Lise Davidsen – Opera Singer

Among the best new artists of the past few years is Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen. After winning the vocal competition Operalia in 2015, she immediately made an impact in the international opera scene. She also was awarded the Queen Sonja Music Competition in Oslo, a competition aimed at discovering up-and-coming young musicians. She also won the Gramophone’s Young Artist of the Year award.

The soprano has a wide range of roles. She has sung as Amor in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figara, and the first Flowermaiden in Parsifal. She has also sung Mona Ginevra in Max von Schillings’s opera Mona Lisa.

She was a student of Phyllis Curtin. Davidson also participated in the Aston Magna Early Music Academy. She has been the recipient of a grant from the William Matheus Sullivan Music Foundation. In addition to her extensive performing, Davidson is a co-founder of the chamber music series ClassicalCafe. Dedicated to increasing appreciation of classical chamber music, this series brings world-class musicians to intimate settings.

She has been praised for her lyrical dramatic soprano and her voice’s strength and power. She has been called a “one-in-a-million” singer, and her voice has been compared to that of Birgit Nilsson. A mezzo-soprano, she has the ability to project her voice over an enormous orchestra. She can transform from a trombone of Jericho into a soft and delicate voice in quieter parts. She can master the delicate sounds of lyrical parts with ease.

In addition to her solo album, she has sung with the Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Esa Pekka Salonen. She has recorded a number of arias, including Four Last Songs from Richard Strauss, Tannhauser from Wagner, and Ariadne Auf Naxos from Verdi. The new album features the arias from Ariadne, Tannhauser, and Four Last Songs from Richard Strauss. Moreover, the CD includes a six-song selection from contemporary Norwegian composer John Frandsen.

She has also performed the role of Le Rossignol in L’Enfant et les Sortileges and the role of Dorinda in Handel’s Orlando. She has also appeared at the Castleton Festival, the Chautauqua Institution, and the Gotham Chamber Opera. She is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music. She is also a vocal fellow at Tanglewood Music Center.

She has also performed as The Wife in Philip Glass’s The Juniper Tree, and as The Wife in Robert Moran’s The Juniper Tree at the Avery Fisher Hall. She has sung the role of Amor in Ligeti’s Mysteries of the Macabre, and she has performed as the first Flowermaiden in Parsifal. Her appearance at the Bard Music Festival was broadcast by several NPR stations. She has sung with the St. Louis Symphony, the St. Louis Philharmonic, the American Symphony Orchestra, and the Asturias Symphony Orchestra.

She has won many awards, including a gold medal in the Kathleen Ferrier Competition and a vocal fellowship at the Tanglewood Music Center. She has also won a vocal prize from the Queen Sonja Music Competition in Oslo. She has been named the Gramophone’s Young Artist of 2018.

She has sung at the Metropolitan Opera, the Staatsoper Stuttgart, the Bavarian State Opera, and the Zurich Opera House. Her debut at the Glyndebourne Festival in 2017 was described as a “moment of recognition” by one critic.