Nadja Michael

Biography

Born in Leipzig. Studied singing in Stuttgart and at the University of Indiana, Bloomington. She has risen to international prominence in leading theaters including the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Vienna State Opera, Royal Opera, Covent Garden London, Theatre Royale de la Monnaie in Brussels, Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Berlin State Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro al Fenice in Venice, Theatre du Capitole in Toulouse, Arena di Verona and at the Glyndebourne and Salzburg Festivals.

Nadja Michael began her career as a mezzo soprano and was heard in many of the leading roles of the mezzo soprano .She appeared as Venus in Tannhauser in Vienna, Berlin, Dresden, Munich and Toulouse, as Carmen in Berlin (Deutsche Oper )Munich, Vienna, Brussels and Naples ,as Amneris in Aida at the Arena di Verona debut as well as in Munich, Berlin, Dresden, Genoa and Macerata, as Eboli in Don Carlos in the Vienna State Opera’s new production of the work in its original 1867 French version as well as in Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and Dresden and in a special Gala in honor of Sir Bernard Haitink at the Royal Oepra, Covent Garden. Michael sang Cassandre in Berlioz’s Les Troyens at the Florence May Festival under Zubin Mehta and in a new production at the Oper Leipzig. Michael also appeared in concert as Didon in the same work with the Chicago Symphony also under Maestro Mehta. The artist sang her first Brangaene in Tristan und Isolde in concert with the Chicago Symphony in Chicago and at Carnegie Hall, New York under Daniel Barenboim. She debuted at the Teatro Alla Scala in Zemlinsky’s Eine Florentinische Tragoedie under James Conlon. Michael sang her first Kundry in Wagner’s Parsifal in concert performances at the Frankfurt Opera in the spring of 2004.

Nadja Michael made her debut as a soprano in April of 2005 as Marietta in the Netherlands Opera’s production of Die Tote Stadt. In September of 2005 Nadja Michael appeared as Floria Tosca at the Vienna State Opera. She made her actual debut in the role shortly before in St. Gallen. In February of 2006 Nadja Michael sang her first Leonore in Fidelio in a new production for the Norwegian Opera in Oslo and subsequently returned to the Berlin State Opera as Hanna Glawari in their new production of Lehar’s Die Lustige Witwe. The following season she added several roles to her repertoire. She sang her first staged Salome in a production directed by Luc Bondy at the Teatro alla Scala. She sang her first Lady Macbeth in Verdi’s Macbeth at the SemperOper in Dresden, and made her debut at the Teatro Real in Madrid as Giulietta in Les Contes d’Hoffmann. Michael returned to the Deutsche Oper Berlin for her first Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana and was also heard there and at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich as Tosca and at the Vienna State Opera as Leonore in Fidelio. In the summer of 2007 she starred in the Bregenz Festival’s new production of Tosca.

In the 2007/2008 season Michael sang Marta in the Deutsche Oper Berlin’s new production of D’Albert’s Tiefland. She starred in the new production of Salome staged by David McVicar and conducted by Phillipe Jordan at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and then appeared in the title role of Cherubini’s Medee in a new production at the Theatre Royale de la Monnaie in Brussels. She was also be heard as Tosca in Berlin and Bucharest, in Dresden as Lady Macbeth and in Vienna as Leonore. Nadja Michael began the 2008/2009 season as Lady Macbeth in the new production of Macbeth at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich. She then appeared at the Deutsche Oper Berlin as Elisabeth and Venus in the new production of Tannhauser. Michael returned to London in January of 2009 as Marietta in Die Tote Stadt in what was the first performance of Korngold’s opera at Covent Garden. She also was heard at the Deutsche Oper Berlin in Berlin as Tosca opposite Jonas Kaufmann and at the Semper Oper in Salome.

Nadja Michael made her US opera debut in the fall of 2009 in a new production of Salome at the San Francisco Opera. She then returned to the Theatre Royale de La Monnaie as Iphigenie in Gluck’s Iphigenie en Tauride. Michael sang Elisabeth and Venus in Tannhauser at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and appearred as Salome in Hamburg. In June of 2010 she starred in the title role of the Bavarian State Opera’s new production of Mayr’s very rarely performed Medea in Corinto.

Nadja Michael made her Chicago Lyric Opera debut in the fall of 2010 as Lady Macbeth. She returned to the Netherlands Opera in Fidelio and to the Teatro Comunale in Bologna. In the spring of 2011, Michael added the role of Marie in Alban Berg’s Wozzeck to her repertoire in a new production at the Berlin State Opera staged by Andrea Breth and conducted by Daniel Barenboim. Michael returned to the Theatre Royale de la Monnaie for a revival of Medee.

In the 2011/2012season engagements included Judith in Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle at the Metropolitan Opera House and the title role in Medea in Corinto in Munich.
In the 2012/2013 season she sang Medee at the Theatre des Champs Elysees in Paris, Eboli in Don Carlos in Hamburg, Lady Macbeth in Minuch и Wozzeck at the Teatro Real in Madrid.
In the 2013/2014 season she appeared at the Teatro Real as Montezuma in Die Eroberung von Mexico, at the Polish National Opera as Judit, and performed the role of Salome in Minuch and Hamburg.
Nadja Michael opened the 2014/2015 season at the Bayerische Staatsoper as Emilia Marty in The Makropulous Affair, followed by performing Judit at the Metropolitan Opera and Lady Macbeth in Dutch National Opera.

In 2016 she took part in the production of Katerina Izmailova at the Bolshoi Theatre, singing the title role.

Equally active on the concert platform Nadja Michael’s concert repertoire included works such as the Verdi Requiem, Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde, Ruckert Lieder, Kindertotenlieder and Symphonies No. 2, 3 and 8, Dvorak’s Biblical Songs, early songs (with orchestra) of Richard Wagner and Alexander Zemlinsky’s Maeterlinck Songs which she sang at the Salzburg Festival in 2003 with Maestro Mehta. Michael made her Boston Symphony debut in Berlioz’s La Mort de Cleopatre under Frubeck de Burgos and also sang Marguerite in concert performances of Damnation de Faust with the Israeli Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta and at the Teatro San Carlos in Naples as well. Ms Michael has also collaborated with such conductors as Bernard Haitink, Zubin Mehta, Antonio Pappano, Christian Thielemann, Kent Nagano, John Elliot Gardiner, Kurt Masur, Valery Gergiev, Giuseppe Sinopoli.