1978 as Leonora in Il Trovatore was an overwhelming success, Zubin Mehta conducted the production. Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle premier followed in November with György Melis as his partner and conducted by Zoltán Peskó, directed by György Presszburger. This was the first Hungarian language performance of the two hundred- year history of La Scala and it has a lot of success.

Memorable performances among others:

Frankfurt/Main: La Forza del destino (Plácido Domingo, 1974)

München: Tosca (Plácido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes, 1976);

Madrid: Aida (Plácido Domingo, 1977);

San Francisco: Aida (conductor: Gianandrea Gavazzeni, 1977)

Madrid: Manon Lescaut (Plácido Domingo, 1978);

Hamburg: Die Empress in Die Frau ohne Schatten (Birgit Nilsson, René Kollo, conductor: Christoph von Dohnányi, 1977)

Hamburg: Manon Lescaut (Plácido Domingo, directed by Götz Friedrich, conducted by Varviso April 1979);

Her debut as Lohengrin’s Elsa, then as the Empress with Birgit Nilsson conducted by Marek Janowski in Buenos Aires Teatro Colón in 1979 was a tremendous success. There was another memorable success in 1979, she debuted in Chicago in Giordano’s Andrea Chénier opera as Maddalena, together with Plácido Domingo and Renato Bruson directed Tito Gobbi and conducted by Bruno Bartoletti. A curiosity in December followed: for the first time in the Philippines and opera was sung: they performed Tosca (Marton, Domingo, Diaz, conducted by Kurt Adler) and La Forza del destino (Marton, Giacomini, Diaz, conducted by Kurt Adler) with the San Francisco Opera as invited guests.

In February of 1980, she made her debut in Geneva Opera as Ariadne in Richard Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, her partner was Edita Gruberova. She was awarded the “Silver Rose” prize for her exceptional artistic and singing performance in the Tosca series in La Scala (premiere on 15 March 1980 with Luciano Pavarotti, conducted by Seiji Ozawa). She performed Ariadne in the festival in München under the baton of Wolfgang Sawallisch then she appeared as Aida in the Caracalla in Rome. She did not extend her guest contract in Hamburg, she continued as a freelance.

In 1981 she made her debut in Japan in Fidelio’s role under the baton of Wolfgang Sawallisch, then performed Helena in Richard Strauss’s Die ägyptische Helena (The Egyptian Helen) for the first time at the Münchner Festival also conducted by Sawallisch. In the same year, she sang the Emperor in Richard Strauss’s Die Frau ohne Schatten, her partner Birgit Nilsson conducted by Erich Leinsdorf with major success. New York Times elected her singer of the year for her excellent performance.

In 1982 she made her debut in Zürich as Fedora in Giordano’s opera under the baton of Nello Santi. In May she sang Tosca with Plácido Domingo in Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires under very difficult circumstances due to the Falkland war, but the audience did not spare its gratitude, their success was beyond description. In July she made her debut at the Salzburg Festival portraying Fidelio with Reiner Goldberg as her partner under the baton of Lorin Maazel. In the MET season-opening she made her debut as Gioconda in September with Plácido Domingo as her partner under the baton of Giuseppe Patanè, then, also at the MET she portrayed Elisabeth in Wagner’s Tannhäuser with Richard Cassilly and Bernd Weikl as her partners; James Levine conducted the production in November. The opera was recorded on video. The New York Times elected her artist of the year for her performance in these two roles.

Her debut in Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona as Leonora in La Forza del destino was a sweeping success. Her first appearance in Vienna Staatsoper was in April in Andrea Chénier’s Maddalena. She sang her first Turandot in the Vienna Staatsoper on 12 June and with this role of hers she earned fame also in Europe. Turandot became one of her key roles. Her partners were Katia Ricciarelli and José Carreras, with Lorin Maazel as conductor and Harald Prince as director. The performance was broadcasted live on TV, and a movie and album recording were also produced. She sang the role in a new direction (Giancarlo del Monaco) in the same year in Hamburg with Franco Bonisolli under the baton of Giuseppe Patanè. She opened the eight-hour-long MET Centennial Gala concert on 22 October in New York with her Turandot aria („In questa reggia”) between two Hamburg performances. In November she already sang the same role in Boston. In the summer she performed at the Salzburg Festival again singing Fidelio with James King conducted again by Lorin Maazel. Orfeo records produced a live CD from one of the performances. She concluded the year with the same role at the MET, this time with Jon Vickers as her partner under the baton of Klaus Tennstedt.

She made her debut at the Houston Grand Opera in Tosca on 12 April 1984 with Plácido Domingo and Ingvar Wixell as her partners under the baton of John DeMain. She sang her first Brünnhilde in Siegfried with tremendous success in the San Francisco Summer Festival on 26 May with René Kollo under the baton of Edo de Waart, in the production of Nikolaus Lehnhoff. In August she made her debut in Arena di Verona in Tosca with Giacomo Aragall and Ingvar Wixell, conducted by Daniel Oren. The production was recorded on film. On 24 September she sang her first Lohengrin’s Ortrud in the Opening Night of the MET. For the first time in MET’s history after the “Entweihte Götter...” a Wagner performance was interrupted with a standing ovation! Her partners were Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Plácido Domingo, Leif Roar under the baton of James Levine in the production of August Everding. She sang Gioconda the same year with José Carreras. She was awarded the German journal’s “Große Lob” for her vocal and artistic performance.

In April 1985 she sang Turandot in La Scala of Milan with Nicola Martinucci under the baton of Lorin Maazel. On 8 June she made her debut as Götterdämmerungʼs Brünnhilde in the San Francisco Summer Festival under the baton of Edo de Waart, in Nikolaus Lehnhoff’s direction. In July she sang Andrea Chénier’s Maddalena with José Carreras and Piero Cappuccilli under the baton of Riccardo Chailly in La Scala. The production was recorded on film. She performed in Sydney, Australia for the first time on 16 October portraying Tosca under the baton of Alberto Erede. The production was recorded on film. She sang Lohengrin’s Elsa in MET with Leonie Rysanek and Peter Hofmann under the baton of James Levine directed by August Everding. The performance was recorded on film.

In March 1986 she sang the Empress in Richard Strauss’s Die Frau ohne Schatten in La Scala, under the baton of Wolfgang Sawallisch, in the direction of Jean-Pierre Ponnelle. On 24 May she portrayed Gioconda in Vienna Staatsoper with Plácido Domingo under the baton of Ádám Fischer. The performance was broadcasted live on television as well as a film was made out of it. In October she sang Tosca at MET with Plácido Domingo and Juan Pons, under the baton of Luis Antonio García Navarro. For her artistic and vocal performance, she was chosen The Singer of the Year by the New York Times along Joan Sutherland.

On the 12th March 1987 premiere at the New York Metropolitan Opera she sang Turandot with Plácido Domingo, Leona Mitchell under the baton of James Levine, it was directed by Franco Zeffirelli. The performance was recorded on film. She made her debut with the same role in the London Covent Garden. She sang Salome for the first time in a concert performance in Paris Théâtre du Châtelet, under the baton of Marek Janowski on 29 May. She also sang her first Die Walküre’s Brünnhilde in a new production under the baton of Armin Jordan in the Geneva Opera on 8 September. She was awarded the “Kammersängerin” in the Vienna Staatsoper the same year.

She sang both roles in Tannhäuser, Elisabeth and Venus, on the same night at the Houston Grand Opera under the baton of Julius Rudel in April 1988. She returned to the Arena di Verona as Turandot, conducted by Nello Santi. On 26 September on the Opening Night of the MET, she sang Verdi’s Leonora in Il Trovatore in Franco Melano’s new production with Dolora Zajick, Luciano Pavarotti, Sherrill Milnes under the baton of James Levine and directed by Fabrizio Melano. The television broadcasted the performance live worldwide (except for Hungary) the 15 October performance and it was also recorded on film. She portrayed Gioconda in San Francisco Opera in the same year.

On 20 February 1989, she made her debut in a new production as Salome on the stages of the New York Metropolitan Opera with Bernd Weikl as her partner conducted by Marek Janowski, directed by Nikolaus Lehnhoff. On 9 April she portrayed Leonora in the Verdi, La Forza del destino’s premiere in Giancarlo del Monaco’s new production in the Vienna Staatsoper with Peter Dvorský and Renato Bruson, under the baton of Luis Antonio García Navarro. On 10 June she made her debuts as Elektra in the Vienna Staatsoper in Harry Kupfer’s new production, conducted by Claudio Abbado. The premier was broadcasted live on television and on radio and it was also recorded on film. In the summer the Wiener Staatsoper had guest performances in Salzburg Festival with this production and The Vienna Staatsoper also opened its 1989/90 season with the same production. On 9 November she received the “Star in Gold” medal followed by a Tosca Gala performance on 11 November in the Hungarian State Opera, and on the next day on 12 November an Elektra-premier in Stuttgart Opera, conducted by Luis Antonio García Navarro.

At the beginning of 1990 EMI records produced an Elektra album with an excellent cast under the baton of Wolfgang Sawallisch. On 27 January she sang Elektra in the Barcelona Gran Teatre del Liceu with a tremendous success under the baton of Uwe Mund, directed by Núria Espert, Spain’s lead actress and director. A devastatingly successful Elektra in London Covent Garden followed on 3 March in Prof. Götz Friedrich’s new production conducted by Sir Georg Solti. “Double Hungarian Triumph” noted the Times on its front page. During the Viennese Staatsoper Marton Weeks, she performed 11 times in the Staatsoper between 19 May and 30 June as Elektra, Tosca, Leonora (La forza del destino) and Turandot. In September she made her debut with Salome in Tokyo under the baton of Seiji Ozawa and sang the same role in November with the Berliner Philharmonics under the baton of Zubin Mehta, Sony records an album during the performance. An Elektra series conducted by Stefan Soltesz in Antwerp and an Ariadne in Bonn Opera followed.

In January 1991 she sang Tosca again in the Houston Grand Opera this time in the direction of Jonathan Miller, with whom they already performed the same at the Maggio Musicale in Firenze (1986 under the baton of Zubin Mehta). On 3 March her Elektra performance in a concert was sweeping success at the Carnegie Hall with the Wiener Philharmoniker under the baton of Lorin Maazel. In March she received the Bartók–Pásztory Award in Budapest. For her particular vocal and artist performance as Elektra, she was nominated for the Sir Laurence Olivier Prize in Covent Garden, London. She was elected a life member of Wiener Staatsoper and she received the Mario del Monaco Prize in Italy.

In 1992 she sang Turandot in David Hockney’s new production in the Chicago Lyric Opera. In the Salzburg Easter Festival, she sang her first Dyer’s Wife in Richard Strauss’s Die Frau ohne Schatten with Marjana Lipovšek, Cheryl Studer, Robert Hale and Thomas Moser under the baton of Sir Georg Solti directed by Prof. Götz Friedrich. They repeated the production at the Salzburg Summer Festival with the same cast; it was also broadcasted live and recorded on film. This was the first time the performance was shown without any cut, except for the world premiere.

In 1993 she sang Ortrud in Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu, Ariadne in Houston Grand Opera and Turandot in Washington. In April she portrayed Judith with tremendous success in Bartók’s The Bluebeard’s Castle in Paris Theatre de Chatelet with Csaba Airizier as her partner conducted by Charles Dutoit and directed by Stephen Braunschweig. In September she celebrated her 25th career anniversary; she sang her first Gertrudis in Erkel’s Bánk bán in the Hungarian State Opera with András Molnár. Their duet was recorded by the television, and the opera was recorded in a studio. She sang again the title role in the famous painter, David Hockney’s Turandot, this time in San Francisco with Michael Sylvester under the baton of Donald Runnicles. The opera was also recorded on film. She sang Brünnhilde in a new Die Walküre production in the Chicago Lyric Opera with Siegfried Jerusalem, James Morris, Tina Kiberg under the baton of Zubin Mehta directed by Prof. August Everding. She was awarded the John Seabury Prize for her vocal and artistic work.

In 1994 she sang Elektra again at the Covent Garden in London with a tremendous success this time under the baton of Christian Thielemann. As the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona was completely burnt down the planned Turandot-production was performed as a concert in the Sant Jordi Olympic Stadium in front of 16.000 spectators with great success. Her partner was Giuseppe Giacomini. She continued her success with Turandot in Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, where after her fourth performance all seven floors leapt on their feet in a standing ovation. (Insiders could only recall something similar in the seven-storey building 10 years earlier in Rigoletto, where Pavarotti performed). Mexico City followed with Sydney in November, where she sang in front of 40.000 spectators in a Football Stadium. She received the same year the Middle Cross Award of the Hungarian Republic.

1995 She sings Siegfried’s Brünnhilde in Chicago Lyric Opera’s new Ring production with Siegfried Jerusalem conducted by Zubin Mehta and directed by Prof. August Everding. She performs Turandot with great success in the Münchner Staatsoper. She made her debut in Teatro La Fenice in Venice with Schönberg’s Erwartung with Isaac Karabtchevsky conducting. In the second part of the evening, she sang Judit in Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle with Csaba Airizer. She returned to the Arena of Verona with a new Turandot production. Her partners were Katia Ricciarelli, Nicola Martinucci under the baton of Daniel Oren directed by Giuliano Montaldo. She sang Brünnhilde in the Ring-cycle in the Deutsche Oper Berlin under the baton of Jiří Kout, directed by Prof. Götz Friedrich. In La Scala, she portrayed Judith in Bluebeard’s Castle in a concert performance under the baton of Riccardo Chailly, then in another concert performance with the Dresden Philharmonic under the baton of Michel Plasson. Her partner during both performances was László Polgár. The Dresden concert was recorded on film.

In 1996 she sang Götterdämmerung’s Brünnhilde at the Chicago Lyric Opera’s Ring production under the baton of Zubin Mehta and in the direction of Prof. August Everding then she concluded with the portrayal of two Ring cycle’s Brünnhilde. She made her debut as Santuzza in Budapest as well as in the Wiener Staatsoper with the same role; her partners were Luis Lima, Paolo Gavanelli under the baton of Marcello Viotti. In São Paulo, she sang Turandot and Judit in Bluebeard’s Castle under the baton Isaac Karabtchevsky. She performed at the Millenium Gala Concert honouring Hungary at the Kennedy Center. She was elected an honorary citizen of Ferencváros.

In March 1997 she portrayed Elektra at the Washington Kennedy Centre with enormous success under the baton of Heinz Fricke directed by Elijah Moshinsky. She received the Kossuth Prize for her achievements. In June in Lyon, she sang again Elektra in an open-air performance conducted by Kent Nagano. As the only woman in the company of 14 men including Nobel Prize laureate mathematicians, chemists, physicist and members of the golden team she received a prize For the Reputation of Hungarians and the accompanying bell. In October she sang Judit in Bluebeard’s Castle with Csaba Airizer in Rio de Janeiro under the baton of Gábor Ötvös. After a longer break in November, she returned to the MET, where she sang in front of a full house with great success. She concluded the year also with Turandot in the Wiener Staatsoper.

In January 1998 she sang Lohengrin”s Ortrud in the Hamburg Staatsoper premiere with Inga Nielsen and Thomas Moser under the baton of Ingo Metzmacher. The cast dressed as students and the plot among the school benches were the genius idea of the director, Peter Konvitchny. The initial negative reaction of a small part of the audience soon turned into sweeping success and it was selected the production of the year in Germany in 1998. Another rewarding performance was born in Hamburg: Janáček’s Jenůfa was staged where she made her successful debut as the Sacristan's wife with Karita Mattila under the baton of Peter Schneider directed by Olivier Tambosi. She sang Gioconda in June at the Deutsche Oper Berlin under the baton of Marcello Viotti. In September she sang the Dyer’s Wife in a new Die Frau ohne Schatten production in the same place without any cut again, her partners were Deborah Voigt, Jane Henschel, Thomas Moser and Alan Titus under the baton of Christian Thielemann directed by Arlaud. In November she already had her Elektra premiere in Madrid at the Teatro Real conducted by Luis Antonio García Navarro and directed by Henning Brockhaus. She concluded the year in Barcelona where she sang Kundry in the Parsifal for the first time. The second half was presented as a concert in Palau de la Música with Robert Dean Smith, Bernd Weikl, Hans Sotin, Sergej Putilin conducted by Antoni Ros-Marbà.

In February, March and at the beginning of April in 1999 the Lohengrin and Jenůfa series continued (14 performances) in Hamburg. This was followed by Judit in a concert version of Bluebeard’s Castle in the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest, then in Amsterdam in the Concertgebouw with Kolos Kováts and the Budapest Festival Orchestra conducted by Iván Fischer. On 16 April she sang Judith in a gala-premier in the Teatr Wielki in Warsaw with Mihály Kálmándi, under the baton of Jacek Kaspszyk. She portrayed Turandot in Hamburg then Ortrud from Lohengrin and the Dyer’s Wife in the Deutsche Oper Berlin. In October she opened the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona with Núria Espert’s new production of Turandot, under the baton of Bertrand de Billy. In November she sang an outstanding Tosca-series in the New York Metropolitan Opera.

The Hamburg Lohengrin production (Ortrud) conducted by Peter Schneider was presented with tremendous success in April 2000 in the Barcelona Gran Teatre del Liceu. She then sang Jenůfa’s sacristan's wife role in Hamburg. At the end of May, she made her debut as Isolde in a renewed Ruth Berghaus Tristan and Isolde production, under the baton of Ingo Metzmacher. After the second performance of the successful series she suffered an Achilles tendon rupture in a stage accident during the applause, therefore, she could only return to the stage in September as the Dyer’s Wife in Richard Strauss’s Die Frau ohne Schatten at the Deutsche Oper of Berlin under the baton of Christian Thielemann. In November she sang the Dyer’s Wife again in the new Andreas Homoki production in the Barcelona Gran Teatre del Liceu under the baton of Peter Schneider.

In February of 2001, she sang Kundry in Parsifal in the São Carlos National Theater in Lisbon, under the baton of Gábor Ötvös. In March she recorded Gertrudis in Erkel’s Bánk bán. During the time of the recording, she also sang it in a concert performance in Erkel Theater under the baton of Tamás Pál. In April and May, she sang Turandot and Ortrud in Hamburg and in München. In June a Bánk bán opera movie was produced with Andrea Rost and Atilla Kiss B. as her partners directed by Csaba Káel. The cinematographer was the Oscar winner Vilmos Zsigmond. Her Lohengrin premier (Ortrud) planned in Los Angeles for 12 September was postponed until 1 October due to the New York terror attacks, the series directed by Maximilian Schell started with the planned second performance on 15 October with the planned second performance under the baton of Kent Nagano.

In April 2002 she sang Elektra in the Deutsche Oper of Berlin, she sang at concerts in Madrid, Valencia then she recorded Puccini novelties and songs at the Miskolc International Opera Festival where she also gave a concert of Puccini opera extracts with Atilla Kiss B. under the baton of László Kovács both times. She became the artistic director of Miskolc International Opera Festival. She sang in a concert-performance of Gyula Fekete’s Roman Fever at the Ravello Festival in Italy. In October she portrayed the Dyer’s Wife in Richard Strauss’s Die Frau ohne Schatten in the Athens Festival. She sang Turandot at the Paphos and Maltese Festivals and then in Teatr Wielki of Warsaw.

In January of 2003, she sang Turandot during the Japan tour of Teatr Wielki of Warsaw as a guest star. In February she returned to Tokyo, where she sang on a concert series together with world-famous colleagues. After concerts in Spain, she sang Turandot in Hamburg, then in May and June, she participated in the world premiere of Isaac Albeniz’s Merlin as Morgan le Fay at the Teatro Real in Madrid. In June she sang Judith in Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle with Robert Hale under the baton of László Kovács at the Miskolc International Opera Festival, where she was the artistic director. On 30 August, at the request of the theatre, she sang Puccini’s Manon Lescaut in a nostalgy gala performance in Frankfurt Opera with great success. In October she portrayed Tosca in the Japan tour of the Prague National Opera (16 October, Hamamatsu: her 225th and last Tosca performance). She had very successful Elektra performances in Hamburg under the baton of Stefan Soltesz. On 20 August she received the “Middle Cross of the Hungarian Republic with the Star”, then on 15 September she was elected honorary professor of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music.

In March of 2004 Janáček’s Jenůfa was premiered in the Hungarian State Opera in the original language. She sang Kostelnička with Éva Bátori, Atilla Kiss B., and Attila Wendler, Attila Vidnyánszky directed the production and János Kovács was the conductor. The production had tremendous success and extraordinary positive media coverage both in the Hungarian and the international media. In October Jenůfa, with the same cast was a similarly a great success. In May Lohengrin (Ortrud) was presented at the Budapest Erkel Theatre in the direction of one of Wagner’s great-granddaughter, Katharina Wagner. The modern interpretation was highly disputed, but it did not hurt the Hungarian opera culture. Her partners were Eszter Sümegi, Atilla Kiss B. and Béla Perencz, the performance was conducted by Yuri Simonov.

In February and April of 2005, she had song recitals and aria-concerts in Spain, then she sang Jenůfa’s Kostelnička again in Olivier Tambosi’s production in the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona in May with Nina Stemme under the baton of Peter Schneider. The performance had tremendous success and a film was also produced. Then she participated at the Miskolc International Opera Festival as the artistic director. After several international and national master courses, she held an international master course within the framework of the Szeged Festival in mid-July. She was appointed the head of Vocal and Opera Studies Department of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music. A new chapter in her life started.

On 21 August she recited songs and arias in Balatonfüred during the Veszprém Festival, then she sang in a charity concert for the Music Academy on 18 September. She sang Kostelnička Jenůfa at the Hungarian State Opera, then she interpreted Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen in three concerts in Dortmund under the baton of Arthur Fagen. She performed at the Music Academy on 31 December again, she sang at the, by now, the traditional Amadinda Percussion Group’s New Year’s Eve concert.  

In 2006 beside her teaching engagements she gave a charity concert for the Music Academy on 5 March, then at the end of April, she was the president of the József Simándy Singing Competition jury in Szeged. In June she participated at the Miskolc International Opera Festival as artistic director and she sang the title role of Giordano’s Fedora with Giuseppe Giacomini in a concert performance at the festival. In July she held a master class in Szeged within the framework of the International Music Days of Szeged, then in Locarno (Switzerland). On 18 and 20 August, she sang Gertrudis in Erkel’s Bánk bán at the Open-Air Festival of Szeged in the direction of János Szikora under the baton of Gergely Kesselyák. She portrayed Jenůfa’s Kostelnička in November at the Hungarian State Opera under the baton of Géza Török. She performed the same roles in December in Hamburg under the baton of György Győriványi Ráth. She habilitated at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in the same year.

In 2007 beside teaching at the university, she was president of the International Singing Competition in Spoleto in spring then she sang Judith at the Music Academy in The Bluebeard’s Castle commemorating Bartók on March 25th with András Palerdi under the baton of László Kovács. In June she portrayed Jenůfa’s Kostelnička in Hamburg and she kept her position as the artistic director of the Miskolc International Opera Festival. In July she held a master class in Szeged again and in August she was a member of the International Singing Competition of Saint Petersburg jury. She received her university professor appointment from Hungarian President László Sólyom. Then she sang Jenůfa’s Kostelnička at the Düsseldorf Opera then she held a masterclass in the framework of the Chinese Hungarian Days in Shanghai. She resigned as the artistic director of the Miskolc International Opera Festival due to her university engagement.

She sang Klytemnestra in Richard Strauss’s Elektra – after Chrysothemis and Elektra – in seven performances at the Gran Teatre del Liceu of Barcelona In February and at the beginning of March 2008 under the baton of Sebastian Weigle. At the end of March, she was an honorary guest of the ceremony for Franco Zeffirelli’s 85th birthday organised at the MET in New York. The reason for her invitation was that she participated in two of the master’s direction: Tosca and Turandot. She was president of the first International József Simándy Singing Competition jury at the end of April. She became an honorary citizen of Miskolc City on 9 May. She performed at a charity concert in Ludwigshafen for the invitation of the Hannelore Kohl Foundation on 31 May. She held a master course in Szeged in July and taught at the summer university of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna in Reichenau in August. She had a song and aria recital at the Sitges Festival near Barcelona. She participated in the jury of the Mezzo Opera Festival organised in Szeged in November.

She was the president of the jury at the Verona city singing competition in January 2009 (the theme was Puccini’s opera Turandot). She was a jury member at a singing competition organised in Spoleto in March. She was giving concerts in July and August in Spain. She held a master course in Reichenau in August. She participated at the St. Petersburg Elena Obraztsova Singing Competition jury at the end of August, then was the president of the jury at the Maria Caniglia Singing Competition in Sulmona, Italy in September. In November she was a member of the jury at the Mezzo Singing Competition. She gave a concert in Moscow in December.

In January she received the Péter Pázmány Pro Cultura Hungariae Prize for her teaching achievements. She was awarded the Golden Medallion of the Gran Teatre del Liceu of Barcelona for her outstanding performance over decades. She became an honorary professor of the University of Szeged.

In July 2010 she received the ISO d’ORO Award in 2010 for her outstanding career and her educational activity with international and Hungarian new generation of opera singers. She sang the at the gala concert of the Slovak National Theatre in Bratislava upon the invitation of Peter Dvorský. She portrayed Elektra’s Klytaemnestra, directed by Christof Nel under the baton of Stefan Soltesz in Geneva in November. With this, she bid farewell to the international opera stage after 42 years.  

She bid a final farewell to the opera in September 2011 when she sang Gertrudis in the new production of the original version of Erkel’s Bánk bán at the Hungarian State Opera. She sang two Liszt-songs with Andrea Vigh accompanying her on the harp at a Liszt Charity concert on the occasion of the renovation of the Music Academy’s organ.  

She received one of the most important Hungarian prizes, the Corvin Chain on 30 May 2012, and has been vice- chair of the board since. In September she became the chief consultant of the Hungarian State Opera, then in December, she became a full member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts.

The Hungarian Academy of Arts elected her chair of the Theatre Arts Section on 31 January 2013. In honour of her 70th birthday, the Hungarian State Opera organised an ambitious gala concert. World famous colleagues greeted her, such as Grace Bumbry and Jonas Kaufmann; as a concluding song, she sang once more and for the last time Tosca’s prayer. Her students, Rita Rácz, Szilvia Vörös, Dániel Pataky P., and Gyula Orendt also performed, Ondrej Lenárd conducted the evening, Csaba Káel directed it and Dr. András Batta and Szilveszter Ókovács were the hosts.

She resigned as the head of the Vocal and Opera Studies Department of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music due to her age but continued teaching as professor emerita. On 9 November she received the “Hazám” (“My Homeland”) Award. She was the artistic director of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte in the Sir Georg Solti Chamber Hall of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in December. She received the Prima Primissima Prize in the music category.

The I. International Éva Marton Singing Competition was organised between 15 and 21 September 2014 at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music and at the Hungarian State Opera. The general patron was Dr. János Áder, President of the Hungarian Republic. She received the “Artist of the Nation” award in November 2014. Her inaugural speech to the Hungarian Academy of Arts was titled My relationship with Richard Strauss’s Music in Relation to Elektra on 11 April 2014 and she was elected to the HAA Board the same year.

She was elected an honorary citizen of Budapest in June 2015. The Legend of St. Elizabeth of Franz Liszt was premiered in original Hungarian language at the Pesti Vigadó on 15 August 2015 for the 150th anniversary of the world premiere, organised by Éva Marton and supported by the Hungarian Academy of Arts.  

On 20 August 2016, she received the highest national prize, the Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen Award. The II. International Éva Marton Singing Competition took place between 19-25 September successfully.

She was elected the honorary citizen of the 7th district (Józsefváros) in March 2017.

The III. International Éva Marton Singing Competition was organised successfully between 10 and 16 September 2018. She held various national and international master courses besides teaching this year and also participated in the juries of different singing competitions.

She held master courses in Szeged, Moscow, Barcelona, Weimar in 2019 and was a member of the Elena Obraztsova Singing Competition jury in St. Petersburg. She received the Gold Medal in Arts Award from the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Art society for her work.

CD recordings:

Béla Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle
Judit + Samuel Ramey /Ádám Fischer, Hungarian National Symphonic Orchestra. CBS

Beethoven: “Ah, Perfido!”
+ / Michael Tilson Thomas, English Chamber Orchestra. CBS

Beethoven: Fidelio
Leonore + James King, Theo Adam, Aage Haugland, Lilian Watson, Thomas Moser, Kurt Rydl / Lorin Maazel, Wiener Philharmoniker, 1983, live, Orfeo

Boito: Mefistofele
Margherita/Elena + Samuel Ramey, Plácido Domingo/ Giuseppe Patanè, Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra. Sony

Bottesini: Works for Double Bass, Vol 3
+ Gergely Járdányi, István Lantos. Hungaroton

Catalani: La Wally
Wally + Francisco Araiza, Alan Titus, Julie Kaufmann / Pinchas Steinberg, Münchner Rundfunkorchester. BMG/Eurodisc

D’Albert: Tiefland
Marta + Rene Kollo, Bernd Weikl, Kurt Moll, Carmen Anhorn / Marek Janowski, Münchner Rundfunkorchester. Acanta

Erkel: Bánk bán
Gertrud + András Molnár, János Gurbán, Tamás Daróczy, István Gáti, Ingrid Kertesi / Géza Oberfrank, Budapest Symphonic Orchestra. Alpha Line Records

Erkel: Bánk bán
Gertrud + Atilla B. Kiss, Andrea Rost, Kolos Kováts, Dénes Gulyás, Lajos Miller, Sándor Sólyom-Nagy / Pál Tamás, Orchestra of the Hungarian Millennium. Warner Music

Giordano: Andrea Chénier
Maddalena + José Carreras, Giorgio Zancanaro / Giuseppe Patanè, Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra. CBS

Giordano: Andrea Chénier
Maddalena + Plácido Domingo, Renato Bruson / Bruno Bartoletti, Lyric Opera of Chicago. Gala

Giordano: Fedora
Fedora + José Carreras, János Martin, József Gregor, Veronika Kincses / Giuseppe Patanè, Symphonic Orchestra of the Hungarian Radio and Television. CBS

Haydn: Church Music: Missa Sancti Aloysii. Hungaroton

Kálmán: Operetta
+/ Michail Jurowski, WDR Radio Orchestra. Capriccio

Korngold: Violanta
Violanta + Siegfried Jerusalem, Walter Berry, Horst R. Laubenthal, Ruth Hesse / Marek Janowski, Münchner Rundfunkorchester. CBS

Liszt: The Legend of Saint Elizabeth
Erzsébet + Kolos Kováts, Sándor Sólyom-Nagy, József Gregor, István Gáti, Éva Farkas / Árpád Joó, Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra. Hungaroton

Liszt: Via Crucis. Hungaroton

Mahler: Symphony No. 2
+ Jessye Norman / Lorin Maazel, Wiener Philharmoniker. Sony

Éva Marton: Collection 1971-77. Hungaroton

Eva Marton in Concert
+ / Julius Rudel, Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra. Hungaroton

Éva Marton and the New York Harp Ensemble
+ / Aristid von Würtzler, New York Harp Ensemble. Hungaroton

Christmas with Eva Marton. Hungaroton

Éva Marton: „Europa” – European Athletics Championships
+ Miklós Varga. Szabad Tér Production

Ponchielli: La Gioconda
Gioconda + Giorgio Lamberti, Sherrill Milnes, Samuel Ramey, Lívia Budai, Anne Gjevang / Giuseppe Patanè, Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra. CBS

Puccini: Romances and Arias
+ / László Kovács, Miskolc Symphonic Orchestra. Hungaroton

Puccini: Arias
+ / Giuseppe Patanè, Münchner Rundfunkorchester. CBS

Puccini: Tosca
Tosca + José Carreras, Juan Pons / Michael Tilson Thomas, Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra. Sony

Puccini: Tosca
Tosca + Giacomo Aragall, Kostas Paskalis / Alberto Erede, Wiener Staatsoper. MYTO

Puccini: La Fanciulla del West 
Minnie + Dennis O’Neill, Alain Fondary / Leonard Slatkin, Münchner Rundfunkorchester. RCA

Puccini: Turandot
Turandot + José Carreras, Katia Ricciarelli / Lorin Maazel, Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper. CBS

Puccini: Turandot
Turandot + Ben Heppner, Margaret Price / Roberto Abbado, Münchner Rundfunkorchester. RCA

Respighi: Semirama
Semirama + Lando Bartolini, Lajos Miller, László Polgár, Veronika Kincses / Lamberto Gardelli, Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra. Hungaroton

Rossini: Guillaume Tell
Matilde + Nicolai Gedda, Norman Mittelmann / Riccardo Muti, Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Bongiovanni

Schönberg: Erwartung/Wagner: Wesendonck Lieder / Tristan und Isolde: Liebestod
+ / John Carewe, Kovács János, Budapest Symphony Orchestra. Hungaroton

Schönberg: Gurre-Lieder (Gurre Songs)
+ Gary Lakes/ Zubin Mehta, New York Philharmonic. Sony

R. Strauss: Salome
Salome + Bernd Weikl, Heinz Zednik, Brigitte Fassbaender / Zubin Mehta, Berliner Philharmoniker. Sony

R. Strauss: Salome finale, Four last songs + Malven
Salome + Sir Andrew Davis, Toronto Symphony, CBS

R. Strauss: Elektra
Elektra + Marjana Lipovšek, Cheryl Studer, Bernd Weikl, Hermann Winkler / Wolfgang Sawallisch, Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. EMI

Wagner: Die Walküre
Brünnhilde + James Morris, Reiner Goldberg, Matti Salminen, Cheryl Studer, Waltraud Meier / Bernard Haitink, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. EMI

Wagner: Siegfried
Brünnhilde + Siegfried Jerusalem, James Morris, Peter Haage, Theo Adam, Kurt Rydl, Jadwiga Rappé, Kiri Te Kanawa/ Bernard Haitink, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. EMI

Wagner: Götterdämmerung
Brünnhilde + Siegfried Jerusalem, John Tomlinson, Thomas Hampson, Theo Adam, Marjana Lipovsek, Eva-Maria Bundschuh / Bernard Haitink, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. EMI

Wagner: Lohengrin
Ortrud + Ben Heppner, Sergei Leiferkus, Bryn Terfel, Jan-Hendrik Rootering, Sharon Sweet / Sir Colin Davis, Symphonie-Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. RCA

Wagner: Die Walküre, Act I (Sieglinde)
+ Peter Hofmann, Martti Talvela / Zubin Mehta, New York Philharmonic. CBS

Zemlinsky / Schönberg / Schreker / Korngold: Songs,
+ / John Carewe, Budapest Symphony Orchestra. Hungaroton

DVD recordings:

Albéniz: Merlin
Morgan le Fay + David Wilson-Johnson, Stuart Skelton, Carol Vaness / José de Eusebio, Orchestra of the Teatro Real, Madrid.

Giordano: Andrea Chénier
Maddalena + José Carreras, Piero Cappuccilli / Riccardo Chailly, La Scala, Milan. Warner

Erkel: Bánk bán
Gertrud + Atilla B. Kiss, Andrea Rost, Kolos Kováts, Dénes Gulyás, Lajos Miller, Sándor Sólyom-Nagy / Tamás Pál, Orchestra of the Hungarian Millennium. Budapest Film

Janáček: Jenůfa
Sacristan's wife + Nina Stemme, Sebastian Weigle, Barcelona, Gran Teatre del Liceo. BBC

Ponchielli: La Gioconda
Gioconda + Plácido Domingo, Matteo Manuguerra, Lyudmila Shemchuk, Kurt Rydl / Fischer Ádám, Wiener Staatsoper. Arthaus

Puccini: Tosca
Tosca + Giacomo Aragall, Ingvar Wixell / Daniel Oren, Orchester Arena di Verona. Kultur Video

Puccini: Tosca
Tosca + Lamberto Furlan, John Shaw / Alberto Erede, Australian Opera Sydney. Kultur Video

Puccini: Turandot „In questa reggia” MET Centennial Gala
+ / James Levine, Metropolitan Opera, Pioneer

Puccini: Turandot
Turandot + José Carreras, Katia Ricciarelli / Lorin Maazel, Wiener Staatsoper.

Puccini: Turandot
Turandot + Plácido Domingo, Leona Mitchell/ James Levine, Metropolitan Opera. DG

Puccini: Turandot
Turandot + David Hockney, Michael Sylvester, Lucia Mazaria/ Donald Runnicles, San Francisco Opera. Arthaus

R. Strauss: Elektra
Elektra + Brigitte Fassbaender, Cheryl Studer, Franz Grundheber/ Claudio Abbado, Wiener Staatsoper. Arthaus

R. Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten (Dyer’s Wife)
Barak’s wife (Dyer’s Wife) + Cheryl Studer, Marjana Lipovšek, Thomas Moser, Robert Hale/ Sir George Solti, Salzburger Festspiele. DECCA

Verdi: Trubadur
Leonora + Luciano Pavarotti, Sherrill Milnes, Dolora Zajick / James Levine, Metropolitan Opera New York. DG

Wagner: Lohengrin
Elsa + Peter Hofmann, Leif Roar, John Macurdy, Leonie Rysanek / James Levine, Metropolitan Opera New York. Pioneer

Wagner: Tannhäuser
Elisabeth + Richard Cassilly, Bernd Weikl, John Macurdy, Tatiana Troyanos / James Levine, Metropolitan Opera New York. Pioneer

Prizes, awards:

1979: Best Debut at the Teatro Colon. Buenos Aires, Argentina
1980: Silver Rose at La Scala. Milano, Italy
1981: Nomination: Music Award (Korngold: Violanta, CBS)
1981: Singer of the Year by the New York Times, MET. New York, USA
1982: Artist of the Year by the New York Times, MET. New York, USA
1983: Award of the American-Hungarian Foundation. New York, USA
1984: „Grosse Lob” Award by Orpheus. Berlin, Germany
1986: Singer of the Year by the New York Times. MET, USA
1987: „Kammersängerin” of the Vienna State Opera. Vienna, Austria
1989: „Star in Gold” Award. Budapest, Hungary
1991: Nomination: Music Award (R. Strauss: Elektra, EMI)
1991: Nomination: Laurence Olivier Award (Elektra/Covent Garden). London, UK
1991: Bartók-Pásztory Award. Budapest, Hungary
1991: Honorary Member of the Vienna State Opera. Vienna, Austria
1991: Mario del Monaco Award. Fano, Italy
1993: Lyric Opera of Chicago’s John W. Seabury Award. Chicago, USA
1994: Middle Cross Award of the Hungarian Republic. Budapest, Hungary
1996: Honorary citizen of Ferencváros district. Budapest, Hungary
1997: Kossuth Prize. Budapest, Hungary
1997: “For the Reputation of Hungarians” Award. Budapest, Hungary
1998: „Inter-Lyra” Award. Budapest, Hungary
2001: Award of the Millennium Health Foundation, New York, USA
2003: Middle Cross with Star Award of the Hungarian Republic. Budapest, Hungary
2005: Muse Award. Miskolc, Hungary
2006: Persian Golden Lioness Award
2008: Honorary citizen of Miskolc City. Miskolc, Hungary
2009: Pro Cultura Hungarica Award
2009: Golden Medallion, Award of the Barcelona Teatro del Liceu.
2009: „Doctor Honoris Causa” of the University of Szeged
2010: „ISO d’ORO” Graz Opera Life Achievement Award
2012: Corvin Chain Award
2012: Member of Hungarian Academy of Arts. Budapest
2013: Professor Emerita. Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music
2013: My Homeland Award
2013: Prima Primissima Award
2014: Artist of the Nation
2015: Honorary Citizen of Budapest
2016: Owner of Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen’ Grand Cross
2017: Honorary citizen of Józsefváros
2019: Kennedy Center Gold Medal in the Arts Award - the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (KCICA). Washington, USA

Family:
Married. Her husband: Zoltán Gábor Dr. Marton (1938) doctor (surgeon), manager
Date of Marriage: 4 September 1965
Children: Zoltán (1966), Diana (1974)
Grandchildren: Zoltán (1990), Péter-Pál (1993), Blanka (2006), Flóra (2010)

Website: www.martoneva.hu

Contact: mzg[at]floria1974.hu