Silvana Dussmann: A Study In Dramatic Soprano Vocal Prowess

Born in Vienna, soprano Silvana Dussmann was destined to perform the German repertoire of Mozart and Strauss. After studying with Rita Streich and Gerhard Kahry, she won first prize for operetta at the Vienna Belvedere Competition in 1987. Her debut was as Lisa in Franz Lehár's Das Land des Lächelns at the Volksoper Wien opposite Nicolai Gedda. She soon became an ensemble member of the Tiroler Landestheater Innsbruck, where she sang

roles such as Ilia (Idomeneo), Konstanze (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Micaëla (Carmen), Laura (Der Bettelstudent), and Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus). Subsequently in 1990 she debuted in the title role of Emmerich Kálmán's Die Csárdásfürstin at the Seefestspielen Mörbisch. By 1992 she was engaged by Opernhaus Graz where she extended her repertoire to roles like Violetta (La Traviata), Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier), Agathe (Der Freischütz), and Angèle Didier (Der Graf von Luxemburg). Beginning in 1994, Ms. Dussmann began performing at the Wiener Volksoper as Musetta (La bohème), Marchesa del Poggio (Un Giorno di Regno), Frau Fluth (Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor), Vitellia (La Clemenza di Tito), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Countess Almaviva (Le Nozze di Figaro), and the title role in Norma. In 1996 she was reviving her portrayals of Musetta and Rosalinde for the Wiener Staatsoper. She went on to perform at the Aalto-Musiktheater in Essen, the Bayerischen Staatsoper in München, Israel Philharmonic in Tel Aviv, and Opera Bonn. At Wiener Festwochen in
1999, she caused a sensation as Rosalinde in the new production of Die Fledermaus conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt and directed by Jürgen Flimm that was broadcast via

radio and television. Two years later she returned to the festival to sing the opening the opening concert with the Wiener Symphonikern under the direction of Georges Prêtre. That same year, at the Aalto-Musiktheater Essen, she made a role debut as Chrysothemis (Elektra) and sang the role of Leonora (Il Trovatore) in a new production. 2001 also marked the role debut as Elisabetta in Roberto Devereux at the Wiener Staatsoper and a concert performance of Norma with the Münchener Philharmonie with conductor Marcello Viotti. She made her debut at the Hamburgischen Staatsoper as Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus). Other triumphs include her first Kaiserin (Die Frau Ohne Schatten) at Oper Frankfurt and a new production at the Deutsche Oper Berlin of Die Tote Stadt under Christian Thielemann in which she sang the role of Marietta. She repeated her interpretation of Elisabetta (Roberto Devereux) at the Wiener Staatsoper to great public acclaim and sang her first Verdi Requiem with the Orchestre National de Lyon in 2004. The following season she appeared as the Kaiserin at the Wiederaufnae in Frankfurt and a new production at the Théatre de la Monnaie in Brussels, followed by a Norma at the Berlin Staatsoper, as well as role debut as Amelia (Un Ballo in Maschera) and performances as Vitellia in Frankfurt. One

of the highlights in the 2008-09 season was concert performances of Norma at the Frankfurter Alten Oper and with the Orquestra Gulbenkian in Lisbon. The press also proclaimed her successes as the Kaiserin in Essen and Chrysothemis in Vienna and Hamburg. More recent achievements include her debut in 2012 as Isolde (Tristan und Isolde) at the Staatstheater Braunschweig, followed by Ariadne (Ariadne auf Naxos) at the Aalto-Theater in Essen. She returned to the Bayerische Staatsoper in December 2012 to sing Rosalinde and to Aalto-Theater in Essen for performances as the Kaiserin during July 2013. Other recent engagements include a new productions of Elektra in Toulouse and Die Fledermaus under Zubin Mehta in Berlin. She also was a soloist in Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the Rundfunk Sinfonie Orchester Berlin. During the summer of 2014, the soprano will appear at the Salzburger Festspiele in Der Rosenkavalier with the Wiener Philharmoniker with conductor Franz Welser-Möst. She will follow these performances by appearing as Abigaille in Nabucco at the Opéra National de Lorraine in November and December. Upcoming roles that the soprano plans to add to her repertoire include Senta (Der Fliegende Holländer), Leonore (Fidelio), and the title roles in Medea and Tosca. In addition to opera, Ms. Dussmann is a

sought-after concert soloist. She has sung concerts in Amsterdam, Antwerp, Bergen, Dublin, Ghent, Los Angeles, Lisbon, Lyon, New York, San Diego, Sao Paolo, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, and Washington. Her repertoire includes Magnificat (Bach), St. Matthew Passion (Bach), Die Schöpfung (Haydn), Mirjam's Siegesgesang (Schubert), Requiem (Verdi; Mozart), Stabat Mater (Rossini), Wesendonck-Lieder (Wagner), Vier Letzte Lieder (Strauss), and 9th Symphony (Beethoven). Amongst the conductors with whom she has collaborated are Bertrand de Billy, Rudolf Bibl, Giuliano Carella, Asher Fisch, Carlo Franci, Valéry Gergiev, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Zubin Mehta, Arnold Oestman, Kazushi Ono, Seiji Ozawa, Georges Prêtre, Peter Schneider, Stefan Soltesz, Christian Thielemann, Marcello Viotti, Sebastian Weigle, and Simone Young. Stage directors with whom she has worked include Klaus Maria Brandauer, Nicolas Brieger, Jürgen Flimm, Matthew Jocelyn, Christof Loy and Christof Nel zusammen. [Source, Source]