Elisabeth Jansson

INTRODUCTION

The Swedish mezzo-soprano Elisabeth Jansson has a prolific international career. She is a highly sought-after concert and oratorio soloist, having worked with several of Europe’s leading orchestras and conductors. Since 2005, Elisabeth Jansson has been a member of the Royal Opera in Copenhagen, where she regularly appears in major Mezzo roles.

In the Spring of 2017, she was made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music for her achievements on the international opera stage.

In 2016, Elisabeth Jansson was knighted by the Danish Queen for her contribution to Danish cultural life.

RECENT AND FUTURE HIGHLIGHTS

Elisabeth Jansson is a member of the ensemble at the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen, where she performed as Maddalena/Rigoletto and Octavian/Der Rosenkavalier in the 2025/26 season. In season 2026/27, she will take on the role of Charlotte/Werther and perform as a soloist in LIGHT – Bach Dances. In recent seasons at the Royal Danish Opera, she has appeared in a wide range of roles, including the title role in Carmen, Orlovsky/Flagermusen, Der Komponist/Ariadne auf Naxos, Donna Elvira/Don Giovanni (a role debut in the 2021/2022 season), the lead role of Consciousness/Manualen by Louise Alenius, Sesto/La clemenza di Tito, Elisabetta/Maria Stuarda, Elektra/Orest by Manfred Trojahn, 2. Maid/Elektra, and 2. Lady/The Magic Flute. She has also performed as a soloist in the Royal Danish Opera’s New Year’s concert.

Her recent engagements and future highlights outside of the Royal Danish Opera include (among others):  Suzuki/Madama Butterfly at the Royal Swedish Opera, and with the Auckland Philharmonic in New Zealand (semi-concertante); Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with Copenhagen Phil and Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir; Kaito/Fervaal at Festival Radio France Occitanie Montpellier; Der Komponist/Ariadne auf Naxos at Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg; Mother/Breaking the Waves (by Missy Mazzoli) with Vadstena Academy, Sweden; Cherubino/Le nozze di Figaro, Ena Systern/Systrarna, La Badessa/Suor Angelica, Bianca/Eine florentinische Tragödie (concert); Börtz’s Sinfonia 13 and Mahler’s Rückert-Lieder at Malmö Opera; Octavian/Der Rosenkavalier and Muse, Nicklausse/Les contes d’Hoffmann at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre; Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder with Aarhus Symfoniorkester and with the Taiwan Philharmonic (NSO) in Taipei; La mort de Cléopâtre by Berlioz with the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra and the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern; Handel’s Messiah (Mozart’s version), Boulanger’s Faust et Hélène and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra; Handel’s Messiah with the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra; Verdi’s Requiem with Jönköpings Sinfonietta; an Opera Gala with the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Bellincampi; and a Galà Concert at Opera i Rebild with the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Bellincampi.

BIOGRAPHY

Elisabeth Jansson studied at the Richard Strauss Konservatorium in Munich, the Royal Academy of Music in London, and the Royal Opera Academy, Copenhagen.

She has received numerous awards, such as the Elena Gerhardt Lieder Prize, the Isabel Jay Operatic Prize, the Joel Berglund Scholarship, and the Michael Head Prize for singing.

In 2016, Elisabeth Jansson was knighted by the Queen of Denmark in recognition of her contribution to Danish cultural life. The following spring, she was named an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in recognition of her achievements on the international opera stage.

In June 2024, she won the prestigious Reumert award in Denmark as Singer of the Year, for her role as Sesto in Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito at The Royal Opera House Copenhagen.

In 2005, Elisabeth Jansson became a member of the Royal Opera in Copenhagen, where she regularly appears in major Mezzo roles such as the titular role in Bizet’s Carmen, Mélisande in Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande, Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Dorabella in Così fan tutte, Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier, Marchesa Melibea in Il viaggio a Reims, Miranda in The Tempest, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Sesto in La clemenza di Tito, Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier, etc.

Elisabeth Jansson’s career has taken her across Europe as well as Japan, Taiwan, and New Zealand, giving recitals, concerts, oratorios, and performing on opera stages. She sang in venues like Teatro alla Scala in Milano, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Philharmonie Köln, Staatsoper Dresden, the Opernfestspiele in Heidenheim, Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris, and the Landestheater / Felsenreitschule in Salzburg. She sang at the Berliner Philharmonie and the Osterfestspiele Baden-Baden under Sir Simon Rattle. She worked with conductors such as Zubin Mehta, Adam Fischer, Kirill Petrenko, Michael Boder, Julia Jones, Paolo Carignani, and Giordano Bellincampi.