… mezzo-soprano Nina van Essen … combined passion with the ability to deliver glorious bel canto singing, … and … with beautiful tone and deep feeling. Opera & Opera News, March 2024
The 2024/25 season will see Nina van Essen’s debut at Theater an der Wien, her return to Nationale Opera in Amsterdam and a tour with Les Talens Lyriques under the baton of Christophe Rousset. From 2019 until 2024, the mezzo-soprano is 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 and Cherubino in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, 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, Andrea Sanguineti, Michele Spotti, Jan Willem de Vriend as well as Stephan Zilias and with orchestras including Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Het Residentie Orkest, L’Orchestra dell’Opera Carlo Felice Genova, Nederlands Philharmonisch Orkest, Philharmonie Zuidnederland, Radio Filharmonisch Orkest, 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, April 2024.
Bach: Matthäus-Passion: Erbarme dich….
Live recording 2023
Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia/ Rosina: Una voce poco fa…
Live recording 2023