Mari Eriksmoen - NOSPR

Widely praised for a perfect mix of radiant stage personality and purity of tone, Norwegian soprano Mari Eriksmoen recently scored a personal triumph in her role debut as Mélisande (Pelléas et Mélisande) in an acclaimed new staging for Opera Vlaanderen and Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg conducted by Alejo Pérez, and of which Forum Opéra wrote “her French diction was faultless, her voice like crystal, and she embodies the hypnotising fragility of this heroine to perfection.”

On completion of her vocal studies in Oslo (Norwegian Academy of Music), Paris (Conservatoire National Superieur) and Copenhagen (Royal Danish Academy of Opera), Eriksmoen was invited to debut at Theater an der Wien as Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos) launching her career and marking the start of a close and ongoing relationship in Vienna where she has since appeared as Olympia (Les contes d’Hoffmann), Euridice (Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo), Teti (Rossini's Le nozze di Teti e di Peleo), Rosina (Paisiello’s Il barbiere di Siviglia) and Agilea (Handel’s Teseo), in addition to her portrayals of Susanna, Zerlina and Fiordiligi in their Da Ponte Trilogy conducted by the late Nikolaus Harnoncourt, for which she attracted universal praise. Operatic highlights elsewhere include Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier) for Den Norske Opera, Blondchen (Die Entführung aus dem Serail) at Oper Frankfurt, Glyndebourne Festival Opera and the BBC Proms, La Fée in Damiano Michieletto’s production of Cendrillon at Komische Oper Berlin under Henrik Nanasí, and in a display of repertoire versatility, Waldvogel in Daniel Barenboim’s epic Ring Cycles at Teatro alla Scala.

Eriksmoen’s 19/20 season includes Servilia in Sam Brown’s new production of La clemenza di Tito at Theater an der Wien, Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro) at Den Norske Opera and Romilda (Serse) at both Opéra de Rouen and Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. On the concert platform, this season’s highlights include Mater gloriosa in Mahler’s Symphony No.8 with the Oslo Philharmonic under Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Haydn’s Die Schöpfung with Orchestre des Champs-Élysées under Philippe Herreweghe, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with both the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra under Daniel Harding and Le Cercle de l’Harmonie under Jérémie Rhorer, and an all-Mozart programme with both the Royal Scottish National Orchestra under Thomas Søndergård and Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin under Raphaël Pichon.

Eriksmoen is frequently invited to sing Solveig in Grieg's Peer Gynt and was met with universal acclaim for the world premiere of a new symphonic passion based on the piece in a staging by Calixto Bieito entitled “Waiting”at the 2019 Bergen International Festival. On the concert stage, Eriksmoen is a regular guest with the Oslo Philharmonic, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, and Gothenburg Symphony and has recently appeared with Orchestre de Paris, Münchner Philharmoniker, Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum, and debuted with the Berliner Philharmoniker in Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream under Iván Fischer.

Eriksmoen has recorded Schumann’s Szenen aus Goethes Faust with Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks under Daniel Harding (Naxos), Blondchen (Die Entführung aus dem Serail) with both the Akademie für alte Musik Berlin under René Jacobs (harmonia mundi) and Glyndebourne Festival conducted by Robin Ticciati on DVD (Opus Arte), and a “poised, elegant and persuasive” (Guardian) debut recital disc featuring songs by Grieg, Grøndahl, Wolf and Strauss with Alphonse Cemin (Alpha).