Dorothea Röschmann (born 17 June 1967) is a German soprano. She is famous for her performances in operas by Mozart as well as Lieder.

Early life

Röschmann was born in Flensburg, and sang with the Flensburg Bach Choir by the age of seven. She studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg, under Barbara Schlick at the Akademie für Alte Musik in

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the Germany, German States of Germany, state Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie H ...

, and subsequently in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

, New York,

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...

, and under Vera Rózsa in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

Career

Röschmann has been working as a

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 sp ...

er and concert singer, both in Germany and abroad since 1986. From 1994 to 2000, she was a member of the ensemble at the Berlin State Opera, where she had great success in roles such as Susanna in ''

The Marriage of Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' ( it, Le nozze di Figaro, links=no, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' ( opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It pre ...

'', Zerlina in '' Don Giovanni'', Ännchen in ''

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 1 ...

'' (conducted by

Zubin Mehta Zubin Mehta (born 29 April 1936) is an Indian conductor of Western classical music. He is music director emeritus of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) and conductor emeritus of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mehta's father was the fou ...

), Nannetta in ''

Falstaff Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare and is eulogised in a fourth. His significance as a fully developed character is primarily formed in the plays '' Henry IV, Part 1'' and ''Part 2'', wh ...

'' (conducted by

Claudio Abbado Claudio Abbado (; 26 June 1933 – 20 January 2014) was an Italian conductor who was one of the leading conductors of his generation. He served as music director of the La Scala opera house in Milan, principal conductor of the London Symphony ...

), 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 novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the Opér ...

'', Pamina in '' The Magic Flute'', Fiordiligi in '' Così fan tutte''. She still returns frequently as a guest singer. She gained international recognition in 1995 with her

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 Ama ...

debut, where she sang Susanna in ''The Marriage of Figaro'' staged by

Luc Bondy Luc Bondy (17 July 1948 – 28 November 2015) was a Swiss theatre and film director. Life and career upright=1.3, '' Charlotte Salomon'' at the Salzburg Festival 2014 Trained in Paris with the theatre teacher Jacques Lecoq, he received a job ...

, conducted by

Nikolaus Harnoncourt Johann Nikolaus Harnoncourt or historically Johann Nikolaus Graf de la Fontaine und d'Harnoncourt-Unverzagt; () (6 December 1929 – 5 March 2016) was an Austrian conductor, particularly known for his historically informed performances of music ...

. She became a regular guest soloist in Salzburg, returning to consecutive seasons in ''The Marriage of Figaro'' (Susanna), '' La clemenza di Tito'' (Servilia), ''The Magic Flute'' (Pamina), '' Idomeneo'' (Ilia). In 1998, she performed Norina in ''

Don Pasquale ''Don Pasquale'' () is an opera buffa, or comic opera, in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti with an Italian libretto completed largely by Giovanni Ruffini as well as the composer. It was based on a libretto by Angelo Anelli for Stefano Paves ...

'' with La Monnaie, and was engaged as Ännchen in the premiere of the new ''Der Freischütz'' conducted by Mehta at the Bavarian State Opera, where she returned in later seasons in new productions of 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, w ...

'', Stravinsky's '' The Rake's Progress'', and Handel's '' Rodelinda''. In 2000, she debuted at the Paris Opera in ''The Magic Flute'' staged at the Palais Garnier. In 2003, she made her Royal Opera, London debut with Pamina in David McVicar's new Magic Flute production. In summer, she assumed the role of Vitellia in ''La clemenza di Tito'' at the Salzburg Festival. Later in the year, she debuted at 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 ...

in Susanna, and at the

Vienna State Opera 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 ...

in the same role. She sang her first Contessa d'Almaviva in ''The Marriage of Figaro'' in 2004 at the Ravinia Festival. In 2006 she appeared as the role at 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 ...

(director: David McVicar; conductor: Antonio Pappano) and the

(again with Harnoncourt conducting, and staged by Claus Guth). She also sang it at La Scala in Milan in March 2012. As a concert singer she took part in

Ton Koopman Antonius Gerhardus Michael Koopman (; born 2 October 1944), known professionally as Ton Koopman, is a Dutch conductor, organist, harpsichordist, and musicologist, primarily known for being the founder and director of the Amsterdam Baroque Orche ...

's Bach cantatas project. On 10 September 2011, she took part in the performance of Gustav Mahler's '' Symphony No. 2'', in a

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...

concert at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center. The free concert, presented to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack on New York City, was conducted by Alan Gilbert and telecast on PBS on that anniversary. In January 2015, she performed in the premiere of Michael Thalheimer's ''

'', in the role of Agathe, at the Berlin State Opera, and returned in November for the premiere of Jürgen Flimm's ''The Marriage of Figaro''. In April 2015, Röschmann embarked a Northern American concert and recitals tour. She was featured in

Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891. The ensemble makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival. The music director is Riccardo Muti, who began his tenu ...

's Mozart and Schumann programme, where she interpreted '' Frauen-Liebe und Leben'' accompanied by Mitsuko Uchida. She then teamed up with Les Violons du Roy in performances involving Purcell's '' Dido and Aeneas'', excerpts of '' King Arthur'' and '' The Fairy-Queen''. She further re-joined Uchida in a recital tour. She debuted the role of Desdemona 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 ''

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. ...

'' in March 2016 at the Salzburg Easter Festival under Christian Thielemann.

Personal life

Röschmann is married to Thalia Theater actor Christoph Bantzer. They live together in Hamburg with their daughter Clara, who was born in 2005.

Discography

* ''

Stabat Mater (Pergolesi) (P.77) is a musical setting of the sequence, composed by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi in 1736. Composed in the final weeks of Pergolesi's life, it is scored for soprano and alto soloists, violin I and II, viola and (cello and organ). Background ...

'', '' Stabat Mater (Vivaldi)'', ''In furore giutissimae irae'' (1994). Les Violons du Roy, Bernard Labadie, Catherine Robbin. Dorian Recordings. * '' Messiah (Handel)'' (1997). Fink, Gritton, Daniels, Davies. Gabrieli Consort & Players, Paul McCreesh. Archiv Produktion. * ''J.S. Bach: Christmas Oratorio'' (1997). Scholl, Güra, Häger. Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, RIAS Kammerchor, René Jacobs. Harmonia Mundi. * ''Haendel Deutsche Arien'' (2000). Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin. Harmonia Mundi. * ''Bach: St Matthew Passion'' (2001).

Arnold Schoenberg Choir The Arnold Schoenberg Choir (german: Arnold Schoenberg Chor) is a Viennese/Austrian choir which was founded 1972 by Erwin Ortner, who is still its artistic director. The choir has a high reputation both among conductors and among critics and the ...

, Vienna Boys' Choir, Concentus Musicus Wien,

. Teldec. * '' The Creation (Haydn)'' (2003). Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Concentus Musicus Wien, Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, Live recording: 26-30 March 2003, Musikvereinssaal. * ''Stabat Mater (Pergolesi)'' (2006). David Daniels (countertenor).

Europa Galante Europa Galante is an Italian period-instrument Baroque orchestra founded by violinist Fabio Biondi in 1990 and directed by him. The ensemble has been invited to play at festivals and in concert halls such as La Scala in Milan, the Accademia di ...

, Fabio Biondi. Virgin Classics. * ''Mozart: The Magic Flute'' (2006). Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Mahler Chamber Orchestra,

Deutsche Grammophon Deutsche Grammophon (; DGG) is a German classical music record label that was the precursor of the corporation PolyGram. Headquartered in Berlin Friedrichshain, it is now part of Universal Music Group (UMG) since its merger with the UMG family o ...

. * '' A German Requiem (Brahms)'' (2007). Thomas Quasthoff. Berlin Philharmonic, Berlin Radio Choir,

Simon Rattle Sir Simon Denis Rattle (born 19 January 1955) is a British-German conductor. He rose to international prominence during the 1980s and 1990s, while music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (1980–1998). Rattle was principa ...

EMI Classics EMI Classics was a record label founded by Thorn EMI in 1990 to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogues for internationally distributed European classical music, classical music releases. After Thorn EMI demerged ...

, Recorded in concert: 26-29 October 2006, Philharmonie, Berlin. * ''Portraits: Songs by Schubert, Schumann, Strauss, Wolf'' (2014). Malcolm Martineau.

Sony Classical Records Sony Classical is an American record label founded in 1924 as Columbia Masterworks Records, a subsidiary of Columbia Records. In 1980, the Columbia Masterworks label was renamed as CBS Masterworks Records. The CBS Records Group was acquired by ...

. * ''Schumann: Liederkreis, Frauenliebe und Leben'', '' Seven Early Songs (Berg)'' (2015). Mitsuko Uchida. Decca Records, Recorded live: 2 & 5 May 2015, Wigmore Hall * ''Mozart Arias'' (2015). Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Harding. Sony Classical Records.

Awards and honours

* Echo Klassik 2003 with Ian Bostridge for the best Lied recording (''The Songs of

Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...

'', Hyperion Records) * Grammy Award 2002 for the Best Choral Performance with the Vienna Boys' Choir, the Concentus Musicus Wien and the

(Bach: '' St Matthew Passion'', Teldec) * Berliner Kammersängerin in 2016 * Grammy Award 2017 for the

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album The Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by man ...

(''Schumann & Berg'', accompanied by Mitsuko Uchida, Decca)

References

Sources

Richard Wigmore: "Röschmann, Dorothea."
in

Grove Music Online ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the history and the ...

*Tim Ashley
"The whole truth"
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide ...

'', January 24, 2003 (profile and interview) * Anne Midgette
"Lieder Spun From Character and Sung in Dramatic Shades"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', October 16, 2006 (review of Röschmann's 2006 recital at Carnegie Hall) *Anne Midgette
"Keep Your Eye on the German Wing"
''

Opera News ''Opera News'' is an American classical music magazine. It has been published since 1936 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild, a non-profit organization located at Lincoln Center which was founded to engender the appreciation of opera and also supp ...

'', May 2000
Discography
on

Naxos Records Naxos comprises numerous companies, divisions, imprints, and labels specializing in classical music but also audiobooks and other genres. The premier label is Naxos Records which focuses on classical music. Naxos Musical Group encompasses about ...

Discography
on Harmonia Mundi archived on 2006-12-05 *Steve Smith
"Of Goethe’s Land, Romantic and Full-Throated,"
''

'', January 24, 2013 (review of Röschmann's 2013 recital at Carnegie Hall)

External links

Artist's page
on Askonas Holt Arts Management
Artist's page
on Machreich Artists Management
Biography on the Staatsoper Berlin website, with picture
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Roschmann, Dorothea 1967 births Living people People from Flensburg German operatic sopranos Lieder singers Grammy Award winners Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg alumni 20th-century German women opera singers 21st-century German women opera singers Sony Classical Records artists Harmonia Mundi artists Deutsche Grammophon artists Decca Records artists