anne sofie von otter mezzo-soprano boasting an unrivalled and multi award-winning discography, mezzo-soprano anne sofie von otter’
Anne Sofie von Otter
Mezzo-Soprano
Boasting an unrivalled and multi award-winning discography,
mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter’s versatility has seen her work
with legendary artists ranging from the late greats of Carlos Kleiber,
Claudio Abbado and Giuseppe Sinopoli to Elvis Costello, Brad Mehldau
and Rufus Wainwright III.
An ever-evolving repertoire has played a key role in sustaining
Swedish-born von Otter's international profile, from an early position
as the superlative Oktavian (Der Rosenkavalier) of her generation
giving performances around the world, including at Bayerische
Staatsoper, Opéra National de Paris and The Metropolitan Opera, to her
more recent acclaimed creation of Leonora in the world premiere of
Thomas Adès’ The Exterminating Angel, performed at both Salzburger
Festspiele and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Other recent
highlights include Countess Geschwitz in Christoph Marthaler’s
production of Lulu at Staatsoper Hamburg, Madame de Croissy (Dialogues
des Carmélites) at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, The Old Lady (Candide)
at Komische Oper Berlin in Barrie Kosky’s new production, Geneviève (Pelléas
et Mélisande) for Opéra National de Paris, and Leocadia Begbick (Aufstieg
und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny) at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
Following earlier success at the Salzburger Festspiele as Cornelia (Giulio
Cesare), von Otter returned there in the 2019 edition as L’Opinion
Publique in Offenbach’s Orphée aux Enfers; as Waltraute (Götterdämmerung),
she has appeared under Sir Simon Rattle at Deutsche Oper Berlin,
Wiener Staatsoper and the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence; and at Finnish
National Opera, she has most recently created the leading role of
Charlotte Andergast in the world premiere of Sebastian Fagerlund's
Höstsonaten, based on the iconic Ingmar Bergman film, to unanimous
critical acclaim.
Anne Sofie von Otter is one of today's most recorded artists with an
incomparable discography built across a career now spanning more than
three decades at the very top of her profession. A lengthy and
exclusive relationship with Deutsche Grammophon produced a wealth of
acclaimed recordings as well as a collaboration with pop legend Elvis
Costello on For the Stars. Her first recording with Naïve Classique,
Love Songs, with renowned jazz pianist Brad Mehldau was released in
2010 and her double CD, Douce France, received a Grammy Award in 2015
for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album. Von Otter immortalized many of
her operatic characters on disc: Oktavian with Bernard Haitink and the
Staatskapelle Dresden and on DVD with Wiener Staatsoper under the late
Carlos Kleiber, Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro) under James Levine,
Idomeneo, La clemenza di Tito, Alceste and Orfeo ed Euridice under Sir
John Eliot Gardiner, Handel’s Ariodante, Hercules and Giulio Cesare
under Marc Minkowski, and Ariadne auf Naxos under the late Giuseppe
Sinopoli.
Equally recognized for her exemplary work in both concert and recital,
Anne Sofie von Otter’s career has taken her around the globe as a
regular presence in the world’s most important venues and her
expansive discography of Lieder ranges from classics by Schubert,
Schumann, Wolf and Mahler, through lesser known compilations from
Cecile Chaminade, Korngold, Peterson-Bergen and Stenhammar. Von Otter
was part of two very special events which were streamed worldwide: Das
Lied von der Erde with Jonas Kaufmann, the Berliner Philharmoniker and
the late Claudio Abbado to commemorate the 100th anniversary of
Mahler’s death; and in specially-commissioned new arrangements by
Aulis Sallinen of Sibelius’ songs with the Finnish Radio Symphony
Orchestra and Hannu Lintu to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the
composer’s birth.
Von Otter’s 20/21 season includes returns to the operatic stages of
Bayerische Staatsoper as Marcellina in Christof Loy’s highly-regarded
production of Le nozze di Figaro conducted by Constantinos Carydis and
Ivor Bolton – as well as a special Gala concert as part of their
summer Opernfestspiele, also under Carydis – Royal Swedish Opera in a
concert performance of Kaija Saariaho’s Passion de Simone with
Christian Karlsen, and Malmö Opera for a series of Christmas concerts.
Anne Sofie joins Orchestre National de France and Dalia Stasevska for
New Year’s concerts in both Paris and Aix-en-Provence, the Swedish
Chamber Orchestra and Martin Fröst for a world premiere by Mikael
Karlsson, and Drottningholms Barockensemble in Handel’s Solomon. In
recital, Anne Sofie continues to perform with long-time collaborator
Bengt Forsberg and guitarist Fabian Fredriksson at the Ghent and
Naantali Festivals, Musée d’Orsay, and Mogens Dahl. At the 2021
Menuhin Festival Gstaad, von Otter performs her acclaimed
Shakespearian programme of words and music alongside Roderick Williams
and Julius Drake, and brings her special project “Ich wollt ich wär
ein Huhn” to Bamberg’s Lied und Lyrik Festival, featuring music from
the Weimar Cabaret era and originally devised together with Barrie
Kosky for its premiere at Komische Oper Berlin last season.
annesofievonotter
2020/21 season only. Please contact HarrisonParrott if you wish to
edit this biography.