News & Updates

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

Conductor Vincent de Kort is going to conduct Le Nozze di Figaro in Lithuanian Opera in November 2014, L'elisir d'amore and Schaliapin Festival in Tatar State Acedemic Opera in Kazan in September 2014 and February 2015, Gala Concert in Bolshoi in April 2015 and the Opera Siren Song at Hawaii Opera in March 2015.

Fabio Mastrangelo will conduct 4 performances of Aida at the world famous Arena di Verona on 26,31 of August and 04, 09 of September 2014 with an international star cast.

Luthando Qave, the young South African baritone has joined Ascolta Artists as general management.Hugely talented with easy high notes and a rich dark voice, he has already proven himself in repertoire such as Belcore, Guglielmo, Leporello, Valentin and Figaro (Mozart and Rossini) in houses such as the MET, Finnish National Opera, Royal Opera Stockholm, Drottningholm and Teatro Real in Madrid.

World star tenor José Cura is going to Vilnius in Lithuania to sing and conduct at the New Year Gala Concert on the 31st of December 2014 in Lithuanian National Opera And Ballet Theatre.A versatile program ranging from verismo opera to famous French highlights will ensure a spectacular evening for the audience to enjoy.

Ascolta Artists is happy to welcome the promising tenor Magnus Vigilius. He recently moved into the German tenor fach of among others Lohengrin and Walter von Stolzing, and a testament of his success is his 2nd prize and Orchestra prize in the 2014 "Lauritz Melchior Singing Competition" where one reviewer wrote:"Magnus Vigilius sang Siegfried at the forge and Walther von Stolzing‘s Price Song from the third act of ”Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” as if he were a student of Richard Wagner himself, with a declamation and expression, which also includes the Italian bel canto sensation. His Walther von Stolzing was the musical highlight and finest Wagner experience of the competition."

Awards and prizes are raining on the young Danish soprano Sofie Jensen. Recently she recieved a spezial prize at Classical Danish Radio Chamber Music Competition for best interpretation of a living Danish composer (Søren Siegumfeldt).On top of that she got Folmer Jensens Memorial Scholarship of 100.000DKK and concert with Joseph Calleja (15 August), a Reumert nomination as "Singer of the Year in Denmark" for her interpretation of "Oldmaiden and the thief" in the role of Letitia and latest she recieved Aalborg Opera Award which include a concert with Aalborg Symphony Orchestra.

Successful bass-baritone Simon Duus will sing Winterreise at Schubertiade in Roskilde (Denmark) on 12th of August 2014 and has been invited for the next two upcoming festivals as well, sing in Romeo et Juliette on the 27th of July at Copenhagen Opera Festival, Figaro in Le Nozze in Odense, and Dulcamara in L'elisir d'amore.On the 3rd of October 2014 he will have his debut as Colline with Danish National Opera Singing 20 performances and recently he received one of the most prestigious recognitions the "Music Reviewers Artist Prize"

After his first successful role at Deutsche Oper Am Rhein, Conny Thimander has been reinvited to sing in the opera "Vom Mädchen das nicht schlafen wollte" in the fall 2014. He will also appear as tenor in Messiah with Aalborg Symphony Orchestra in december 2014.