Lise Davidsen

Lise Davidsen was born in 1987 in Stokke, Norway, and began playing guitar and singing when she was fifteen. As she progressed, she focused on singing, and received a bachelor's degree from the Grieg Academy of Music in Bergen, Norway, in 2010. During this period she sang as a mezzo-soprano with the Norwegian Soloists Choir.{{cite web|url=https://lisedavidsen.com/about/|title=Biography|website=Lisedavidsen.com|access-date=10 December 2018}}

She then began studying for a master's degree at the Royal Opera Academy in Copenhagen, and her teacher helped her develop her voice as an operatic soprano. In 2014, she performed as a soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic at a concert of the Royal Danish Music Conservatory.{{cite web|url=https://www.dkdm.dk/Om-DKDM/Nyheder/2014/DKDM-kammerkor-i-Berlinerfilharmonien|title=DKDM's Kammerkor i Berlinerfilharmonien|website=Dkdm.dk|date=October 2014 |access-date=10 December 2018}} That year, she graduated from the Royal Opera Academy, and was awarded the Léonie Sonning talent prize and the Danish Singers Award. She also received financial support from the Skipsreder Tom Wilhelmsen, Karen and Arthur Feldthusens, and Sine Butenschøns Foundations.{{cite web|url=https://www.bno.no/eng/people/lise-davidsen|access-date=25 February 2025|title=Lise Davidsen|publisher=Bergen National Opera}}

During this period, she made her first appearances with the Royal Danish Opera, during the 2012–13 season, as the Dog and Owl in The Cunning Little Vixen. She went on to sing Emilia in Verdi's Otello and Rosalinde in Strauss's Die Fledermaus, and won the Reumert Talentpris.

In 2015, she won first prize in the Queen Sonja Competition and first prize and audience prize in the Operalia competition in London. She also won three prizes at the 2015 Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition in Amsterdam, and was an HSBC Aix-en-Provence Laureate, received a Statoil Talent Bursary Award, the Léonie Sonning Music Prize, and the Kirsten Flagstad Prize. In 2018, she received the Queen Ingrid Prize{{cite web|url=https://www.tivoli.dk/da/om/presse/pressemeddelelser/2018/dronning-ingrids-haederslegat|title=Afsløring af modtagere af Dronning Ingrids Hæderslegat 2018|publisher=Tivoli Gardens|language=da|access-date=16 June 2022}} and was named the Gramophone Magazine Young Artist of the Year.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/gramophone-classical-music-awards-2018-the-full-report|title=Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2018: the full report|date=14 September 2018|magazine=Gramophone|access-date=10 December 2018}}

In 2017, Davidsen made her debut at Glyndebourne, singing the title role in Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos,{{cite web|url=https://www.glyndebourne.com/tickets-and-whats-on/events/2017/ariadne-auf-naxos/|title=Ariadne auf Naxos|website=Glyndebourne.com|access-date=10 December 2018}} gave her first recital at Wigmore Hall,{{cite web|url=https://theartsdesk.com/classical-music/lise-davidsen-james-baillieu-wigmore-hall|title=Lise Davidsen, James Baillieu, Wigmore Hall|website=Theartsdesk.com|date=10 May 2017 |access-date=10 December 2018}} and gave her first performance at the BBC Proms.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/ew9mzc|title=Prom 64: Verdi Requiem|website=BBC|access-date=10 December 2018}} She has also performed at the Zurich Opera House, Vienna State Opera, Aix-en-Provence Festival, Royal Opera House, Teatro Colón, and the Bavarian State Opera.{{cite web|url=https://www.operabase.com/a/Lise_Davidsen/10455/en|title=Lise Davidsen performances|publisher=Operabase|access-date=10 December 2018}} During the 2017–18 season, she was an artist-in-residence with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.{{cite web|url=http://harmonien.no/abonnement-2017-2018/lise-davidsen-sesongens-solistprofil/|title=Lise Davidsen – sesongens solistprofil|publisher=Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra|access-date=10 December 2018}} She made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, in the leading role of Lisa in Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades in November 2019.{{cite web |last1=Simpson |first1=Eric C.|title=New York Classical Review |url=https://newyorkclassicalreview.com/2019/11/lise-davidsens-memorable-debut-leads-strong-cast-in-mets-queen-of-spades/ |website=newyorkclassicalreview.com |access-date=1 December 2019}}

Davidsen debuted on 10 May 2021 at La Scala when the opera house reopened after a six-month shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She delivered interpretations of arias by Henry Purcell, Richard Wagner, Richard Strauss, Giuseppe Verdi and Tchaikovsky.{{Cite web|title=Milan's legendary La Scala opera house reopens to public after Covid-19 shutdown|url=https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/music/milans-legendary-la-scala-opera-house-reopens-to-public-after-covid-19-shutdown/ar-BB1gAgNY|access-date=11 May 2021|website=MSN}}

On 9 September 2023, Davidsen closed out the Last Night of the Proms as the vocal soloist. She had been scheduled to fill this role in 2022, but the event was cancelled that year following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-66720794|title=Lise Davidsen on singing at the Last Night of the Proms, one year late|date=8 September 2023|publisher=BBC}}

Davidsen appeared as Leonora in the Metropolitan Opera's new production of Verdi's La forza del destino, which opened on 26 February 2024.{{Cite web |date=2024-02-22 |title=Verdi's opera Forza del destino gets its first new production at the Met in nearly 30 years |url=https://apnews.com/article/metropolitan-opera-verdi-forza-del-destino-7a089dad696f0f891b6ecd97fbaa7c98 |access-date=2024-02-25 |website=AP News}} She is slated to sing Brünnhilde in Yuval Sharon's new Ring Cycle at the Metropolitan Opera, starting in the 2026–27 season.{{Cite web |last=Salazar |first=David |date=2024-08-06 |title=Lise Davidsen & Yuval Sharon to Lead Met Opera's New 'Ring Cycle' & 'Tristan Und Isolde' Productions |url=https://operawire.com/lise-davidsen-yuval-sharon-to-lead-met-operas-new-ring-cycle-tristan-und-isolde-productions/ |access-date=2025-03-25 |website=OperaWire |language=en-US}}

In 2016, Davidsen recorded songs by John Frandsen, on the Dacapo Records label, and later that year her record As Dreams, on BIS Records, featured her with the Norwegian Soloists' Choir, and the Oslo Sinfonietta, conducted by Grete Pedersen, singing works by Alfred Janson, Helmut Lachenmann, Per Nørgård, Kaija Saariaho, and Iannis Xenakis.{{cite web|url=https://lisedavidsen.com/recordings/|title=Recordings|website=Lisedavidsen.com|access-date=10 December 2018}} She sang the role of Anitra in a recording of Peer Gynt with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir conducted by Edward Gardner on the Chandos label released in 2018.{{Cite web|url=http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2018/Mar/Grieg_PC_CHSA5190.htm|title=Grieg Peer Gynt, Piano Concerto – Chandoc CHSA5190 SACD [RHa] Classical Music Reviews: March 2018|website=www.musicweb-international.com|access-date=27 March 2019}} In May 2018 she signed an exclusive recording contract with Decca Classics,{{cite web|url=https://lisedavidsen.com/lise-signs-recording-deal-decca-classics/|title=Lise Davidsen signs exclusive record deal with Decca Classics|first=Florence|last=Eves|date=16 May 2018|website=Lisedavidsen.com|access-date=10 December 2018}} and on 31 May 2019, her self-titled debut solo album was released on the label. The album includes works by Strauss and Wagner performed with the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/may/30/lise-davidsen-wagner-and-strauss-philharmonia-salonen-review|title=Lise Davidsen: Wagner and Strauss review {{!}} Erica Jeal's classical CD of the week|last=Jeal|first=Erica|date=30 May 2019|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=5 June 2019}} Davidsen sang the role of Agathe in a complete recording of Der Freischütz conducted by Marek Janowski, released in 2019.{{cite web |title=Weber: Der Freischütz|url=https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8675094--weber-der-freischutz|website=Presto Classical |access-date=18 June 2020}}

She also appears as Ortlinde in a DVD of a live performance of Die Walküre from the Royal Opera House,{{cite web |title=Wagner: Die Walküre|url=https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8736767--wagner-die-walkure |website=Presto Classical |access-date=18 June 2020}} as Elisabeth in Tannhäuser, filmed at the Bayreuth Festival{{cite web |title=Wagner: Tannhäuser|url=https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8767500--wagner-tannhauser |website=Presto Classical |access-date=18 June 2020}} and as Fidelio/Leonore in a visual album of the last performance of Fidelio from the Royal Opera House before the lockdown in March 2020.{{cite web |title=Beethoven: Fidelio, Op. 72 (Visual Album) [Live] |url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/beethoven-fidelio-op-72-visual-album-live/1532155540 |website=Apple Music |access-date=1 October 2020}}

Davidsen, accompanied by pianist and fellow Norwegian Leif Ove Andsnes, sings selections from Grieg in a recording released on Decca in 2022.{{Cite magazine|title=Lise Davidsen: Grieg |url=https://www.gramophone.co.uk/reviews/review?slug=lise-davidsen-grieg |access-date=2024-02-25|magazine=Gramophone}}

In 2022, Davidsen became engaged to filmmaker Ben Adler.{{Cite web |title=Lise Davidsen: the Norwegian opera star and great Wagnerian soprano |url=https://www.classical-music.com/features/artists/lise-davidsen-an-introduction-to-the-norwegian-opera-singer |access-date=2024-04-09 |website=classical-music.com }} In 2025, she announced that she was pregnant with twins.{{Cite web |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFM9Y-7sWQx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=www.instagram.com}}{{Cite web |date=2025-01-24 |title=Soprano Lise Davidsen pregnant with twins, cancels performances from mid-March through December |url=https://apnews.com/article/lise-davidsen-pregnant-cancellations-opera-c02535bca7eaca739ef728668538d3e5 |access-date=2025-01-26 |website=Associated Press}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{official website|https://lisedavidsen.com}}
• [https://snl.no/Lise_Davidsen "Lise Davidsen"] by {{ill|Hilde Holbæk-Hanssen|qid=Q22954568}}, Great Norwegian Encyclopedia, 13 May 2022 (in Norwegian)
• {{IMDb name|nm11865219|Lise Davidsen}}
• [https://bachtrack.com/interview-lise-davidsen-bergen-philharmonic-september-2017 Interview with Lise Davidsen], Bachtrack
• [https://www.ft.com/content/02e61f8c-f383-43c9-a639-30ba8076327b "Opera singer Lise Davidsen: 'I was in survival mode{{'"}}] by Richard Fairman, Financial Times, 26 May 2022

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Category:Living people

Category:1987 births

Category:Musicians from Stokke

Category:Norwegian operatic sopranos

Category:Grieg Academy alumni

Category:Operalia, The World Opera Competition prize-winners

Category:21st-century Norwegian women opera singers