She performed at the 2023 Last Night of the Proms and at the world's best opera houses, delivering stunning recordings with Decca Classics. But who is the Norwegian soprano taking the opera world by storm? Here's everything you need to know about the hit lyric dramatic soprano, Lise Davidsen.
Who is Lise Davidsen?
Lise Davidsen is a world-renowned Norwegian operatic soprano, who has performed at many of the world's top venues including La Scala, Milan; the Metropolitan Opera, New York; the Royal Opera House; and Glyndebourne.
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How old is Lise Davidsen?
Davidsen was born on 8 February, 1987.
Where was Lise Davidsen born?
Lise was born in Stokke, in south-eastern Norway. She is the latest in a long, fine tradition of Norwegian sopranos that also includes Kirsten Flagstad and Solveig Kringelborn. BBC Music Magazine named Lise Davidsen as one of the best Norwegian sopranos of all time.
How tall is Lise Davidsen?
At just under 6 ft 2 inches, Lisa is one of the taller singers out there.
What did her parents do?
Lise didn't come from a musical background: her parents were an electrician and a care home assistant.
And where did she get her musical education?
Lise completed her studies at the Royal Opera House in Copenhagen, Denmark.
When did Lise Davidsen become famous?
She released her debut album on Decca in 2018. Titled, simply Lise Davidsen, it reached the top of the UK classical charts.
Is Lise Davidsen married?
In September 2022, Lise became engaged to the award-winning English filmmaker Ben Adler. The two met during lockdown, when Adler saw her perform in Beethoven's Fidelio at the Royal Opera House. He proposed to her in the mountains of her native Norway!
What roles has Lise performed?
Lise has memorably sung Elisabeth in Wagner's Tannhäuser and Sieglinde in Die Walküre (both for the 2021 Bayreuth Festival), and Lisa in Tchaikovsky's Queen of Spades (Pique Dame) for the Metropolitan Opera, New York. She has also sung Leonore in Beethoven's Fidelio at the Royal Opera House under music director Antonio Pappano.
Earlier in 2023, meanwhile, Davidsen sung the role of Elizabeth of Valois in Verdi's opera Don Carlos at the Royal Opera House.
Has she sung at the Proms before?
She performed at the 2023 Last Night of the Proms, singing 'Rule Britannia'. She made her Proms debut back in 2017, performing Sibelius's tone poem Luonnotar with the BBC Philharmonic and conductor John Storgårds. A year later, Lise was back, singing Verdi's Requiem at the 2018 Proms alongside the Scottish soprano Karen Cargill.
Which orchestras has she performed with?
She has toured and performed with some of the world’s best orchestras and conductors including the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra.
Lise Davidsen: fun facts
She likes to run, lift weights and do yoga; and she has a 'mental coach', Anne Marte Pensgaard, who also coached the Norwegian Olympic team.
Pic: James Hole