News & Updates

Soprano Olga Heikkilä gets her breakthrough in Denmark in 2015 at he Royal Opera in Copenhagen, singing Leonora in the chamber production of Carl Nielsens "Maskerade" and Pernille in the same opera at Fuenen Opera in the birth city of Carl Nielsen.

Internationally renowned conductor Fabio Mastrangelo have a great 15/16 season ahead of him. Beginning in June 2015 with big gala concert with ao. Askar Abdrazakov in Montecatini Terme, followed by Aida (14/07) and Tosca (16/07) and gala concert (22/07) at Arena di Verona. Later on follows concerts in Tonhalle Zürich with Baden Baden Philharmonic, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra in Denmark. Besides that he enjoys a full schedule with opera production in South Korea, concerts with most of the leading Russian orchestras and handling his responsibilities as Artistic Director for Theatre "Music Hall" - St. Petersburg, Principal Conductor & Music Director for State Hermitage Orchestra "St. Petersburg Camerata", Principal Conductor forSinfonica Artica - State Philharmonic Orchestra Yakutsk, Artistic Director for Ensemble Novosibirsk Camerata - Novosibirsk State Philharmonic and Principal Guest Conductor for Novosibirsk Symphony Orchestra.

The 15/16 season marks the international breakthrough of stage director Vasily Barkhatov after his success at Nationaltheater Mannheim with Berlioz’s ”Le damnation de Faust”.In the fall he will direct Modest Mussorgsky’s ” Khovanshchina” at Theater Basel in Switzerland with premiere on 22 of October 2015, followed by 13 performances in October, November and December.After this will follow Tomaso Traetta’s “Antigone” at Kammeroper Wien with premiere on 30 of November followed by 8 performances in December 2015.Lastly he will create a new production of Bernd Alois Zimmermann’s “Die Soldaten” in Hessisches Staatstheater in Wiesbaden with premiere on 30 April followed by performances in May, June and July 2016.

Continuing her big success, after the jump in as Leonora in Carl Nielsen’s “Maskerade” for 10 performances at the Royal Opera in Copenhagen, Sofie Jensen has a great 15/16 season ahead of her. She will have her debut as Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, sing in Tivoli Concert Hall in L’elisir d’amore; sing many operetta concerts on Copenhagen Opera Festival, do two productions at the Royal Opera in Copenhagen: “Horisont” a dance, acting and singing production and debut in the demanding roles of Maid, Confidante, Waitress, Mistress, Rubbernecker and Society Journalist in Thomas Ades’ “Powder her face”. Besides that the audience in Denmark can enjoy her in New Year concerts with Randers Kammerorkester, Storstrøms Kammerensemble and South Jutland Symphony Orchestra.

Tomorrow on 17 of April, the young stage director Vasily Barkhatov’s “Le Damnation du Faust” has premiere in Nationaltheater Mannheim, followed by further performances on 24,28/04; 7,14/05; 10,21/06 2015. This also marks his debut in Germany.His international reputation has already proceeded him from his productions in among others Mikhailovsky, Bolshoi and Mariinsky and exciting productions will soon be announced in big Opera Houses in Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Scandinavia.

The German mezzo Anne-Theresa Møller have joined Ascolta Artists.Despite her young age she already has an impressive repertoire of more than 35 roles ranging from Cherubino and Dorabella over Rosina and Lola to roles such as Octavian, Charlotte, Hänsel and Olga through her 6 years in the ensemble of National Theatre Mannheim and Festivals throughout Germany.She now continues with her career as a freelance singer.

Soprano Sofie Jensen jumps in and learns the whole part of Leonora in Carl Nielsens Opera "Maskerade" with only one week notice at the Royal Opera in Copenhagen for the main role of Leonora. This brings extra focus to the talented soprano since Carl Nielsen is having his 150 year anniversary celebrated this year.She will sing all remaining 10 performances 8,11,18,26 of April; 2,9,12,15,17,21 of May 2015

The Danish baritone Lars Møller has joined Ascolta Artists. With his powerful projecting baritone voice, combined with excellent acting skills and a towering physique he has already made a name of himself in Scandinavia and Gemany in roles such as Guglielmo, Escamillo, Enrico, Silvio, Onegin and Ford. Now moving towards the heavier repertoire we look forward to promote his career in the field of more dramatic roles in Verdi and Wagner.Among his upcoming engagements are David in L’Amico Fritz, debut at Komische Oper in Berlin singing Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte, a role he will also sing at Opera Hedeland summer festival and Carmina Burana in Stuttgart.

Ascolta Artists are very happy to welcome the first new conductor to our roster in 9 months the very talented German conductor Michael Balke joining us after his great success at Danish National Opera in Bohème.Already establishing himself in the German market as Principle Resident Conductor at the Magdeburg Opera. Recent engagements there include new productions of “Don Carlo”, “Le nozze di Figaro”, “Il barbiere di Siviglia”, “La Cenerentola”, “Maria Stuarda” and “Le sacre du printemps” as well as several symphony concerts at the Magdeburg Opera.Besides that he has conducted important symphonic-, gala concerts and opera productions in Palermo, Montpellier, Mannheim, Kassel and Aarhus with important artists such as Ludovic Tézier and Larence Brownlee. Upcoming engagements include the Metropolitan Theatre in Tokyo for “The Merry Widow” returning to Palermo with the Orchestra Siciliana and to Nancy (France) with l’Orchestre symphonique et lyrique de Nancy.

Happy New Year greetings to all artists in Ascolta Artists.Big activity around New Year among others:Josè Cura as the big star in Opera Gala from Vilnius, Lithuania also with bass Tadas Girininkas.Simon Duus singing in the New Year with Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Sofie Jensen as the diva with Esbjerg Ensemble in Denmark.Ola Eliasson sings in the New Year in Stockholm both at the Royal Opera and with Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.Miina-Liisa Värelä finish her Rosalinde at Helsinki Opera and Yana Kleyn, Kristian Bendikt and Fabio Mastrangelo celebrates the New Year in Sct. Peterburg at Music Hall.We look forward to a great 2015 for all our artists!!!!!

The hugely talented tenor South Korean tenor Jung Soo Yun joins Ascolta Artists after his success as Rodolfo in Bohème at the Danish National Opera, on an exclusive contract covering Europe.Possessing an exceptional beautiful lyric tenor voice, with great flexibility on the top notes combined with fine acting skills he excels in repertoire such as Nemorino over Faust to Rodolfo.

Soprano Olga Heikillä continues her success of "Jakob Lenz" in Stuttgart and will now sing the same production in La Monnaix in Brussels and Staatsoper unter den Linden in Berlin.

Elizabeth Blancke-Biggs goes to Nancy for a jump in, to shine as Abigaille in Nabucco with the Opera National de Lorraine with performances on 25, 27, 30 of November and 2, 4 of December 2014.Stage Director: John FulljamesConductor: Rani CalderonAscolta Artists wishes her a big toi toi!!!

The promising soprano Christel Elizabeth Smith has started her cooperation with Ascolta Artists.She is focusing her talent on lyric repertoire ranging from Mozart's Fiordiligi and Contessa, Tatiana in Eugene Onegin and moving towards Eva in Meistersinger, Elsa in Lohengrin and Elizabeth in Tannhäuser.

Lithuanian tenor Kristian Benedikt will sing the titel role of Otello, and have stage debut at Stockholm Royal Opera. Premiere is on 14 of March and followed by 13 more performances in April and May 2015.In demand all over the world as Otello at the moment he has recently sung/will sing this role in Basel, Santiago, Toronto, Bergamo, Vilnius, Mariinsky and Palermo.

South Africa baritone Luthando Qave will sing "Sacerdote Maya" in Purcell's "The Indian Queen" in Peter Sellar's production at English National Opera, at the Perm Opera and at Bolshoi in Moscow.Furthermore he will sing Mandarin in Turandot alongside Nina Stemme at Dalhalla Opera Festival in Sweden.

Magnus Vigilius gets his breakthrough on Danish National Opera and Scottish Opera where he will sing Števa Buryja in Leos Janáceki's Jenufa in April and August 2015.

Soprano Yana Kleyn is on the verge of a big breakthrough in Italy singing in two major houses. In February 2015 she sings Euridice in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice in Teatro Massimo di Palermo and in May 2015 she will sing Ms. Jessel in Britten's Turn of the Screw in Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.

The South Korean bass baritone Woong-Jo Choi have joined Ascolta Artists exclusively in Europe.His full dramatic bass-baritone has a powerful dark quality and big beautiful sound. A very versatile singer with repertoire stretching from Wagner (Daland, Hunding, Marke) over Bel-canto and versimo to the big roles of Verdi such as Philippo, Fiesco, Attila and Banco.

Soprano Olga Heikkilä is having her debut in Germany in the opera of Wolfgang Rihm "Jakob Lenz" in Oper Stuttgart with performances in October and November 2014