Stephanie Houtzeel

Stephanie Houtzeel (born in Kassel ) is a German - American mezzo-soprano and member of the ensemble of the Vienna State Opera .

life and work

Houtzeel grew up near Boston : she studied political science and French and finally began studying music at the New England Conservatory and the Juilliard School at the age of 25 . She was the first winner of the Juilliard's Vocal Arts Debut Award and also received an award at the International Queen Elisabeth of Belgium Competition .

Houtzeel first attracted attention in 2003 as a composer at the Graz Opera House under Philippe Jordan , a role she then sang in Zurich , Cologne , Tel Aviv and Antwerp , as well as at the Vienna State Opera . She has been a member of the State Opera ensemble since 2010, where she sang Dorabella , Octavian , Varvara in Katja Kabanowa , Orlofsky and Olga , as well as Jenny Hill in the rise and fall of Mahagonny . She was heard in all of Mozart's great mezzo roles , as Dorabella also in Strasbourg, as Sesto in Graz and as Idamante in Graz and Washington . Her French repertoire includes the Nicklausse (in Lisbon , Antwerp , St. Gallen and Linz ), the Marguerite (in Antwerp and Tallinn ), and the Charlotte (in Sassari ). At the Opéra de Lyon she sang Orlofsky, and in 2012 she sang Arsace in Semiramide at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm.

One focus of Stephanie Houtzeel is the baroque subject : She sang the title role in Lully's Armide and La Haine in Gluck's Armide , Juno and Mystery in Purcell's The Fairy-Queen in Rennes, Ino in Semele in Graz and the title role in Ariodante in Linz. She made her debut as Rosmira in Handel's Partenope at the New York City Opera and as Ottavia in L'incoronazione di Poppea at the Dresden Semperoper . Houtzeel was also the actress in the title role of Fatinitza in Franz von Suppé's operetta at the Lehár Festival Bad Ischl (the performance under the direction of Vinzenz Praxmarer was also recorded on CD).

In 2013 Houtzeel made her debut as Mrs. Meg Page in Falstaff at the Salzburg Festival , as Martha in Schubert's Lazarus in the Theater an der Wien and as Donna Elvira in the Theater St. Gallen . In 2015 she sang her mother Gertrude in Roland Geyer's production of Hans Heiling (with a large melodrama scene).

Her concert appearances include Mahler's Third , Des Knaben Wunderhorn in the Wiener Musikverein and in the Avery Fisher Hall . She has performed with well-known orchestras, including the Vienna Philharmonic and the Bruckner Orchestra , under the direction of conductors such as Ádám Fischer , Dennis Russell Davies , Philippe Jordan , Pinchas Steinberg , Philippe Herreweghe , Teodor Currentzis , Claus Peter Flor and Michael Hofstetter .

Houtzeel is the great niece of Max Walter Sieg and is the mother of a son.

Recordings

There are some recordings of her. She sang the title role in Lully's Armide, the alto solos in Mozart's Requiem under Teodor Currentzis and her CD with Handel cantatas received great attention.

Award

• 2003 Young Singer of the Year ( Opernwelt magazine ) for the performance of the composer at the Graz Opera House

Web links

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