Nina Stemme


Nina Maria Stemme is a Swedish dramatic soprano opera singer.
Stemme "is regarded by today's opera fans as our era's greatest Wagnerian soprano". In 2010, Michael Kimmelman wrote of one of Stemme's performances in Richard Wagner's opera Die Walküre, "As for Brünnhilde, Nina Stemme sang gloriously. It's hard to recall anyone's sounding more commanding or at ease in the part, and that includes Kirsten Flagstad".

Early life and education

Born in Stockholm, the young Stemme played piano and viola. She attended Adolf Fredrik's Music School, a high-profile song-and-chorus school in Stockholm. During a year as an exchange student at Langley High School in McLean, Virginia, she joined the school chorus, sang solos and won awards.
Parallel to her studies of business administration and economics at the University of Stockholm, Stemme followed a two-year course at the Stockholm Operastudio. Her debut as Cherubino in Cortona, Italy, in 1989 made Stemme decide to follow a professional singer's career; her studies at the University College of Opera in Stockholm were completed in 1994. In addition to two minor roles at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm, she also sang Rosalinde, Mimì, Euridice in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice, and Diana.
She sang in two singing competitions, Operalia, The World Opera Competition and Cardiff Singer of the World. As winner of Operalia in 1993, Stemme was invited by Plácido Domingo, founder of Operalia, to appear with him in a concert at La Bastille ; the same concert also took place on January 1, 1994, in Munich.

Career

Since her 1989 operatic debut as Cherubino in Cortona, Italy, Stemme has appeared with many opera companies, including the Royal Swedish Opera Stockholm, the Vienna State Opera, La Scala Milano, Semperoper Dresden, Grand Théâtre de Genève, the Zurich Opera, Teatro di San Carlo Naples, Gran Teatre del Liceu Barcelona, Opéra Bastille Paris, Bayerische Staatsoper Munich, Covent Garden London, Teatro Real Madrid, Teatro Colón Buenos Aires, the Metropolitan Opera New York, San Francisco Opera, as well as at the Bayreuth, Salzburg, Savonlinna, Glyndebourne and Bregenz festivals.
Her roles include Rosalinde, Mimì in La bohème, Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly,Turandot, Tosca, Manon Lescaut, Suor Angelica, Euridice, Katerina in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro, Marguerite, Agathe, Marie, Nyssia, Jenůfa, Marschallin, Eva, Elisabeth, Elsa, Senta, Sieglinde, Elisabeth in Tannhäuser and Isolde. This last brought her critical acclaim at Glyndebourne Festival Opera in 2003, on disc for EMI Classics with Plácido Domingo, Antonio Pappano and the chorus and orchestra of the Royal Opera, Covent Garden released in 2005 and most recently at the Bayreuth Festival in 2005 and again in 2006. In 2007 Stemme returned in the role of Isolde to Glyndebourne Festival Opera where she made her debut in the role.
In 2006, Stemme sang Maria in the premiere of Sven-David Sandström's Ordet – en passion, on March 24 in Stockholm. She also made her role debut in the title role of Aida in a new production at Zürich Opera and recorded her first album of Richard Strauss's Four Last Songs and final scenes. On the concert platform in 2006–07, she appeared in recital with Antonio Pappano in Barcelona and Dresden, in concert performances of Salome in Strasbourg and Paris and in recital at the Zürich Opera.
In 2008, Stemme replaced Deborah Voigt in what would have been Voigt's role debut as Brünnhilde in the opera Siegfried, part of a new Vienna State Opera Ring cycle conducted by Franz Welser-Möst. Stemme also sang Brünnhilde in the 2010 season opening at La Scala and in San Francisco Opera's 2011 Ring cycle.
In 2015 Stemme is scheduled to perform at GöteborgsOperan in Gothenburg, Sweden, in a new opera by composer Hans Gefors with libretto by Kerstin Perski and directed by Keith Warner. The opera is based on Alfred Hitchcock's spy thriller Notorious from 1946. Other members of the cast include Katarina Karnéus, John Lundgren and Michael Weinius.
In September and October 2016, Stemme returned to the role of Isolde in the Metropolitan Opera's new production of "Tristan und Isolde".
In 2017, Stemme was the soprano soloist at the Last Night of the Proms.
Stemme performs on average 40 times per year in various venues around the world.

Personal life

Stemme lives in Stockholm. She is married to stage designer Bengt Gomér and has three children. She speaks five languages.

Awards

Stemme's repertoire includes:
Year ComposerOperaRoleLocation
2011Ludwig van BeethovenFidelioLeonoreRoyal Opera House
Alban BergWozzeckMarie
Christoph Willibald GluckOrfeo ed EuridiceEuridice
2015Hans GeforsNotoriousAliciaGöteborgsOperan
Charles GounodFaustMarie
Joseph HaydnLa fedeltà premiataDiana
Leoš JanáčekJenůfaJenůfa
Bohuslav MartinůThe Greek PassionKaterina
Wolfgang Amadeus MozartLe nozze di FigaroContessa
1989Wolfgang Amadeus MozartLe nozze di FigaroCherubinoCortona
2011Giacomo PucciniLa fanciulla del WestMinnieRoyal Opera Stockholm
Giacomo PucciniMadama ButterflyCio-Cio San
Giacomo PucciniManon LescautManon
Giacomo PucciniSuor AngelicaAngelica
Giacomo PucciniToscaTosca
2013Giacomo PucciniTurandotTurandotRoyal Opera Stockholm
Dmitri ShostakovichLady Macbeth of the Mtsensk DistrictKaterina Ismailowa
Johann Strauss IIDie FledermausRosalinde
2006Richard StraussArabellaArabellaGöteborgsOperan
Richard StraussAriadne auf NaxosAriadne
Richard StraussDer RosenkavalierMarschallin
2015Richard StraussElektraElektraVienna State Opera
Richard StraussSalomeSalome
Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyEugene OneginTatjana
2006Giuseppe VerdiAidaAidaZürich Opera
Giuseppe VerdiLa forza del destinoLeonora
Giuseppe VerdiUn ballo in mascheraAmelia
1994Richard WagnerDas RheingoldFreiaBayreuth Festival
Richard WagnerDer fliegende HolländerSenta
Richard WagnerDie Meistersinger von NürnbergEva
Richard WagnerLohengrinElsa
Richard WagnerTannhäuserElisabeth
2003Richard WagnerTristan und IsoldeIsoldeGlyndebourne Festival
Richard WagnerDie WalküreSieglinde
2008Richard WagnerSiegfriedBrünnhildeVienna State Opera
2010Richard WagnerDie WalküreBrünnhildeSan Francisco Opera
2011Richard WagnerGötterdämmerungBrünnhildeSan Francisco Opera
Carl Maria von WeberDer FreischützAgathe
Carl Maria von WeberOberonRezia
2002Alexander von ZemlinskyDer König KandaulesNyssaSalzburg Festival

Discography

Stemme's recordings include: