Iréne Theorin
Stage presence and a wonderful voice is what made it possible for her to be able to, in such a short period of time perform the roles on stage like Tosca, Elisabetta (Don Carlos), Desdemona, Amelia (Un ballo in maschera), Leonora (Il Trovatore), and Aida with such enormous success. The critics loved her Elisabetta in Don Carlos in Copenhagen and wrote shortly after her debut as Senta in Der fliegende Holländer: “The voice could not be more perfect for the role. It has a constant dramatic intensity, and power of penetration, also in the expressive and frail pianissimo. It is brilliant and shiningly beautiful with a particular gleam in the effortless height and in addition it has the young freshness which matches the role so well. Also she offers a magnificent and dynamic phrasing and a fascinating portrayal of this strange character`s mixture of passion, childish sulkiness and heroic resolution." Iréne Theorin started her studies in Göteburg, and then continued at the Music Academy and the Royal School of Opera in Copenhagen, working with Susanna Eken, Birgit Nilsson, Ingrid Bjoner and Oren Brown. Numerous scholarships made it possible for her to work with Geoffrey Parsons, Anthony Rolfe Johnson and Dame Janet Baker. Upon leaving the Royal School of Opera, the artist became a member of the Soloist Ensemble of the Royal Opera in Copenhagen, where she made her aforementioned debut as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni. At the Royal Opera in Stockholm she debuted as Nedda in I Pagliacci and thereafter was again engaged for the role of Freia in Das Rheingold. She appeared as Freia and performed in a complete RING - cycle in Aarhus. Other roles at the Royal Opera in Copenhagen are Eva in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Leonore in La forza del destino, Elisabeth in Don Carlos, Sieglinde in Die Walküre and Senta in Der fliegende Holländer. In autumn 2005 she gave another successful debut as Turandot in Copenhagen, a part, which she also performed at the New National Theater in Tokyo, with Zubin Mehta in Tel Aviv in 2008 and at Covent Garden in 2009. In December 2005 and spring 2006 she sang all three Brünnhildes in the Copenhagen RING. Her debut as Isolde followed at the Théatre de la Monnaie in Brussels in 2006 and in 2007 she could also be heard in this part at the Theatre in Essen. She sang Brünnhilde in the RING at the opera in Köln and can be heard in the part at the Semperoper in Dresden in January 2008. Iréne Theorin sang Isolde with the Rotterdam Philharmonic and Valery Gergiev in September 2007. In 2007 and 2008 she was Elisabetta and Tosca in Copenhagen and will sing new productions of Tannhäuser and Tristan und Isolde there. In summer 2008 she gave her debut as Isolde at the Bayreuth Festival. In 2009 she made her USA debut as Brünnhilde in Walküre and Siegfried at the Metropolitan Opera and Siegfried in Washington. Götterdämmerung and Ariadne will follow in Washington in fall 2008. Brünnhilde in Siegfried and Götterdämmerung as well as Isolde will follow in Toyko in 2010. She will also sing Elektra in Salzburg in summer 2010. Iréne Theorin has not only appeared on stage, but has also participated in a broad range of concert performances, such as the Wesendonck-Lieder and Beethoven`s Symphony No. 9 at the the Tivoli Concert Hall, Seven Danish Folksongs by Delius and Spring and Funen by Nielsen with the BBC Singers London, Isoldes Liebestod under the baton of Gerd Albrecht for Danish Radio and Bruckner`s F-minor Mass with the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra. Iréne Theorin is a permanent guest artist of the Royal Opera of Copenhagen, where she performs roles like the title part in Tosca, Desdemona in Otello, Amelia in Un ballo di maschera, Elsa in Lohengrin and Elisabeth in Don Carlos. In celebration of the opening of a newly built theatre, the Royal Opera in Copenhagen brought the new production of Aida, where the artist gave her debut in the title-role with a very big success. At the Bayreuth Festival in 2000, she gave her debut as Ortlinde in Die Walküre under the baton of Giuseppe Sinopoli and under the direction of Jürgen Flimm. In 2001 at the Maggio Musicale she made her debut as Meroe in Penthesilea by Othmar Schoeck, under the baton of Gerd Albrecht and directed by Harry Kupfer. Highlights of her past concert engagements include, Verdi`s Requiem, Vier letzte Lieder by Strauss, Verdi concerts with Renato Bruson, and Sergei Leiferkus, as well as a concert performance of Adriana Lecouvreur under the baton of Marcello Viotti. Iréne Theorin sang the highlights of Salome with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Kazushi Ono, as first soprano in Mahler`s Symphony No. 8, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda, In Madrid she sang Beethoven`s Symphony No. 9 and Mahler`s Symphony No. 8 with Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, with great success. She has sung the title role of Tosca in the Musashino Hall in Tokyo, highlights of the part of Brünnhilde as well as Isolde in a concert performance of Götterdämmerung and Tristan and Isolde with the BBC Philharmonica Orchestra conducted by Sir Edward Downs. |
