Ute Selbig

Ute Selbig (Soprano)

Born: Dresden, Germany

The German soprano, Ute Selbig, attended the Bezirksmusikschule (the district school of music) in Dresden. Then, in 1984, she started her singing studies at Carl Maria von Weber-Musikhochschule, Dresden. During her school days there she was pupil of Ilse Hahn. She became a prize winner of singing competitions in Prague and Leipzig (International Bach Competition). Already during her studies she appeared as concert soloist with the Dresdner Kreuzchor, with which she developed, under its conductor Martin Fläming, an intensive artistic co-operation, and which she accompanied on its tours, including 1988 to Japan and 1991 to Canada.

Since 1985 Ute Selbig was an ensemble member of the Sächsischen Staatsoper Dresden. During her first years on stage she sang roles like Zerline in Don Giovanni, Nannetta in Falstaff by Verdi and Ännchen in Freischütz. Later she performed major roles, as Musetta in La Bohème, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Marzelline in Fidelio, Zdenka in Arabella by R. Strauss, Sophie in Rosenkavalier, Pamina in Zauberflöte und die Fiordiligi in Cosě fan tutte.

Ute Selbig has achieved international renown for her radiant voice, superb musicianship and dramatic conviction. She is an especially celebrated Mozart interpreter, her roles include Fiordiligi (Cosě fan tutte), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Ilia (Idomeneo) and Le nozze di Figaro's Susanna. Other roles include Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier) and Zdenka (Arabella). Along her entire career she has also appeared successfully as concert solioist.

Appearances on the stage as in the concert hall led Ute Selbig to the European countries and to the USA, where appeared at the Spoleto Festival, in Los Angeles, Milwaukee and St. Louis. As an opera singer she has made guest appearances at important opera houses, such as Komischen Oper Berlin (1989 as Ännchen), Staatstheater Hannover (1994 as Pamina) with resounding success at the Grand Théâtre Genf (1994 as Zdenka). In 1999 she made a unanimously acclaimed Seattle Opera debut as Ännchen in Weber's Der Freischütz. Although long acknowledged as among the leading interpreters of German operatic repertoire, the soprano recently scored a tremendous public and critical success in Dresden in the title role of Puccini's Suor Angelica.

An equally accomplished concert soloist, Ute Selbig's North American career includes concerts with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee and Indianapolis Symphonies. During 2000-2001 season she appeared at San Diego Opera in Idomeneo: King of Crete. In August 2001 she made her "Mostly Mozart" Festival debut, with Gerard Schwarz conducting the Mozart Requiem telecast "Live from Lincoln Center" on PBS. Her 2002-2003 North American calendar included her first-ever Agathe in Weber's Der Freischütz, Christof Perick conducting the Charlotte Symphony, as well as her Dallas Symphony Orchestra debut (four performances of the J. Brahms Requiem conducted by Claus Peter Flor). In Europe she regularly appears with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Dresden Staatskapelle and Turin Radio Orchestras; Berlin Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Orchestre National de France and L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande.

Ute Selbig's awards and distinctions include the 1993 Christel-Goltz-Preis for her consistently outstanding contributions to the Dresden State Opera; and First Prize in Leipzig's International Johann-Sebastian-Bach Competition. In October 1999 she was made a Kammersängerin, the highest honor a singer can receive in Germany and Austria.

Her recordings include: Eterna (Arias & Duets with Armin Ude, Oratorio de Noël by Camille Saint-Saëns), EMI (Mozart arias), Capriccio (Motets), Philips (Litaneien, Vespern and sacred music by Mozart), Thorofon (Das Lied von der Glocke by Max Bruch).