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“with a sublime mezzo soprano, full of nuances, she captivated everyone with her phrasing and musicality“
Biography – Long
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Praised by critics and directors for her vocal and acting abilities alike, Solgerd Isalv is working predominantly in Germany but has also sung in Armenia, Belgium, Italy, Russia and in several Scandinavian opera and concert houses. During her time in the Young Artist’s Programme at the Bavarian State Theatre Nuremberg, she was nominated as the best upcoming female singer of the year in the leading German magazine “Opernwelt” for her performance of Cherubino, Le nozze di Figaro.
In 2020 Solgerd Isalv joined the fest-ensemble at State Theatre Darmstadt where she has been singing parts as Dulcinée (Don Quichotte, Massenet), Gräfin Geschwitz (Lulu, Berg) and Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni, Mozart). The season 23/24 includes Niclausse (Les contes d’Hoffmann, Offenbach), Olga (Eugen Onegin, Tchaikovsky) and Ruggiero (Alcina, Händel) #calendar
She has appeared at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall in Yerevan, Auditorium di Milano Fondazione Cariplo, Saarländische Staatstheater, Staatstheater Braunschweig, Hessisches Staatstheater Darmstadt, Staatstheater Mainz, Bayerisches Staatstheater Nürnberg, the Wermland Opera, Norrlandsoperan, Opera Vlaanderen, Theater Gera, the Miskolci Nemzetközi Operafesztivál and the Göteborgsoperan. In 2023 she made her debut with the MDR Orchestra, in Gewandhaus, Leipzig, singing Hélène in Boulanger’s Faust et Hélène under the baton of Daniel Cohen.
She has worked with several well established directors and conductors such as Olof Boman, Marcus Bosch, Sam Brown, Mariame Clement, Daniel Cohen, Leo Hussain, Pavel Kogan, Peter Konwitschny, Maxim Pascal, Cecilia Rydinger-Alin, Dirk Schmeding, Georg Schmiedleitner, Laura Scozzi and Sergei Smbatyan.
On the concert platform Ms. Isalv has worked with orchestras such as La Verdi, Moscow Symphony Orchestra, Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, Haydn Orchestra Bolzano, Nürnberg Philharmonic Orchestra and Bamberg Symphonic Orchestra. She has recorded for broadcasting companies such as the Swedish Radio with whom she sang the world premiere of the rock opera Kult by Ola Salo, Deutschlandfunk for which she sang songs by Alma Mahler and Bayerische Rundfunk for which she recorded Symphony No 1 (Jeremiah) by Bernstein.
Her wide ranging concert repertoire includes Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Bernstein’s Symphony No1, Brahm’s Alto Rhapsody, Elgar‘s Sea Pictures, Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder and Rückertlieder, Martin’s Les Béatitudes, Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang, Ravel‘s Shéhérazade, Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder as well as music by Handel, Haydn, A. Mahler, Nystroem, Rangström, R. Strauss and Weill. Her wide sacred repertoire includes works by J.S.Bach as well as later composers; with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra she sang Mendelssohn’s St. Paul conducted by Pavel Kogan. (see complete repertoire list, above)
In demand as a performer of contemporary music Solgerd Isalv has sung several world premieres, including the opera Die Verwandlung (S. Pfeiffer, 2011), several church pieces at the Fürth Church Music Festival and the Swedish premiere of “Message from the Soul” written and conducted by American composer A. Wurtz. During the end of her studies Solgerd formed an art song duo with the pianist Jonas Olsson, which focused on contemporary and modern art song. Together they performed the world premiere of “Abendlicher Reigen” by Art-Oliver Simon at Oaarwurm Festival, Berlin, Germany.
At Staatstheater Darmstadt she has been active in the recital series “Unerhört” (Unheard of) which includes only female composers. For the series she has created different programmes with music of Alma Mahler, Maria Theresia Paradis and Louise Reichardt together with pianist Jan Croonenbroeck.
In 2020 she founded the early music ensemble Le pecore, an ensemble which explores chamber music, predominently duetti da camera, of the 17th and 18th century.
Solgerd Isalv is also one of the founders of the initiative Oper+, a network of freelance musicians, offering a platform for diverse outreach, and audience development, projects in the Nuremberg region. A firm believer in outreach projects Solgerd is also a returning soloist with the innovative opera company Compagnia Nuova.
During the first LockDown in spring 2020 Solgerd founded the Corona Survival Package #CultureContinued” which published 54 videos, organised 3 live concerts and included many german and international artists.
Solgerd Isalv has received numerous grants during her studies and early career, which include the prestigous Swedish Wagner Scholarship, as well as scholarships from the Royal Swedish Academy of Music and the Swedish Arts Grants Committee.
For the seasons 2014/15 and 2015/16 Solgerd Isalv was a member of the Nuremberg Young Artists Programme and then continued as a member of the fest-ensemble. At the State Theatre Nuremberg she sang important parts as Charlotte in die Soldaten, Wellgunde, Zweite Norn, Zweite Dame, Hänsel und Cherubino as well as Orlofsky, The Innkeeper and Feodor in Boris Godunov. She also covered Isabella in L’italiana in Algeri and Carmen.
Still a student Solgerd Isalv signed her first professional contracts with Skånska Operan and Göteborgs Operan. Soon after she successfully presented her German debut, performing the title role in the Rape of Lucretia at the Kammeroper Schloß Rheinsberg. This led to her first German guest engagement at the Theater in Gera/Altenburg. She also sang Lucretia in the same production at the Miskolci Nemzetközi Operafesztivál in Hungary.
Solgerd Isalv was born in Råneå, Sweden. After early training as a violinist and violist she went on to study solo voice at the Academy of Music and Drama at the University of Göteborg with mezzo soprano Marianne Schell and prof. Eva Nässén, finishing with a Master’s Degree in Music Performance.