Unfortunately, the winter cold wave has caught another soprano: After the originally engaged Marina Monzó as Elvira, Zuzana Marková, who was engaged in her place, has now also had to cancel her participation in today's performance. The Tiroler Festspiele Erl consider themselves very fortunate that one of the most in-demand sopranos of the present, Jessica Pratt, has agreed to take over the role at short notice in today's performance.

Jessica Pratt is considered one of the leading interpreters of the demanding bel canto repertoire. The native Briton grew up in Australia and completed her vocal studies with Renata Scotto and Gianluigi Gelmetti in Rome. She is currently preparing her roles together with Lella Cuberli. The soprano is a prize winner of numerous international singing competitions.

Since her European debut in 2007 in the title role of Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor", she has sung this role all over the world, including at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, in the Arena di Verona, at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, at Opera Australia, at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London, at the Hamburg State Opera, at the Teatro Real in Madrid, at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées.

One of the most active singers in her field, Jessica Pratt has interpreted 48 different roles in 143 productions in 80 cities over the past 17 years. In addition to the mentioned Lucia, she has particularly frequently appeared on stage as Amina in Bellini's "La sonnambula" and as Elvira in "I Puritani".