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Cheryl Studer (born October 24, 1955) is an American dramatic soprano who has sung at many of the world's foremost opera houses. Studer has performed more than eighty roles ranging from the dramatic repertoire to roles more commonly associated with lyric sopranos and
coloratura soprano A coloratura soprano is a type of operatic soprano voice that specializes in music that is distinguished by agile runs, leaps and trills. The term '' coloratura'' refers to the elaborate ornamentation of a melody, which is a typical component o ...
s, and, in her late stage,
mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...
s. She is particularly known for her interpretations of the works of
Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard Wag ...
and
Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
.


Early life and education

Studer was born in
Midland, Michigan Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Michigan. The city's population was 42,547 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Midland Micropolitan Statistical Area, part of the larger Saginaw-Midland-Bay City Comb ...
, to Carl W. Studer and Elizabeth (born Smith) Studer, as one of three children. She studied piano and viola as a child, and began voice lessons at age 12 with Gwendolyn Pike, a local opera singer and voice teacher. She attended
Herbert Henry Dow High School Herbert Henry Dow High School is a public high school located in Midland, Michigan, United States. The school, a part of Midland Public Schools, is a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence and in 2008 was named one of the top 20 High Schools i ...
, then transferred to the Interlochen Arts Academy for her junior and senior years and graduated from there in 1974. Following high school, Studer studied at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music but left the program after a year, deciding to move with her family to Tennessee. She continued her studies at the
University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state, ...
at Knoxville, and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Vocal Performance in 1979. Studer won several awards and competitions during this time, including the High Fidelity/ Musical America Award in 1977 and the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 1978. In the summer of 1979, Studer attended a course for foreign students on the art of the German
Lied In Western classical music tradition, (, plural ; , plural , ) is a term for setting poetry to classical music to create a piece of polyphonic music. The term is used for any kind of song in contemporary German, but among English and French s ...
at the Schubert Institute in
Baden bei Wien Baden (German for " Baths"; Central Bavarian: ''Bodn''), unofficially distinguished from other Badens as Baden bei Wien (Baden near Vienna), is a spa town in Austria. It serves as the capital of Baden District in the state of Lower Austria. Loc ...
, Austria. In this program, Studer's teachers included
Irmgard Seefried Irmgard Seefried (9 October 191924 November 1988) was a distinguished German soprano who sang opera, sacred music, and lieder. Maria Theresia Irmgard Seefried was born in , near Mindelheim, Bavaria, Germany, the daughter of educated Austrian ...
, Brigitte Fassbaender, and Hans Hotter. Hotter persuaded Studer to remain in Europe to study further with him at the Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst, Vienna. Studer studied with Hotter for one year before launching out on her professional career. In 1979, she won the Franz-Schubert-Institut-Preis for excellence in Lied interpretation.


Vocation


1980s

In 1981, Studer was hired as a permanent member of the Bavarian State Opera by
Wolfgang Sawallisch Wolfgang Sawallisch (26 August 1923 – 22 February 2013) was a German conductor and pianist. Biography Wolfgang Sawallisch was born in Munich, the son of Maria and Wilhelm Sawallisch. His father was director of the Hamburg-Bremer-Feuerversich ...
. She remained with the company for two consecutive seasons, singing mostly minor roles in their productions. Her lead roles at the Bavarian State Opera included the title role in Carl Maria von Weber's ''
Euryanthe ''Euryanthe'' ( J. 291, Op. 81) is a German grand heroic-romantic opera by Carl Maria von Weber, first performed at the Theater am Kärntnertor in Vienna on 25 October 1823.Brown, p. 88 Though acknowledged as one of Weber's most important operas, ...
'' and Mařenka '' The Bartered Bride''. It was while working with the Bavarian State Opera that Studer was first encouraged to study the works of
Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
and the dramatic soprano repertoire. Up to this point she had focused mostly on the
bel canto Bel canto (Italian for "beautiful singing" or "beautiful song", )—with several similar constructions (''bellezze del canto'', ''bell'arte del canto'')—is a term with several meanings that relate to Italian singing. The phrase was not associat ...
repertoire, with her only foray into German repertoire up to that point being through
Lied In Western classical music tradition, (, plural ; , plural , ) is a term for setting poetry to classical music to create a piece of polyphonic music. The term is used for any kind of song in contemporary German, but among English and French s ...
er. She made her professional opera debut with the company as Helmwige in Wagner's '' Die Walküre''. At the end of the 1981–82 season, she left the Munich ensemble to join the Staatstheater Darmstadt for two seasons. In the spring of 1983, Studer took her first major role as Violetta in Verdi's ''
La traviata ''La traviata'' (; ''The Fallen Woman'') is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on ''La Dame aux camélias'' (1852), a play by Alexandre Dumas ''fils'' adapted from his own 18 ...
'' with the
Staatstheater Braunschweig The Staatstheater Braunschweig is a theatre company and opera house in Braunschweig, Germany, presenting and producing music theatre (opera, operetta, musical), Tanztheater, theatre, Theatre for Young Audiences and concerts. The ''Staatstheate ...
. This was followed by two more important roles the following summer: Irene in Wagner's ''
Rienzi ' (''Rienzi, the last of the tribunes''; WWV 49) is an early opera by Richard Wagner in five acts, with the libretto written by the composer after Edward Bulwer-Lytton's novel of the same name (1835). The title is commonly shortened to ''Rienzi ...
'' and Drola in Wagner's ''
Die Feen ''Die Feen'' (, ''The Fairies'') is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner. The German libretto was written by the composer after Carlo Gozzi's ''La donna serpente''. ''Die Feen'' was Wagner's first completed opera, but remained unperformed in h ...
'', under the direction of Wolfgang Sawallisch at the Bavarian State Opera's Summer Music Festival. In 1984, Studer left the Staatstheater Darmstadt to become a permanent member of the Deutsche Oper Berlin ensemble. She stayed with the company for two full seasons. She made her US opera debut the same year with the Lyric Opera of Chicago as Micaëla in ''
Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...
''. In 1985, Studer performed as Elisabeth in Wagner's ''
Tannhäuser Tannhäuser (; gmh, Tanhûser), often stylized, "The Tannhäuser," was a German Minnesinger and traveling poet. Historically, his biography, including the dates he lived, is obscure beyond the poetry, which suggests he lived between 1245 and 1 ...
'' under
Giuseppe Sinopoli Giuseppe Sinopoli (; 2 November 1946 – 21 April 2001) was an Italian conductor and composer. Biography Sinopoli was born in Venice, Italy, and later studied at the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory in Venice under Ernesto Rubin de Cervin ...
at the
Bayreuth Festival The Bayreuth Festival (german: link=no, Bayreuther Festspiele) is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of operas by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner are presented. Wagner himself conceived ...
. Positive reviews of this performance quickly led Studer to more prominent leading roles. In 1986, Studer made her debut at the Liceu as Freia in Wagner's '' Das Rheingold'' and her debut at
Opéra de Paris The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be ...
as Pamina in Mozart's '' Die Zauberflöte''. That same year, she made her debut with the San Francisco Opera as Eva in Wagner's '' Die Meistersinger''. In 1987, Studer made her debut with the
Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Op ...
, Covent Garden, as Elisabeth in Wagner's ''
Tannhäuser Tannhäuser (; gmh, Tanhûser), often stylized, "The Tannhäuser," was a German Minnesinger and traveling poet. Historically, his biography, including the dates he lived, is obscure beyond the poetry, which suggests he lived between 1245 and 1 ...
'' and her debut at
La Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...
as Donna Anna in Mozart's ''
Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; Vienna (1788) title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanis ...
''. In 1988, Studer made her
Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...
debut as Micaëla in Bizet's ''Carmen''. That same year she returned to
La Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...
to perform the role of Mathilde in Rossini's ''
William Tell William Tell (german: Wilhelm Tell, ; french: Guillaume Tell; it, Guglielmo Tell; rm, Guglielm Tell) is a folk hero of Switzerland. According to the legend, Tell was an expert mountain climber and marksman with a crossbow who assassinated Albr ...
''. She sang Agathe in Carl Maria von Weber's ''
Der Freischütz ' ( J. 277, Op. 77 ''The Marksman'' or ''The Freeshooter'') is a German opera with spoken dialogue in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber with a libretto by Friedrich Kind, based on a story by Johann August Apel and Friedrich Laun from their 181 ...
'' at the Théâtre Musical de Paris. In 1989, she made her Vienna State Opera and
Salzburg Festival The Salzburg Festival (german: Salzburger Festspiele) is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer (for five weeks starting in late July) in the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amad ...
debuts playing the same role, Chrysothemis in Richard Strauss' '' Elektra''. That same year, Studer received the Grand Prix du Disque – Prix Maria Callas. Also in 1989, she returned to
La Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...
to perform the role of La Duchesse Hélène in
Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...
's '' I vespri siciliani'' and made her debut with the Opera Company of Philadelphia in the title role of
Donizetti Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (29 November 1797 – 8 April 1848) was an Italian composer, best known for his almost 70 operas. Along with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, he was a leading composer of the '' bel canto'' opera style dur ...
's '' Lucia di Lammermoor''.


1990s

In 1990, Studer returned to the
Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...
to sing the role of Donna Anna in Mozart's ''Don Giovanni''. That same year, Studer sang the role of Elsa in Richard Wagner's '' Lohengrin'' at the Vienna State Opera. In 1991, Studer performed two more roles at the Met, Elettra in Mozart's '' Idomeneo'' and Violetta in Verdi's ''La traviata''. She sang the role of Gilda in act 3 of Verdi's '' Rigoletto'' at the Metropolitan Opera's 25th Anniversary Gala, opposite
Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti (, , ; 12 October 19356 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed tenors of all time. He made numerou ...
and
Leo Nucci Leo Nucci (born 16 April 1942) is an Italian operatic baritone, particularly associated with Verdi and ''Verismo'' roles. Biography Born at Castiglione dei Pepoli, near Bologna, Nucci studied with Giuseppe Marchese. He made his stage debut ...
. In 1990, she also sang Odabella in Verdi's ''
Attila Attila (, ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European traditio ...
'' at
La Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...
and Countess Almaviva in Mozart's '' Le nozze di Figaro'' at the Vienna State Opera. In 1995, she sang the role of Princess von Werdenberg in Richard Strauss' '' Der Rosenkavalier'' for the first time at the Salzburg Festival. Also in 1995, Studer appeared in concert with her hometown orchestra, the Midland Symphony Orchestra, in Midland, Michigan, during the orchestra's 60th anniversary season. In 1996, Studer sang the same role at the Vienna State Opera. That same year, Studer returned to the Royal Opera to sing the title role of Richard Strauss' ''
Arabella ''Arabella'', Op. 79, is a lyric comedy, or opera, in three acts by Richard Strauss to a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, their sixth and last operatic collaboration. Performance history It was first performed on 1 July 1933 at the Dr ...
'' and revisited the title role in ''Aïda'' opposite Waltraud Meier as Amneris in performances at the Bavarian State Opera. She sang Leonore in Beethoven's ''
Fidelio ''Fidelio'' (; ), originally titled ' (''Leonore, or The Triumph of Marital Love''), Op. 72, is Ludwig van Beethoven's only opera. The German libretto was originally prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of Jean-Nicolas Bouilly, with ...
'' at the Salzburg Festival in 1997 conducted by Sir
Georg Solti Sir Georg Solti ( , ; born György Stern; 21 October 1912 – 5 September 1997) was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor, known for his appearances with opera companies in Munich, Frankfurt and London, and as a long-servin ...
. In 1998, she sang Rosalinde in '' Die Fledermaus'' and Sieglinde in '' Die Walküre'' at the Bavarian State Opera. That same year she also sang Primadonna/Ariadne in Strauss' '' Ariadne auf Naxos'' at the Munich Nationaltheater. Also in 1998, she sang Senta in '' Der fliegende Holländer'' at the
Bayreuth Festival The Bayreuth Festival (german: link=no, Bayreuther Festspiele) is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of operas by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner are presented. Wagner himself conceived ...
. She reprised the role there in 1999. In July 1998, she sang a for the Richard Wagner Society at the Markgräfliches Opernhaus (Margravial or Margrave's Opera House) in Bayreuth celebrating the 250th anniversary of the house. During the late 1990s, Studer had a period of vocal problems that led to the Bavarian State Opera canceling her contracts in 1998, but after a brief time off the stage, her performances indicated a return to form and the Bavarian State Opera renewed her contract for fourteen more performances.


2000s

In 2000 Studer returned to the
Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...
to sing the role of Princess von Werdenberg (the Marschallin) in Richard Strauss' ''Der Rosenkavalier''. That same year, Studer sang the title role of Richard Strauss' ''Arabella'' at the Zürich Opera. She also filled in as a last minute Sieglinde in '' Die Walküre'' at the
Bayreuth Festival The Bayreuth Festival (german: link=no, Bayreuther Festspiele) is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of operas by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner are presented. Wagner himself conceived ...
substituting for an ailing Waltraud Meier. In 2000, she also sang Richard Strauss' '' Four Last Songs'' with the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by
David Zinman David Zinman (born July 9, 1936, in Brooklyn, NY) is an American conductor and violinist. Education After violin studies at Oberlin Conservatory, Zinman studied theory and composition at the University of Minnesota, earning his M.A. in 1963. He ...
substituting for an ailing Claudio Abbado. She also sang the ''Walküre'' Brünnhilde' in concert in Budapest with the Budapest Festival Orchestra under the direction of Iván Fischer. In February 2001, Studer sang the role of the Kaiserin (Empress) in Richard Strauss' ''
Die Frau ohne Schatten ' (''The Woman without a Shadow''), Op. 65, is an opera in three acts by Richard Strauss with a libretto by his long-time collaborator, the poet Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It was written between 1911 and either 1915 or 1917. When it premiered at the ...
'' at the
Dresden Semperoper Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth larg ...
conducted by
Giuseppe Sinopoli Giuseppe Sinopoli (; 2 November 1946 – 21 April 2001) was an Italian conductor and composer. Biography Sinopoli was born in Venice, Italy, and later studied at the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory in Venice under Ernesto Rubin de Cervin ...
. She revisited the role at the Vienna State Opera in 2002 in the Robert Carsen production. Around this time, Studer also sang back-to-back performances of the Kaiserin and the Marschallin at the Semperoper conducted by Dietfried Bernet. In June 2001, Studer sang ''Elisabeth'' in performances of
Werner Herzog Werner Herzog (; born 5 September 1942) is a German film director, screenwriter, author, actor, and opera director, regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema. His films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with un ...
's production of Richard Wagner's
Tannhäuser Tannhäuser (; gmh, Tanhûser), often stylized, "The Tannhäuser," was a German Minnesinger and traveling poet. Historically, his biography, including the dates he lived, is obscure beyond the poetry, which suggests he lived between 1245 and 1 ...
at the
Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro The Theatro Municipal ("Municipal Theater") is an opera house in the Centro district of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Built in the early twentieth century, it is considered to be one of the most beautiful and important theaters in the country. The b ...
, Brazil. Studer can be heard singing the "Ave Maria" from Verdi's ''
Otello ''Otello'' () is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeare's play ''Othello''. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on 5 February 1887. Th ...
'' in the soundtrack to the 2001 Hollywood film, '' O''. In February 2002 she made a rare U.S. appearance singing Isolde's "
Liebestod "" ( German for "love death") is the title of the final, dramatic music from the 1859 opera ' by Richard Wagner. It is the climactic end of the opera, as Isolde sings over Tristan's dead body. The music is often used in film and television produ ...
" with the
Indianapolis Symphony The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO) is an American orchestra based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The largest performing arts organization in Indiana, the orchestra is based at the Hilbert Circle Theatre in downtown Indianapolis on Monument Circ ...
. In January 2003, Studer sang the soprano part in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in Berlin during
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
's official designation of the symphony's manuscript as Memory of the World. Also in 2003, she sang her final Sentas in '' Der fliegende Holländer'' in May at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and she gave a "In Memoriam Maria Callas" in Athens, Greece, with pianist Charles Spencer, featuring songs and Lieder by Verdi, Wagner, Barber, Richard Strauss, and Copland. In March 2004, Studer sang her first complete Isolde in three concert performances of the work, in Münster, Germany. Before these complete Isoldes, she had sung excerpts from all three acts of '' Tristan und Isolde'' in Gießen, Germany (in 1999). In October 2005, Studer sang the role of Sieglinde in Richard Wagner's first-ever
Ring Cycle (''The Ring of the Nibelung''), WWV 86, is a cycle of four German-language epic music dramas composed by Richard Wagner. The works are based loosely on characters from Germanic heroic legend, namely Norse legendary sagas and the ''Nibelung ...
in China, at Beijing's Poly Theatre. The cycle was produced by Stephen Lawless for the Staatstheater Nürnberg and the performances were conducted by Philippe Auguin. In November 2005 it was reported, but never confirmed, that Studer had suffered a mild heart attack, forcing her to cancel a number of scheduled concerts in Spain. In June 2007, Studer gave a series of Masterclasses and an all-
Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard Wag ...
Lieder recital with pianist Semyon Skigin in St. Petersburg, Russia. In August 2007, also with pianist Semyon Skigin, she sang an all-
Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard Wag ...
Lieder recital at Villa
Wahnfried Wahnfried was the name given by Richard Wagner to his villa in Bayreuth. The name is a German compound of (delusion, madness) and (peace, freedom). Financed by King Ludwig II of Bavaria, the house was constructed from 1872 to 1874 under Bayreu ...
, Bayreuth. In February 2008, Studer gave a Lieder recital at Teatro Villamarta in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain with pianist
Jonathan Alder Jonathan Alder (September 17, 1773 – January 30, 1849) was an American pioneer, and the first White American, white settler in Madison County, Ohio. As a young child living in Virginia, Alder was kidnapped by Shawnee Indians, and later adop ...
, featuring Lieder by Schumann, Brahms, Mahler, and Richard Strauss. Later that year in October 2008, Studer gave another Lieder recital at
Drake University Drake University is a private university in Des Moines, Iowa. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, including professional programs in business, law, and pharmacy. Drake's law school is among the 25 oldest in the United States. Hi ...
with pianist
Nicholas Roth Nicholas Roth is an American classical pianist, recording artist and professor of piano at Drake University in Des Moines. He appeared as soloist with the St. Louis Symphony and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra under Raymond Leppard, among oth ...
, featuring songs and Lieder by Rossini, Ravel, Massenet, Albéniz, Brahms, Barber, and Richard Strauss. In November 2008, she gave another recital in Germany with Dutch pianist featuring Lieder by Schumann, Brahms, Mahler, and Richard Strauss. In August 2009, Studer sang
Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
's Wesendonck Lieder in Berlin, Germany as part of the short-lived Berlin International Music Festival. conducted the Festival orchestra.


2010–present

On July 9, 2010, Studer made her directorial debut in a new production of Rossini's '' Il barbiere di Siviglia'' at the in Würzburg, Germany. In May 2011, she won the ''Terras sam Sombra'' International Prize. Later that year, in November 2011, she appeared in concert in Nuremberg and Antwerp, Belgium, with the
Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra The Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra (German: Nürnberger Symphoniker) is a German orchestra based in Nuremberg. Its principal concert venue is the Meistersingerhalle. The orchestra's current ''Intendant'' (managing and artistic director) is Lucius ...
and its Chief Music Director,
Alexander Shelley Alexander Gordon Shelley (born 8 October 1979) is an Echo Music Prize-winning English conductor. He is currently music director of the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa, as well as principal associate conductor of the Royal Philharmonic ...
. The all-Wagner concerts, also featuring Belgian bass-baritone Wilfried Van den Brande, were recorded and will be released as part of the orchestra's "Nürnberger Symphoniker Live" series. Studer has begun a transition into a lower voice range. In December 2011 she appeared as Gertrud in performances of Engelbert Humperdinck's '' Hänsel und Gretel'' at the Hamburg State Opera. She revisited the role in 2013, also in Hamburg. In 2012 she was a recipient of the Ovation Award by the
Interlochen Center for the Arts Interlochen Center for the Arts is a non-profit corporation which operates arts education institutions and performance venues in northwest Michigan. It is situated on a campus in Interlochen, Michigan, roughly southwest of Traverse City. In ...
. In 2014, she played Adelaide in
Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard Wag ...
' ''
Arabella ''Arabella'', Op. 79, is a lyric comedy, or opera, in three acts by Richard Strauss to a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, their sixth and last operatic collaboration. Performance history It was first performed on 1 July 1933 at the Dr ...
'' at the
Hamburg State Opera The Hamburg State Opera (in German: Staatsoper Hamburg) is a German opera company based in Hamburg. Its theatre is near the square of Gänsemarkt. Since 2015, the current ''Intendant'' of the company is Georges Delnon, and the current ''General ...
. Also in 2014, she presided over the 38th International Maria Callas Grand Prix for Opera to be held in Athens, Greece. In October 2016, Studer sang the ''Overseer/Confidant (Die Vertraute/Die Aufseherin)'' in the late Patrice Chéreau's production of
Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard Wag ...
' '' Elektra'' at the
Staatsoper Berlin The (), also known as the Berlin State Opera (german: Staatsoper Berlin), is a listed building on Unter den Linden boulevard in the historic center of Berlin, Germany. The opera house was built by order of Prussian king Frederick the Great from ...
, conducted by
Daniel Barenboim Daniel Barenboim (; in he, דניאל בארנבוים, born 15 November 1942) is an Argentine-born classical pianist and conductor based in Berlin. He has been since 1992 General Music Director of the Berlin State Opera and "Staatskapellmeist ...
. She revisited the roles in June of 2022, again at the
Staatsoper Berlin The (), also known as the Berlin State Opera (german: Staatsoper Berlin), is a listed building on Unter den Linden boulevard in the historic center of Berlin, Germany. The opera house was built by order of Prussian king Frederick the Great from ...
, in performances conducted by
Thomas Guggeis Thomas Guggeis (born 1993) is a German conductor and pianist. He is Kapellmeister at the Staatsoper Berlin and the designated Generalmusikdirektor (GMD) of the Oper Frankfurt. Life and career Born in Dachau, Bavaria, Guggeis studied conducting ...
. In December 2016, she sang the role of Nettie Fowler in Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical ''
Carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (List of sovereign states, international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in South Australia, SA) is a type of amusement ...
'' at
Theater Basel Theater Basel is the municipal theatre of the city of Basel, Switzerland, which is home to the city's opera and ballet companies. The theatre also presents plays and musicals in addition to operas and operettas. Because the theatre does not ha ...
in Switzerland, in a run of performances through April 2017. In September 2018, Studer sang the
contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typically b ...
role of Mamma Lucia in a new production of Pietro Mascagni's opera '' Cavalleria rusticana'' at
Oper Graz The Graz Opera (German: Oper Graz) is an Austrian opera house and opera company based in Graz. The orchestra of the opera house also performs concerts as the Graz Philharmonic Orchestra (''Grazer Philharmonisches Orchester''). History Opera h ...
in Austria. The performances were recorded and released by the Oehms Classics label. In November 2021, Studer sang the role of ''Tertullia'' in a new production of
Paul Dessau Paul Dessau (19 December 189428 June 1979) was a German composer and conductor. He collaborated with Bertolt Brecht and composed incidental music for his plays, and several operas based on them. Biography Dessau was born in Hamburg into a ...
/
Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...
’s 1951 opera ''
Die Verurteilung des Lukullus ''Die Verurteilung des Lukullus'' (''The Condemnation of Lucullus'') is an opera by Paul Dessau to a libretto by the German dramatist Bertolt Brecht. Brecht's dramatic text for the opera is more or less identical to that of the radio-play ''The ...
'' ''(The Condemnation of Lucullus)'' at Staatsoper Stuttgart, conducted by contemporary music specialist
Bernhard Kontarsky Bernhard Kontarsky (born 26 April 1937 in Iserlohn) is a German conductor, pianist, and teacher. Kontarsky studied at the Hochschule für Musik Köln. In 1964 he began his conducting career as Kapellmeister at the Staatstheater Stuttgart. From ...
, and with tenor Gerhard Siegel in the title role.


Masterclasses, opera workshops, adjudication

For eighteen years, from 2003 to 2021, Studer taught at the University of Music in Würzburg. She is also honorary professor at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Studer conducts a yearly series of
master class A master class is a Class (education), class given to students of a particular Academic discipline, discipline by an expert of that discipline—usually music, but also science, painting, drama, games, or on any other occasion where skills are b ...
es and opera workshops at her own ''North Aegean Music Festival'' in the island of Lesbos, Greece. She conducts Master Classes internationally (USA, Greece, South Korea, China, Spain, Italy and Germany).


Personal life

Studer is married to Greek tenor Michalis Doukakis and has lived in Germany for most of her life. From previous marriages, Studer has two daughters, Elsa and Senta, named after characters from
Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
operas. The elder, Senta, is a pop music singer. Her first solo album, ''Happy'', was released in January 2014.


Discography


Complete opera recordings

* Aida in Verdi's '' Aida'', recorded 6/94,
Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Op ...
, Covent Garden,
Edward Downes Sir Edward Thomas ("Ted") Downes, CBE (17 June 1924 – 10 July 2009) was an English conductor, specialising in opera. He was associated with the Royal Opera House from 1952, and with Opera Australia from 1970. He was also well known for his ...
, Pioneer * Countess in Mozart's '' Le nozze di Figaro'', recorded 5/91,
Wiener Philharmoniker The Vienna Philharmonic (VPO; german: Wiener Philharmoniker, links=no) is an orchestra that was founded in 1842 and is considered to be one of the finest in the world. The Vienna Philharmonic is based at the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. It ...
, Claudio Abbado, Sony * Countess in Mozart's ''Le nozze di Figaro'', recorded 1–2/94, Wiener Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado, Deutsche Grammophon * Chrysothemis in Richard Strauss' '' Elektra'', recorded 6/89, Wiener Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado, Pioneer * Chrysothemis in Strauss' ''Elektra'', recorded 1/90,
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (german: Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, BRSO) is a German radio orchestra. Based in Munich, Germany, it is one of the city's four orchestras. The BRSO is one of two full-size symphony orchestr ...
,
Wolfgang Sawallisch Wolfgang Sawallisch (26 August 1923 – 22 February 2013) was a German conductor and pianist. Biography Wolfgang Sawallisch was born in Munich, the son of Maria and Wilhelm Sawallisch. His father was director of the Hamburg-Bremer-Feuerversich ...
, EMI * Desdemona in Verdi's ''
Otello ''Otello'' () is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeare's play ''Othello''. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on 5 February 1887. Th ...
'', recorded 5/93, Opéra Bastille, Myung-whun Chung, Deutsche Grammophon * Donna Anna in Mozart's ''
Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; Vienna (1788) title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanis ...
'', recorded 9/90, Wiener Philharmoniker, Riccardo Muti, EMI * Drolla in Wagner's ''
Die Feen ''Die Feen'' (, ''The Fairies'') is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner. The German libretto was written by the composer after Carlo Gozzi's ''La donna serpente''. ''Die Feen'' was Wagner's first completed opera, but remained unperformed in h ...
'', recorded 7/83, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Orfeo * Elena in Verdi's '' I Vespri Siciliani'', recorded 12/89–1/90,
Teatro alla Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...
, Riccardo Muti, Fonit Cetra * Elisabeth in Wagner's ''
Tannhäuser Tannhäuser (; gmh, Tanhûser), often stylized, "The Tannhäuser," was a German Minnesinger and traveling poet. Historically, his biography, including the dates he lived, is obscure beyond the poetry, which suggests he lived between 1245 and 1 ...
'', recorded '88,
Philharmonia Orchestra The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a classical music record producer for EMI. Among the conductors who worked with the orchestra in its early years were Richard Strauss, W ...
,
Giuseppe Sinopoli Giuseppe Sinopoli (; 2 November 1946 – 21 April 2001) was an Italian conductor and composer. Biography Sinopoli was born in Venice, Italy, and later studied at the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory in Venice under Ernesto Rubin de Cervin ...
, Deutsche Grammophon * Elisabeth in Wagner's ''Tannhäuser'', recorded '89,
Bayreuth Festival The Bayreuth Festival (german: link=no, Bayreuther Festspiele) is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of operas by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner are presented. Wagner himself conceived ...
,
Giuseppe Sinopoli Giuseppe Sinopoli (; 2 November 1946 – 21 April 2001) was an Italian conductor and composer. Biography Sinopoli was born in Venice, Italy, and later studied at the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory in Venice under Ernesto Rubin de Cervin ...
, Philips * Elsa in Wagner's '' Lohengrin'', recorded 6/90, Bayreuth Festival, Peter Schneider, Philips * Elsa in Wagner's ''Lohengrin'', recorded '90, Wiener Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado, Deutsche Grammophon * Eva in Wagner's ''
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (; "The Master-Singers of Nuremberg"), WWV 96, is a music drama, or opera, in three acts, by Richard Wagner. It is the longest opera commonly performed, taking nearly four and a half hours, not counting two breaks between acts, and is traditio ...
'', recorded 4/93, Bavarian State Opera, Wolfgang Sawallisch, EMI * Florinda in Schubert's ''
Fierrabras ''Fierrabras'', 796, is a three-act German opera with spoken dialogue written by the composer Franz Schubert in 1823, to a libretto by Joseph Kupelwieser, the general manager of the Theater am Kärntnertor (Vienna's Court Opera Theatre). Along ...
'', recorded 5/88,
Chamber Orchestra of Europe The Chamber Orchestra of Europe (COE), established in 1981, is an orchestra based in London. The orchestra comprises about 60 members from across Europe. The players pursue parallel careers as international soloists, members of chamber groups and ...
, Claudio Abbado, Deutsche Grammophon * Gilda in Verdi's '' Rigoletto'' act 3, recorded 9/91,
Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...
, James Levine, Deutsche Grammophon * Gilda in Verdi's ''Rigoletto'', recorded 6/93, Metropolitan Opera, James Levine, Deutsche Grammophon * Giulietta in Offenbach's '' Les contes d'Hoffmann'', recorded 87/88/89,
Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden The Staatskapelle Dresden (known formally as the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden) is a German orchestra based in Dresden, the capital of Saxony. Founded in 1548 by Maurice, Elector of Saxony, it is one of the world's oldest and most highly re ...
, Jeffrey Tate, Philips * Gutrune in Wagner's '' Götterdämmerung'', recorded 5/89, Metropolitan Opera, James Levine, Deutsche Grammophon * Hanna Glawari in Lehár's ''
Die Lustige Witwe ''The Merry Widow'' (german: Die lustige Witwe, links=no ) is an operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt t ...
'', recorded 1/94, Wiener Philharmoniker, John Eliot Gardiner, Deutsche Grammophon * Irene in Wagner's ''
Rienzi ' (''Rienzi, the last of the tribunes''; WWV 49) is an early opera by Richard Wagner in five acts, with the libretto written by the composer after Edward Bulwer-Lytton's novel of the same name (1835). The title is commonly shortened to ''Rienzi ...
'', recorded 7/83, Bavarian State Opera, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Orfeo * Jessonda in Spohr's ''
Jessonda ''Jessonda'' is a grand opera (''Große Oper'') by Louis Spohr, written in 1822. The German libretto was written by , based on Antoine-Marin Lemierre's 1770 play ''La veuve du Malabar ou L'Empire des coutumes''. Spohr had been newly appointed Hof ...
'', recorded '84, Austrian Radio Orchestra, Gerd Albrecht, Voce * Kaiserin (Empress) in Strauss' ''
Die Frau ohne Schatten ' (''The Woman without a Shadow''), Op. 65, is an opera in three acts by Richard Strauss with a libretto by his long-time collaborator, the poet Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It was written between 1911 and either 1915 or 1917. When it premiered at the ...
'', recorded 2–12/87, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Wolfgang Sawallisch, EMI * Kaiserin (Empress) in Strauss' ''Die Frau ohne Schatten'', recorded '92, Wiener Philharmoniker, Sir
Georg Solti Sir Georg Solti ( , ; born György Stern; 21 October 1912 – 5 September 1997) was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor, known for his appearances with opera companies in Munich, Frankfurt and London, and as a long-servin ...
,
Salzburg Festival The Salzburg Festival (german: Salzburger Festspiele) is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer (for five weeks starting in late July) in the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amad ...
, DECCA/London * Konstanze in Mozart's '' Die Entführung aus dem Serail'', recorded 4/91,
Wiener Symphoniker The Vienna Symphony (Vienna Symphony Orchestra, german: Wiener Symphoniker) is an Austrian orchestra based in Vienna. Its primary concert venue is the Vienna Konzerthaus. In Vienna, the orchestra also performs at the Musikverein and at the Thea ...
, Bruno Weil, Sony * Lucia in Donizetti's '' Lucia di Lammermoor'', recorded 8/90,
London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...
, Ion Marin, Deutsche Grammmophon * Madama Cortese in Rossini's '' Il viaggio a Reims'', recorded 10/92, Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado, Sony * Mamma Lucia in Mascagni's '' Cavalleria rusticana'', recorded 2018/2019,
Oper Graz The Graz Opera (German: Oper Graz) is an Austrian opera house and opera company based in Graz. The orchestra of the opera house also performs concerts as the Graz Philharmonic Orchestra (''Grazer Philharmonisches Orchester''). History Opera h ...
/Graz Philharmonic, Oksana Lyniv, Oehms Classics * Marguerite in Gounod's '' Faust'', recorded 2/91,
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse The Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse is a French orchestra based in Toulouse. It acts as both a symphony orchestra whose main residence is Toulouse's Halle aux Grains, and the permanent orchestra of the Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse. ...
,
Michel Plasson Michel Plasson (born 2 October 1933, Paris, France) is a French conductor. Plasson was a student of Lazare Lévy at the Conservatoire de Paris. In 1962, he was a prize-winner at the International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors. ...
, EMI * Matilde in Rossini's ''
Guglielmo Tell ''William Tell'' (french: Guillaume Tell, link=no; it, Guglielmo Tell, link=no) is a French-language opera in four acts by Italian composer Gioachino Rossini to a libretto by Victor-Joseph Étienne de Jouy and L. F. Bis, based on Friedrich Sch ...
'', recorded 12/88,
Teatro alla Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...
, Riccardo Muti, EMI * Odabella in Verdi's ''
Attila Attila (, ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European traditio ...
'', recorded 6–7/89,
Teatro alla Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...
, Riccardo Muti, EMI * Odabella in Verdi's ''Attila'', recorded 6/90,
Teatro alla Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...
, Riccardo Muti, Home Vision * Ortlinde in Wagner's '' Die Walküre'', recorded 8/81,
Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden The Staatskapelle Dresden (known formally as the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden) is a German orchestra based in Dresden, the capital of Saxony. Founded in 1548 by Maurice, Elector of Saxony, it is one of the world's oldest and most highly re ...
, Marek Janowski, Eurodisc * Queen of the Night in Mozart's '' Die Zauberflöte'', recorded 7/89, Academy of St Martin in the Fields,
Sir Neville Marriner Sir Neville Marriner, (15 April 1924 – 2 October 2016) was an English violinist and "one of the world's greatest conducting, conductors". Gramophone (magazine), Gramophone lists Marriner as one of the 50 greatest conductors and another com ...
, Philips * Salomé in Massenet's ''
Hérodiade ''Hérodiade'' is an opera in four acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Paul Milliet and Henri Grémont, based on the novella ''Hérodias'' (1877) by Gustave Flaubert. It was first performed at the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels o ...
'', recorded 11–12/94,
Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse The Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse is a French orchestra based in Toulouse. It acts as both a symphony orchestra whose main residence is Toulouse's Halle aux Grains, and the permanent orchestra of the Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse. ...
,
Michel Plasson Michel Plasson (born 2 October 1933, Paris, France) is a French conductor. Plasson was a student of Lazare Lévy at the Conservatoire de Paris. In 1962, he was a prize-winner at the International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors. ...
, EMI * Salome in Strauss' ''
Salome Salome (; he, שְלוֹמִית, Shlomit, related to , "peace"; el, Σαλώμη), also known as Salome III, was a Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II, son of Herod the Great, and princess Herodias, granddaughter of Herod the Great, an ...
'', recorded 12/90, Deutsche Oper Berlin,
Giuseppe Sinopoli Giuseppe Sinopoli (; 2 November 1946 – 21 April 2001) was an Italian conductor and composer. Biography Sinopoli was born in Venice, Italy, and later studied at the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory in Venice under Ernesto Rubin de Cervin ...
, Deutsche Grammophon * Semiramide in Rossini's ''
Semiramide ''Semiramide'' () is an opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini. The libretto by Gaetano Rossi is based on Voltaire's tragedy ''Semiramis'', which in turn was based on the legend of Semiramis of Assyria. The opera was first performed at La Fenice ...
'', recorded 7/92,
London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...
, Ion Marin, Deutsche Grammophon * Senta in Wagner's '' Der fliegende Holländer'', recorded 1/91, Deutsche Oper Berlin,
Giuseppe Sinopoli Giuseppe Sinopoli (; 2 November 1946 – 21 April 2001) was an Italian conductor and composer. Biography Sinopoli was born in Venice, Italy, and later studied at the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory in Venice under Ernesto Rubin de Cervin ...
, Deutsche Grammophon * Sieglinde in Wagner's '' Die Walküre'', recorded 2–3/88, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Bernard Haitink, EMI * Susannah in Carlisle Floyd's ''
Susannah ''Susannah'' is an opera in two acts by the American composer Carlisle Floyd, who wrote the libretto and music while a member of the piano faculty at Florida State University. Floyd adapted the story from the Apocryphal tale of Susanna (Book of D ...
'', recorded 3/94, Opéra de Lyon, Kent Nagano, Virgin * Violetta in Verdi's ''
La traviata ''La traviata'' (; ''The Fallen Woman'') is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on ''La Dame aux camélias'' (1852), a play by Alexandre Dumas ''fils'' adapted from his own 18 ...
'', recorded 1/91, Metropolitan Opera, James Levine, Deutsche Grammophon * Zemlinsky's ''
Der Zwerg ''Der Zwerg'' (''The Dwarf''), Op. 17, is an opera in one act by Austrian composer Alexander von Zemlinsky to a libretto by Georg C. Klaren, freely adapted from the short story "The Birthday of the Infanta" by Oscar Wilde. Composition history ...
'', recorded 1983, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gerd Albrecht, Koch-Schwann


Concert recordings

*
Samuel Barber Samuel Osmond Barber II (March 9, 1910 – January 23, 1981) was an American composer, pianist, conductor, baritone, and music educator, and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century. The music critic Donal Henahan said, "Proba ...
Complete Songs, recorded 9/92,
John Browning John Moses Browning (January 23, 1855 – November 26, 1926) was an American firearm designer who developed many varieties of military and civilian firearms, cartridges, and gun mechanisms many of which are still in use around the world. He m ...
,
Thomas Hampson Thomas Walter Hampson (born June 28, 1955) is an American lyric baritone, a classical singer who has appeared world-wide in major opera houses and concert halls and made over 170 musical recordings. Hampson's operatic repertoire spans a range ...
, Emerson String Quartet, Deutsche Grammophon * Beethoven's ''
Missa solemnis {{Audio, De-Missa solemnis.ogg, Missa solemnis is Latin for Solemn Mass, and is a genre of musical settings of the Mass Ordinary, which are festively scored and render the Latin text extensively, opposed to the more modest Missa brevis. In French ...
'', recorded 8/91, Wiener Philharmoniker, Salzburg Festival, James Levine, Deutsche Grammophon * ''Beethoven in Berlin'' ("
Ah! perfido "" (Ah! Deceiver), Op. 65, is a concert aria for soprano and orchestra by Ludwig van Beethoven. The dramatic '' scena'' begins with a recitative in C major, taken from Pietro Metastasio's '' Achille in Sciro''. The aria "Per pietà, non dirmi a ...
"/''
Choral Fantasy The ''Fantasy'' for piano, vocal soloists, mixed chorus, and orchestra, Op. 80, usually called the ''Choral Fantasy'', was composed in 1808 by then 38-year-old Ludwig van Beethoven. Beethoven intended the ''Fantasy'' to serve as the conc ...
''/''
Egmont Egmont may refer to: * Egmont Group, a media corporation founded and rooted in Copenhagen, Denmark * Egmond family (often spelled "Egmont"), an influential Dutch family, lords of the town of Egmond ** Lamoral, Count of Egmont (1522–1568), the bes ...
''), recorded 12/91, Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado, Deutsche Grammophon * Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, recorded 4/89,
Philadelphia Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscription ...
, Riccardo Muti, EMI * Brahms' '' Ein Deutsches Requiem'', recorded 10/92, Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado, Deutsche Grammophon * Bruckner's ''Mass in F minor'' / Mozart's ''Vespers'', recorded 3/77, MIT Choral Society, John Oliver, private issue LP *
Donizetti Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (29 November 1797 – 8 April 1848) was an Italian composer, best known for his almost 70 operas. Along with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, he was a leading composer of the '' bel canto'' opera style dur ...
's Messa da Requiem, recorded 1/84,
Bamberger Symphoniker The Bamberg Symphony (German: Bamberger Symphoniker – Bayerische Staatsphilharmonie) is a German orchestra based in Bamberg. It is one of the most prestigious orchestras in Germany. The orchestra was formed in 1946 mainly from German musicians e ...
,
Miguel Ángel Gómez Martínez Miguel Ángel Gómez Martínez (born 1949 in Granada, Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further B ...
, Orfeo * Mahler's '' Das klagende Lied'', recorded 11/90,
Philharmonia Orchestra The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a classical music record producer for EMI. Among the conductors who worked with the orchestra in its early years were Richard Strauss, W ...
,
Giuseppe Sinopoli Giuseppe Sinopoli (; 2 November 1946 – 21 April 2001) was an Italian conductor and composer. Biography Sinopoli was born in Venice, Italy, and later studied at the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory in Venice under Ernesto Rubin de Cervin ...
, Deutsche Grammophon * Mahler's '' Symphony No. 2'', recorded 11/92, Wiener Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado, Deutsche Grammophon * Mahler's '' Symphony No. 8'', recorded 11–12/90,
Philharmonia Orchestra The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a classical music record producer for EMI. Among the conductors who worked with the orchestra in its early years were Richard Strauss, W ...
,
Giuseppe Sinopoli Giuseppe Sinopoli (; 2 November 1946 – 21 April 2001) was an Italian conductor and composer. Biography Sinopoli was born in Venice, Italy, and later studied at the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory in Venice under Ernesto Rubin de Cervin ...
, Deutsche Grammophon * Mahler's '' Symphony No. 8'', recorded 1/94, Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado, Deutsche Grammophon * Schubert Lieder, recorded 1/90,
Irwin Gage Irwin Gage (September 4, 1939 – April 12, 2018) was an American pianist, specializing in accompanying Lieder. Biography Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Gage studied piano, musicology and literature at the University of Michigan and Yale, and later wi ...
, Deutsche Grammophon * von Schweinitz's Messe, Op. 21, recorded 7/84, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gerd Albrecht, Wergo * ''Strauss Choral Works'', recorded 9/84,
RIAS Kammerchor The RIAS Kammerchor (RIAS Chamber Choir) is a German choir based in Berlin, Germany. It receives support from the Rundfunk Orchester und Chöre GmbH Berlin ("Berlin Radio Orchestra and Choirs"), a limited-liability company owned by the public bro ...
,
Uwe Gronostay Uwe Gronostay (25 October 1939 – 29 November 2008) was a German choral conductor and composer. Born in Hildesheim, he grew up in Braunschweig and was already organist of the Jakobikirche at age 15. He studied church music in Bremen and worked ...
,
Marcus Creed Marcus Creed (April 19, 1951) is an English conductor. Born in Eastbourne, Sussex (South England), he was educated at Eastbourne Grammar School, King's College, Cambridge, Christ Church, Oxford, and Guildhall School in London. He moved to Ger ...
, Deutsche Schallplatten * Strauss' ''
Vier Letzte Lieder The ''Four Last Songs'' (german: Vier letzte Lieder, link=no), Op. posth., for soprano and orchestra are – with the exception of the song "Malven" (Mallows), composed later the same year – the final completed works of Richard Strauss. They ...
''/Wagner's '' Wesendonck Lieder'' and Isolde's "
Liebestod "" ( German for "love death") is the title of the final, dramatic music from the 1859 opera ' by Richard Wagner. It is the climactic end of the opera, as Isolde sings over Tristan's dead body. The music is often used in film and television produ ...
", recorded 1/93,
Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden The Staatskapelle Dresden (known formally as the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden) is a German orchestra based in Dresden, the capital of Saxony. Founded in 1548 by Maurice, Elector of Saxony, it is one of the world's oldest and most highly re ...
,
Giuseppe Sinopoli Giuseppe Sinopoli (; 2 November 1946 – 21 April 2001) was an Italian conductor and composer. Biography Sinopoli was born in Venice, Italy, and later studied at the Benedetto Marcello Conservatory in Venice under Ernesto Rubin de Cervin ...
, Deutsche Grammophon * Verdi's ''
Messa da Requiem The ''Messa da Requiem'' is a musical setting of the Catholic funeral mass ( Requiem) for four soloists, double choir and orchestra by Giuseppe Verdi. It was composed in memory of Alessandro Manzoni, whom Verdi admired. The first performance, at ...
'', recorded 6/87,
Teatro alla Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...
, Riccardo Muti, EMI * Verdi's ''
Messa da Requiem The ''Messa da Requiem'' is a musical setting of the Catholic funeral mass ( Requiem) for four soloists, double choir and orchestra by Giuseppe Verdi. It was composed in memory of Alessandro Manzoni, whom Verdi admired. The first performance, at ...
'', recorded 11/91, Wiener Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado, Deutsche Grammophon * Wagner, Isolde's "Liebestod", recorded 1/88, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jeffrey Tate, EMI * ''Wagner Gala'' (''
Tannhäuser Tannhäuser (; gmh, Tanhûser), often stylized, "The Tannhäuser," was a German Minnesinger and traveling poet. Historically, his biography, including the dates he lived, is obscure beyond the poetry, which suggests he lived between 1245 and 1 ...
''/'' Lohengrin''/''
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (; "The Master-Singers of Nuremberg"), WWV 96, is a music drama, or opera, in three acts, by Richard Wagner. It is the longest opera commonly performed, taking nearly four and a half hours, not counting two breaks between acts, and is traditio ...
''/'' Die Walküre''), recorded 12/93, Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado, Deutsche Grammophon * ''Covent Garden Gala'' (''
Otello ''Otello'' () is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeare's play ''Othello''. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on 5 February 1887. Th ...
''/''
La traviata ''La traviata'' (; ''The Fallen Woman'') is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on ''La Dame aux camélias'' (1852), a play by Alexandre Dumas ''fils'' adapted from his own 18 ...
''/'' Die Fledermaus''), recorded 7/88,
Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Op ...
, Covent Garden, John Barker, EMI * First Europakonzert in Prague (Mozart: ''Non mi dir''/'' Ch'io mi scordi di te? – Non temer, amato bene''), recorded 5/91, Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado, Sony * ''
The Metropolitan Opera Gala 1991 ''The Metropolitan Opera Gala 1991'' was a four-hour concert staged by the Metropolitan Opera on 23 September 1991 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its opening night in its second home at Lincoln Center. It was televised by Cablevision, and i ...
'', recorded 9/91, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, James Levine, Deutsche Grammophon DVD * ''
Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the ...
Recital'' (Strauss/ Schubert/
Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...
), recorded 8/92, Irwin Gage, Deutsche Grammophon *
Johan Botha Johan Botha may refer to: * Johan Botha (athlete) (born 1974), South African middle distance runner * Johan Botha (cricketer) (born 1982), South African born Australian cricketer * Johan Botha (tenor) Johan Botha (19 August 1965 – 8 Septe ...
Wiener Staatsoper Live: Beethoven , Wagner , Strauss (''Atmest du nicht'', from act 3 of '' Lohengrin''), recorded 2/97,
Wiener Staatsoper The Vienna State Opera (, ) is an opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road. It was built from 1861 to 1869 following plans by August S ...
, Simone Young, Orfeo International


Solo recordings

* ''Coloratura Arias'' by Bellini ('' La sonnambula''/'' Norma''), Verdi (''
La traviata ''La traviata'' (; ''The Fallen Woman'') is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on ''La Dame aux camélias'' (1852), a play by Alexandre Dumas ''fils'' adapted from his own 18 ...
''/'' Il trovatore''), Donizetti ('' Lucia di Lammermoor''/''
Lucrezia Borgia Lucrezia Borgia (; ca-valencia, Lucrècia Borja, links=no ; 18 April 1480 – 24 June 1519) was a Spanish-Italian noblewoman of the House of Borgia who was the daughter of Pope Alexander VI and Vannozza dei Cattanei. She reigned as the Govern ...
''), Rossini ('' Il barbiere di Seviglia''/''
Semiramide ''Semiramide'' () is an opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini. The libretto by Gaetano Rossi is based on Voltaire's tragedy ''Semiramis'', which in turn was based on the legend of Semiramis of Assyria. The opera was first performed at La Fenice ...
''), recorded 4/89, Munich Radio Orchestra,
Gabriele Ferro Gabriele Ferro is a Grand Prix motorcycle racer from Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its ...
, EMI * ''Sacred Works'' (
J. S. Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...
/ Schubert/
Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositi ...
/
Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...
/
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...
/ Gounod/ Fauré/
Poulenc Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (; 7 January 189930 January 1963) was a French composer and pianist. His compositions include songs, solo piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, operas, ballets, and orchestral concert music. Among the best-kno ...
/
Bernstein Bernstein is a common surname in the German language, meaning "amber" (literally "burn stone"). The name is used by both Germans and Jews, although it is most common among people of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage. The German pronunciation is , but in E ...
/ Bruch), recorded 3/91,
London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...
, Ion Marin, Deutsche Grammophon * ''Mozart Arias'' ('' Die Entführung aus dem Serail''/'' Die Zauberflöte''/'' Idomeneo''/'' Le nozze di Figaro''/''
Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; Vienna (1788) title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanis ...
''/'' La clemenza di Tito''/''
Così fan tutte (''All Women Do It, or The School for Lovers''), K. 588, is an opera buffa in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was first performed on 26 January 1790 at the Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria. The libretto was written by Lorenzo Da Ponte w ...
''), recorded 9/89, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner, Philips *''Schubert Lieder'', recorded 6/90, Irwin Gage, piano, Deutsche Grammophon


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Studer, Cheryl 1955 births People from Midland, Michigan Living people American operatic sopranos Singers from Michigan Interlochen Center for the Arts alumni Oberlin Conservatory of Music alumni University of Tennessee alumni American expatriates in Germany Classical musicians from Michigan University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna alumni Winners of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Hochschule für Musik Würzburg faculty 20th-century American women opera singers 21st-century American women opera singers American women academics