Nina van Essen has a ravishingly beautiful, voluptuous mezzo-soprano, ideal for the role of Orfeo. Opera & Opera News, August 2024
The 2024/25 season will see Nina van Essen’s debuts in Copenhagen, Milan, Vienna, and Japan, her return to Amsterdam, and a tour with Les Talens Lyriques under the baton of Christophe Rousset. From 2019 until 2024, the mezzo-soprano was a member of Staatsoper Hannover, where her repertoire includes Romèo in Bellini I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Orfeo in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, Ruggiero in Handel’s Alcina, Dorabella in Mozart’s Così fan tutte, Rosina in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia and Il piacere in an adapted version of Handel’s La bellezza ravveduta nel trionfo del tempo e del disinganno.
As Hansel in Humperdincks Hansel and Gretel, she made her debuts at Oper Leipzig (2022) and Amsterdam’s Grachtenfestival (2017). In 2019, she performed Gwendolen Fairfax in Barry’s The Importance of Being Earnest at Théâtre Equilibre Fribourg and Théâtre de l’Athénée in Paris, the title role in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia in 2028. During the 2016/17 season, she performed in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut at Dutch National Opera and several parts in Delius’ A Village Romeo and Juliet at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw in 2018. She worked with directors including Andrea Breth, Julien Chavaz, Tatjana Gürbaca, Barbora Horáková, Nicola Hümpel, Immo Karaman, Béatrice Lachaussée, Lydia Steier, Elisabeth Stöppler, and Michael Talke.
As a concert soloist, the Dutch mezzo-soprano’s concert repertoire includes Bach’s Matthäus-Passion, Bruckner’s Requiem, Franck’s Die sieben Worte Jesu am Kreuz, Mozart’s Mass in C, Palmeri’s Misa Buenos Aires, Rossini’s Petite messe solennelle and Saint-Saëns’ Christmas Oratorio.
She has performed under the baton of conductors including David Bates, Giulio Cilona, Karel Deseure, Mark Elder, Hartmut Haenchen, Antony Hermus, Boudewijn Jansen, Alexander Joel, Reinbert de Leeuw, Nicholas McGegan, Andrea Sanguineti, Michele Spotti, Jan Willem de Vriend – and was accompanied by orchestras including Det Kongelige Kapel København, L’Orchestra dell’Opera Carlo Felice Genova, Krashna Musika, Netherlands Philharmonic, phjilharmonie zuidnederland, Radio Filharmonisch Orkest, Residentie orchestra, and Toonkunstkoor Amsterdam.
First Prize + Best Femail Voice Award: Concorso Lirico Internazionale di Portofino 2023
This biography is for information only and should not be reproduced. © Artistainternational, October 2024.
Bach: Matthäus-Passion
Erbarme dich….
Live recording 2023
Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro
Cherubino: Voi che sapete …
Live recording 2024
Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia
Rosina: Una voce poco fa…
Live recording 2023
