Angelika Kirchschlager

Angelika Kirchschlager (*1966 in Salzburg) is an Austrian mezzo-soprano opera and lieder singer.

In a relatively short time, Angelika Kirchschlager has become one of the most sought after mezzo-sopranos in the opera, recognized for her dramatic skills as well as for her singing. She has been heard on all of the major opera stages of the world and has performed interpretations of Lieder and Oratorios.

Life

Kirchschlager's musical training began at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, where she studied percussion and piano. In 1984, she went to the Vienna Music Academy, where she took voice lessions with Walter Berry. Her first engagements were at the Wiener Kammeroper and the Graz Opera House.

Kirchschlager won third prize in the prestigious International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition in 1991 and became a member of the Vienna State Opera in 1993. She made her debut there with the roll of Cherubino in "The Marriage of Figaro".

In 2002, she sang the title role in the world première of British composer Nicholas Maw's opera "Sophie's Choice" at the Royal Opera House in London. She debuted a new production of "Tales of Hoffmann" in 2003.

Kirchschlager has worked with many distinguished conductors, such as Claudio Abbado, Bertrand de Billy, Sir Colin Davis, John Eliot Gardiner, Christopher Hogwood, James Levine, Kurt Masur, Kent Nagano, Seiji Ozawa, Kurt Sanderling, and Sir Simon Rattle, and sung in many of the great houses of the world. She gives recitals throughout the world and is regular guest of the annual Liederfestival Schubertiade Schwarzenberg in Vorarlberg/Austria, mostly accompanied by Austrian pianist Helmut Deutsch.

Kirchschlager is married to Hans Peter Kammerer, a baritone. They have a son, Felix, and the family make their home in Vienna. [ [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/critic/feature/0,,735644,00.html Tim Ashley, "The accidental diva". "The Guardian", 18 January 2002.] ]

Roles

*Annio (La clemenza di Tito)
*Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro)
*The Composer (Ariadne auf Naxos)
*Dorabella (Cosi fan tutte)
*Idamante (Idomeneo)
*Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi)
*Mélisande (Pelléas et Mélisande)
*Niklausse/Muse (The Tales of Hoffmann)
*Octavian (Der Rosenkavalier)
*Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus)
*Rosina (Barbiere di Siviglia)
*Sesto (Giulio Cesare)
*Silla (Palestrina)
*Sophie (Sophie's Choice by Nicholas Maw)
*Valencienne (Die lustige Witwe)
*Zerlina (Don Giovanni)

References

*The template of this article is based on a translation of its German equivalent.

Media

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s6F_xVmuyc Angelika sings Mozart. Video on youtube]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J66PUOysSOk Angelika sings J.S.Bach. Video on youtube]

External links

* [http://www.sonyclassical.com/artists/kirchschlager/bio.html Biography at Sony Classical]