Biography

Silvana Dussmann’s reputation as one of opera’s outstanding sopranos has been confirmed in recent years with acclaimed performances of Chrysothemis ELEKTRA and Rosalinde DIE FLEDERMAUS at the Bayerische Staatsoper, the Vienna Stateopera and in Berlin, Kaiserin DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN at La Monnaie and at the Opera Frankfurt, the title role in NORMA at the Stateopera Berlin, and Amelia UN BALLO IN MASCHERA at Opera Frankfurt. Engagements also included Vitellia LA CLEMENZA DI TITO at the Vienna Festival and the Opera Frankfurt, Donna Anna DON GIOVANNI in Essen.

Highlights of Season 2009/2010 include her Crysothemis in ELEKTRA in a new production in Toulouse as well as performances of that role in Hamburg. Again she will appear as Kaiserin in DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN at the Aalto-Theater Essen. Early this season she sang Rosalinde in DIE FLEDERMAUS under Zubin Metha in Berlin and as soloist in Beethovens Symphony No.9 with the RSO Berlin.

Beside her performances as Amelia UN BALLO IN MASCHERA in Colone the season 2008/2009 brings her back on stage as NORMA (concert-version at the „Alten Oper Frankfurt“ and at the Gulbenkian Orchestra in Lissabon) as well as to the Vienna State Opera as Rosalinde FLEDERMAUS.

Born in Vienna, she studied with KS Rita Streich and with Gerhard Kahry. After winning the first price for operetta at the Vienna Belvedere Competition, she made her debut as Lisa DAS LAND DES LÄCHELNS at the Vienna Volksoper opposite Nicolai Gedda. She became a member of the ensemble of the Tirol Landestheater in Innsbruck where she sang leading roles in both opera and operetta including Ilia IDOMENEO, Konstanze DIE ENTFÜHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL, Pamina DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE, Micaëla CARMEN, Laura DER BETTELSTUDENT and Rosalinde DIE FLEDERMAUS. She also made her debut with the Austrian Moerbisch Operetta Festival singing the title role in CSARDASFÜRSTIN and made her first concert appearances in Japan and the USA.

Later she joined the ensemble of Graz Opera House where she extended her stage repertoire to the roles of Violetta LA TRAVIATA, Sophie DER ROSENKAVALIER, Agathe DER FREISCHÜTZ and Angèle Didier DER GRAF VON LUXEMBOURG. Since 1994 Silvana Dussmann has been closely associated with the two leading Viennese opera houses. At the Wiener Volksoper she has been heard in numerous new productions and revivals including Musetta LA BOHEME, Marchesa del Poggio UN GIORNO DI REGNO, Frau Fluth DIE LUSTIGE WEIBER VON WINDSOR, Vitellia LA CLEMENZA DI TITO, Donna Anna DON GIOVANNI, Countess Almaviva LE NOZZE DI FIGARO and the title role in NORMA. She also sang the role of Lisa DAS LAND DES LÄCHELNS again, in a new production with Johan Botha as Sou Chong and directed by Klaus Maria Brandauer. At the Wiener Staatsoper she made her first appearances as Rosalinde and Musetta. She also sang Hanna Glawari DIE LUSTIGE WITWE with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in Tel Aviv and Konstanze DIE ENTFÜHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL at Oper Bonn.

At Vienna Festival 1999 Silvana Dussmann caused a sensation as Rosalinde in the new production of Die Fledermaus conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt and directed by Jürgen Flimm., broadcast via radio and TV. She joined the Vienna Festival once more singing the opening concert with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra under Georges Prêtre in the Vienna Town Hall which was also televised throughout Europe.

Her first Chrysothemis ELEKTRA at the Essen Aaltotheater was an enormous success; she went on to sing the same role to great acclaim at the Wiener Staatsoper. In 2001 Silvana Dussmann gave her role debut as Elisabetta ROBERTO DEVEREUX at the Wiener Staatsoper and repeated her outstanding success as NORMA in a concert performance at the Munich Philharmonie. She was also highly acclaimed for her first Leonora IL TROVATORE at the Essen Aaltotheater.

Other triumphs were her first Kaiserin DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN at Oper Frankfurt and a new production at the Deutsche Oper Berlin of DIE TOTE STADT under Christian Thielemann in which she sang the role of Marietta. She also recently repeated her interpretation of Elisabetta ROBERTO DEVEREUX at the Wiener Staatsoper to great public acclaim and sang her first VERDI REQUIEM with the Orchestre National de Lyon.

Silvana Dussmann is also a much sought-after concert soloist. Her repertoire includes Bach MAGNIFICAT and ST MATTHEW PASSION, Haydn DIE SCHÖPFUNG, Schubert’s MIRJAMS SIEGEGESANG, Verdi REQUIEM, Rossini STABAT MATER and Beethoven NINTH SYMPHONY. Amongst the conductors with whom she has collaborated are Bertrand de Billy, Asher Fisch, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Zubin Mehta, Arnold Oestman, Georges Prêtre, Stefan Soltesz, Marcello Viotti and Simone Young.