BIOGRAPHY
Maria Listra is one of Estonia’s most outstanding vocal artists. The soprano uses her nuanced voice across a wide range of classical music and theatre projects.
Maria has been an active performer in Estonia nearly all her life giving concert tours in the main concert venues and churches, recitals around the country, performing in opera and music theatre productions, and singing chamber repertoire and oratorios.
Her childhood music studies started at the piano in Nõmme children’s music school in Tallinn where she later studied as a flutist. Her interests in the performative arts took her to London to finish her high school studies. In 2008 Maria received her A levels in London Chigwell School and - led by her love of theatre - in 2011 received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Drama and Theatre studies at Royal Holloway College, University of London.
Maria is also highly regarded on the theater stage. Her roles include Cleopatra (G.F. Handel's Giulio Cesare), for which she was nominated for an Estonian Theatre award, Roxane (E. Tamberg's Cyrano de Bergerac), Zerlina (W.A. Mozart's Don Giovanni), Linda (T. Kaumann's Kaubamaja), Franziska Cagliari (J. Strauss's Wiener Blut), Linda (G. Donizetti's Linda di Chamounix), Prl Silberklang (W.A. Mozart's The Theater Director), Woman (M-M. Lill's Tulleminek) - all in Vanemuine Theatre - and the role of First Lady in W.A. Mozart's opera The Magic Flute at the Estonian National Opera.
Performing Estonian composers' works plays an important and central role in Maria's life. In 2019, she played the role of poetess Lydia Koidula in the premiere of A. Põldmäe's chamber opera "Emajõe ööbikud" (Nightingales of the Emajõe River) at the Tartu New Theater. In 2022, Maria participated in the premiere of Lalli ehk Mere keskel on mees (Lalli, or A Man in the Middle of the Sea) written by Veljo Tormis/ Rasmus Puur at the Birgitta Festival, playing the role of Sinikka. In 2023, she participated in the premiere of Timo Steiner/Andri Luup's opera Crisis. Both premieres were conducted by maestro Tõnu Kaljuste, with whom she also collaborated on the 2024 Nargen Opera production of Philip Glass's opera Hydrogen Jukebox, based on the poetry of Allen Ginsberg.
Maria has also had the opportunity to record the music of Estonian composers on two albums. Arvo Pärt's work L'Abbé Agathon for the album Tractus (Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, conductor Tõnu Kaljuste, ECM 2023) and Veljo Tormis' music on the album of the same name with the VHK String Orchestra, conductor Rasmus Puur (2022). This year a strong focal point has been the music of Estonian composer Eduard Tubin, commemorating his 120th birth anniversary, in collaboration with conductor-pianist Mihhail Gerts.
Maria has a long-standing collaboration with the baroque ensemble Floridante (Saale Fischer, Villu Vihermäe), with whom she has performed numerous baroque and renaissance concerts all over Estonia, intertwining the music with her own haiku poems.
She is also an accomplished oratorio singer. Her repertoire includes “Requiem” and “Mass in c minor” by W.A.Mozart, “St. John’s Passion”, “St. Matthew’s Passion”, “Christmas Oratiorio” and “Magnificat” by J.S.Bach, “Messiah” by G.F.Händel and “Requeim” by G.Faure. Listra has collaborated with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (ERSO), Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble Floridante, the Finnish-Estonian Baroque Orchestra, Prezioso String Quartet, Corelli Baroque Orchestra, and the Ensemble Voces Musicales.
She has also dedicated her time to teaching, giving lectures, master classes both on cultural themes and on interpretation.
“Favourite animal would be a cat. Favourite walk by the banks of a river, any season. Favourite thing to watch - documentaries. Favourite thing about people - their capacity for kindness. Favourite object - a kaleidoscope. Or something small and really silly that brings lots of joy. Favourite technique advice - AEIOU.
Favourite place to be is definitely a good rehearsal - or having coffee under a large tree or just by the sea.”
