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Out now! Beethoven • Wagner • Verdi

Lise’s eagerly awaited second album on Decca Classics is out now.

Recorded with London Philharmonic Orchestra and Sir Mark Elder in summer 2020 during lockdown, the disc features Leonore’s aria from Fidelio, which she sung at the Royal Opera House in March last year and mesmerized critics and audience members alike. Wagner’s five Wesendonck Lieder also features, a work that has become a signature piece for Lise.  

Lise’s media round up this week includes an interview on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune and gracing the cover of Gramophone’s April edition, where she spoke to Neil Fisher about practising in lockdown, tackling ‘forbidden’ roles on record, and her desire to be back on stage.

This week Lise also performed twice on stage in front of a small live audience in Trondheim – a recital with Leif Ove Andsnes and in concert with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra that was also streamed. This was the first time in five months that Lise had sang for an audience: “I can’t express how much I missed it!”

Featured on Gramophone’s The Best Classical Albums of 2021

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Debut as Elisabeth in Tannhäuser in Zurich

Lise returns to Zurich on 23 March to make her debut in Richard Wagner’s Tannhäuser at Opernhaus Zürich. Lise stars as Elisabeth, the niece of the Margrave of Thuringia, who falls in love with the singing knight Heinrich Tannhäuser. Axel Kober conducts this revival of Harry Kupfer’s production, which also features Stephen Gould in the title role and Tanja Ariane Baumgartner as Venus, the Goddess of Love.

Lise sings the role of Elisabeth twice more this season, firstly at Bayerische Staatsoper in May and then in her debut at the Bayreuth Festival in a new production under the baton of Valery Gergiev. Kupfer’s production runs in Zurich until 5 April.

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Watch Lise in Die Walküre live from Covent Garden on 28 October

Audiences around the world have the chance to watch Lise on stage on 28 October as the Royal Opera House’s production of Die Walküre is broadcast live into cinemas. Conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano and directed by Keith Warner, Die Walküre also features Stuart Skelton, Emily Magee, Nina Stemme and Sarah Connolloy, with Lise singing Ortlinde.

The performance lasts approximately 4 hours and 50 minutes, but timings may vary depending on territory. Click here to find a screening near you.

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Debut at Covent Garden in the Ring Cycle

Lise makes her debut at the Royal Opera House this month when she joins the cast of Wagner’s Ring Cycle. The cycle is directed by Keith Warner and conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano, and Lise sings the roles of Freia in Das Rheingold, Ortlinde in Die Walküre and Third Norn in Götterdämmerung.

Wagner features heavily for Lise this season. She sings Elizabeth in Tannhäuser in her debut at the Bayreuth Festival next summer, and also sings the role with Opernhaus Zürich and Bayerische Staatsoper. She also sings Sieglinde in Act One of Die Walküre with Sir Andrew Davis and the Toronto Symphony in February.

The Ring opens on 24 September with Das Rheingold, and each opera will be performed four times. Götterdämmerung brings the cycle a close on 2 November. Click here for more information.

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Verdi & Wagner in concert in Copenhagen

Lise returns to the concert stage on 5 April when she joins the Danish National Symphony Orchestra in Copenhagen. Lise performs arias from operas including Verdi’s Otello and Un ballo in maschera as well as Wagner’s Tannhäuser and Wesendonck Lieder.

Later in the month, Lise joins the Copenhagen Philharmonic at the Royal Danish Conservatory’s concert hall on 26 April. She sings Richard Strauss’ posthumously published Four Last Songs, which she also performed in March with the Oslo Philharmonic.

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Wagner & Sibelius in concert with the Bergen Philharmonic

Lise returns to Bergen this month to continue her artistic residency with the Bergen Philharmonic in two performances on 26 and 28 January. On 26 January, she joins the orchestra and their Chief Conductor Edward Gardner to sing Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder and Sibelius’ Luonnotar. On 28 January, Gardner, Davidsen and the orchestra appear at the Norwegian National Opera, with Luonnotar once again on the programme.

The residency continues on 8 February when she is rejoined by pianist James Baillieu for a recital of arias and songs by Verdi, Cherubini, Mascagni, Weber and Wagner at the University of Bergen. Elsewhere in February, she performs Beethoven Symphony No.9 with the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra on 1 February and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.

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Role and house debut as Isabella in Das Liebesverbot at Teatro Colon

Lise travels to Buenos Aires this month to sing her first Isabella in Wagner Das Liebesverbot at Teatro Colon, her debut with the company. Kasper Holten’s new production is conducted by Oliver von Dohnányi.

Lise’s run as Isabella is one of a series of major role and house debuts this season, beginning with Agathe Der Freischütz at Opernhaus Zürich and including Santuzza Cavalleria Rusticana at Norwegian National Opera and Ariadne auf Naxos with North Norwegian Opera and Symphony Orchestra, a role that she reprises this summer for her much-anticipated UK debut with Glyndebourne Festival Opera.

Das Liebesverbot will run from 25 April until 2 May.

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Company debut at Oper Frankfurt in the Ring Cycle

Lise makes her debut at Oper Frankfurt in the theatre’s upcoming Ring Cycle, beginning with the role of Freia in Das Rheingold on 5 May 2016. The cycle is conducted by Sebastian Weigle and directed by Vera Nemirova. Lise performs as Freia again on 1 July and also sings the Third Norn in Götterdämmerung on 16 May and 17 July.

Lise received universal acclaim last summer as the winner of Operalia and Queen Sonja competitions:

“Lise Davidsen, 28, is an extraordinary, distinctive dramatic soprano with a brilliant Wagnerian career ahead of her if her exhilarating performance of ‘Dich Teure Halle’ from Wagner’s Tannhäuser in this final is anything to go by. She has tremendous stature and presence, singing with a radiant tone that has an attractive, fluty purity and a laser’s edge that cuts through an orchestra playing at full tilt.”
Opera Now, September 2015

Next season Davidsen makes her house and role debut as Agathe in a new production of Der Freischutz at Opernhaus Zurich, performs Strauss Vier Laetzte Lieder at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam with Edo de Wart and makes her company debuts with Teatro Colon and Glyndebourne Festival Opera. In the future she makes major company debuts including at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the Met, Wiener Staatsoper, Aix en Provence Festivals and Teatro Real, Madrid.