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Lise Lindstrom

Lise Lindstrom

The lyrical performances of American soprano Lise Lindstrom leave an indelible impression on audiences and critics worldwide. She “reigns supreme with her soaring performance,” raves The Austin Chronicle. “It’s difficult to tear one’s attention away from Lindstrom.” Opera News has praised, “Lindstrom gave a truly world-class performance. It is not often that one hears dramatic power combined with such a fresh, youthful-sounding soprano.” In leading roles that range from Turandot to Senta, Elektra and Brünnhilde, Ms. Lindstrom has commanded the stages of The Metropolitan Opera, San Diego Opera, San Francisco Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Wiener Staatsoper, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Hamburg Staatsoper, Opera Australia, Les Chorégies d’Orange, and Arena di Verona, among many others.

Ms. Lindstrom portrays the title role of Salome in several engagements during the 2015-2016 season, including concert performances with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in the United Kingdom, Orchestre National de Lyon under the baton of Leonard Slatkin, Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia in La Coruña, Spain, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and in fully staged performances with the Wiener Staatsoper. She will perform the title role in Elektra with Opéra de Montréal, and the title role of Turandot with the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela and Wiener Staatsoper, both under Gustavo Dudamel, as well as in a return engagement to The Metropolitan Opera. In addition, she is heard alongside the Vienna Philharmonic as Turandot in Mission Impossible – Rogue Nation in cinemas worldwide. Future seasons include Opera Australia in Melbourne as Brünnhilde for their full Ring Cycle, as well as leading roles with Wiener Staatsoper, Hamburg Staatsoper, and the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, among many others.

During the 2014-2015 season Ms. Lindstrom took the stage as the title role in Salome in return engagements with both the Wiener Staatsoper and the Dallas Opera. She debuted with the Staatsoper Hamburg in her first turn as the title role in Elektra, as well as with the Sydney Opera House in Australia and the Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago, Italy, both as Turandot. Several Gala performances on the concert stage included engagements with the Palacio de la Opera in La Coruña, Spain and with the Aarhaus Symphony Orchestra in Denmark, both in selections by Strauss, as well as Union Avenue Opera in St. Louis for their 20th Anniversary concert, and with the San Diego Opera as their featured guest soloist in their 50th Anniversary Concert celebration.

During the 2013-2014 season the Soprano made two significant house debuts, as Turandot with Royal Opera House Covent Garden and as Senta in Der fliegende Holländer with San Francisco Opera. The season also included two career milestones: her 10th season singing the title role in Turandot and her 100th performance as the Princess on September 17th with Royal Opera House Covent Garden, which was broadcast live to theatres throughout the U.K. and Europe. Additional engagements included performances in Italy and Spain, and her debut with Michigan Opera Theatre where Opera News raved “Lindstrom understands that a great Turandot needs to find the moments when the character’s vulnerability can be revealed. The soprano accomplishes just that, delivering in Act III soft yet insistent legato phrases, though Puccini gives her few opportunities to do so. We saw the tender heart beneath the glacial, dragon assoluta exterior.”

A highlight of Ms. Lindstrom’s 2012-2013 season included her company debut as Brünnhilde in Die Walküre with Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Italy. Avvenire wrote, “Among the voices, the women stand out: Lise Lindstrom debuts very effectively in the difficult role of Brünnhilde.” “With the American Lise Lindstrom a sleek powerhouse entered the stage,”lauded Der Opernfreund, “A magnificent ‘Hojotoho.’” Additional performances during the season included a concert of Wagner with the Glimmerglass Festival, her return to the Polish National Opera as Senta in Der fliegende Holländer and her company debut with the Dallas Opera as the title role in Turandot.

A career milestone during the 2011-2012 season was Ms. Lindstrom’s debut with the Wiener Staatsoper in the title role of Salome. “Lise Lindstrom is a Salome to be reckoned with,” hailed The Opera Critic. “Here’s a soprano with a model figure and the ideal deportment to depict Strauss’ teenage princess. Not only has she the capacity to soar over the composer’s most intense orchestration with ease and beauty, but she manages to maintain seemingly endless stamina throughout – and includes a compellingly seductive dance for good measure. It was gratifying to see the well-earned reception at her solo curtain.” Ms. Lindstrom also graced the stage of the Polish National Opera in Warsaw as Senta in Der fliegende Holländer, returned to the San Diego Opera as Salome, and sang Turandot for her French debut with Les Chorégies d’Orange and again at Arena di Verona in Italy.

Highlights of recent seasons include her debuts with Teatro alla Scala and the Metropolitan Opera as the title role in Turnabout, for which the New York Post proclaimed, “The tall, slender Lindstrom wielded the icy glamour of a ’30s film star, working the trains and veils of her elaborate costumes with the panache of a runway model.” Following Ms. Lindstrom’s performance in Tosca with the Glimmerglass Opera in 2010, the New York Times asserted: “Lise Lindstrom brought a cool allure to the title role, her focused and steely voice flaring into palpable fire when it was called for.” Other exceptional performances include Ricke in Franchetti’s Germania with Deutsche Oper Berlin, Elisabeth and Venus in Tannhäuser with the Greek National Opera, and Senta in Der Fliegende Holländer with both New Orleans Opera and Utah Opera. Ms. Lindstrom has also sung Magda in The Consul with Arizona Opera, the title role in Ariadne auf Naxos with Des Moines Metro Opera, and the title role in Salome for her debut with the Teatro Regio di Torino. Additional engagements have included leading roles with Florida Grand Opera, De Nederlandse Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, Festival de Ópera de A Coruña, Opera Hong Kong, and Palm Beach Opera.

Memorable performances on the concert stage include the final scene in Salome with the San Francisco Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas; the premiere performance of John Beeman’s Dos Retablos at New York’s Bard College; Richard Strauss’ Vier letzte Lieder at a gala concert in San Francisco; and Verdi’s Requiem with the Cathedral Choral Society at the Washington National Cathedral. Other impressive engagements include concerts with the Sonora Bach Festival in California and with mezzo-soprano Federica von Stade, alongside pianist Martin Katz.

Born and raised in California, Ms. Lindstrom was introduced to music by her mother, a singer and music teacher. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at San Francisco State University and Master of Music degree at San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

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