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 will perform as Maddalena/Rigoletto and Octavian/Der Rosenkavalier in the 2025/2026 season. 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): Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with Copenhagen Phil and Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir; Suzuki/Madama Butterfly (semi-concertante) with the Auckland Philharmonic in New Zealand; 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) and Boulanger’s Faust et Hélène 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

Past engagements of Elisabeth Jansson in recent years include Recital with Copenhagen Opera Festival at Børsen, Beethoven 9 with The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Blumenmädchen and Knappe in Parsifal with Sir Simon Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden and the Philharmonie in Berlin. She participated in a recording of the new opera Aladdin by C.F.E. Horneman in the role of the Genie of the Ring in 2020.

In 2017 she performed in Stefan Herheim’s highly praised production of Les contes d’Hoffmann at the Royal Opera Copenhagen, singing Nicklausse, La Muse and La Voix de la tombe. Also in 2017 she sang a hugely successful Marchesa del Poggio in Verdi’s early opera Un giorno di regno at the Opernfestspiele in Heidenheim.

Engagements during 2016 include performances of Octavian/Der Rosenkavalier at Teatro alla Scala in Milano under Maestro Zubin Mehta, after which she was invited to sing Mozart’s Requiem under Maestro Adam Fischer, again at La Scala. She also made her debut at the Landestheater/Felsenreitschule in Salzburg where she sang Hänsel/Hänsel und Gretel.

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 and Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro. In 2009 she performed the role of Caroline Mathilde in Bo Holten’s critically acclaimed opera The visit of the Royal Physician (Livlægens besøg). Elisabeth Jansson is the only performer in the world who has sung this role so far.

Elisabeth Jansson’s career has taken her across Europe as well as Japan and Taiwan, giving recitals, concerts, oratorios and performing on opera stages. She sang in venues like Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Philharmonie Köln, Staatsoper Dresden and Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris.

EDUCATION

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

AWARDS

Elisabeth Jansson 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.