Nadja Michael

She was born near Leipzig in Wurzen, then East Germany. Growing up, she enjoyed singing German folksongs with her family while her mother played the piano. Her grandmother and father both served time in prison for political reasons. Eventually, she escaped to West Germany where she studied music in Stuttgart. Later, she attended the Jacobs School of Music (Indiana University) in the United States.{{Cite news|last=North|first=Cheryl|date=October 7, 2016|title=Nadja Michael stars in Janacek's 'The Makropulos Case' for S.F. Opera|work=The Mercury News|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2016/10/07/nadja-michael-stars-in-janaceks-the-makropulos-case-for-s-f-opera/|access-date=March 5, 2021}}

She began her career as a mezzo-soprano but became a soprano in April 2005.Saltzwedel, Johannes (25 June 2007). [http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/kulturspiegel/0,1518,491100-2,00.html "Opernsängerin Nadja Michael, Der lange Atem"]. Der Spiegel {{in lang|de}} Michael has appeared at La Scala (Salome, 2007), Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (Salome, 2008),Seckerson, Edward (26 February 2008). [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/salome-royal-opera-house-london-787244.html Review: Salome, Royal Opera House, London]. The Independent. Vienna State Opera (Fidelio), Arena di Verona, Glyndebourne, Salzburg, Munich (Macbeth and Medea in Corinto), Brussels (Médée, 2008), Chicago (Macbeth, 2010), Berlin (Wozzeck, under Daniel Barenboim, 2011), and San Francisco Opera (Salome, 2009 and The Makropulos Case, 2016).

In 2012, Michael made her Metropolitan Opera debut, as Lady Macbeth, opposite Thomas Hampson and Dimitri Pittas.Metropolitan Opera performance archives. [http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/gisrch2k.r?Term=Michael,%20Nadja%20%5BSoprano%5D&limit=5000&vsrchtype=no&xBranch=ALL&xmtype=&Start=&End=&theterm=Micha%65l,%20Nadja%20%5BSop%72ano%5D&srt=&x=0&xHome=http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/bibpro.htm&xHomePath=http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/ Michael, Nadja (Soprano)] In 2015 she returned to the company as Judith in Bluebeard's Castle of Béla Bartók.

In 2018, the soprano appeared in Macbeth for Europa Galente.

She resides in Berlin and founded a charity, Stimme fur die Menschlichkeit (Voice for Humanity).

• Bizet: Carmen (Teatro di San Carlo, Naples; Amsellem, Larin, G. Baker; Oren, Corsicato, 2001) [live] Planeta de Agostini
• Verdi: Don Carlos [as Princesse Eboli] (Vienna State Opera, Vienna; Tamar, Vargas, Skovhus, Miles; de Billy, Konwitschny, 2003) [live] TDK
• Puccini: Tosca (Bregenzer Festspiele; Todorovich, Saks; Schirmer, Breisach, 2007) [live] Naxos
• Strauss: Salome (La Scala; Vermillion, Bronder, Struckmann; Harding, Bondy, 2007) [live] TDK
• Strauss: Salome (Royal Opera House; T.Moser, Volle; P.Jordan, McVicar, 2008) [live] Opus Arte
• Mayr: Medea in Corinto (Bavarian State Opera; Vargas, Miles; Bolton, Neuenfels, 2010) [live] Arthaus
• Cherubini: Médée (La Monnaie, Brussels; van Kerckhove, Stotijn, Streit, Le Texier; Rousset, Warlikowski, 2011) Bel Air Classiques

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{{External media|image1=[http://www.musicalcriticism.com/opera/roh-salome4.jpg As Salome, Royal Opera House, 2008]|image2=[http://operachic.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451c83e69e20120a4f799b5970b-800wi At the] 2009 World Championships in Athletics opening night concert}}

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• {{YouTube|id=yFAXfRbnEgI|title=Excerpts from Wozzeck, 2011}}, Berlin State Opera in the Schiller Theater
• {{Official website|http://www.nadja-michael.de/}}
• {{imdb name|1534269|Nadja Michael}}

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Category:German operatic sopranos

Category:German operatic mezzo-sopranos

Category:Jacobs School of Music alumni

Category:1969 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Wurzen

Category:20th-century German women opera singers

Category:21st-century German women opera singers

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