Feature Articles

City where you’re working?
I am currently working in Copenhagen, Denmark.

How long are you working on contract?
I started rehearsals for Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg at The Royal Danish Opera on January 20th. We opened March 16th, and have 8 performances total, with the final performance on April 27th. There is often almost a week between performances, so I have been returning home to Essen and performing in a production of Carmen at Opera Köln too.

What’s the opera house like?
The opera house, also known as Operaen, home of The Royal Danish Opera is AMAZING! Die Meistersinger is a huge undertaking for any opera house and here they are putting it on to celebrate the 20th birthday of the opera house. It is apparently one of the most expensive opera houses ever built, and it wouldn’t surprise me if this opera is the most expensive one they have ever done.

READ FULL ARTICLE AT operacanada.ca/opera-places-jessica-muirhead-takes-us-to-copenhagen/

EXCERPT:
City where you’re working? Essen, Germany.

You’re working on a contract for how long?
I’ve been working at the Aalto-Musiktheater for 7.5 years, and my current contract ends in July 2024, with the possibility of an extension. The kind of contract I have is called a Festvertrag, which means I am a full-time prima donna. I’m serious! I get a monthly salary, and usually have about 35 performances in Essen per year. I get 6 weeks of holiday in the summer when the theatre is closed, and usually I am still able to find time to guest in other theatres, like last fall when I was able to sing the world debut of a one-woman opera in Israel.

What’s the opera house like?
The opera house in Essen is called the Aalto-Theater, as it was designed by the well known Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, and was first opened in 1988. He wanted to make people feel welcome, and part of nature with his design, and he certainly did that. The many large windows in the foyer look out onto the Stadtgarten (city garden), and you feel like you are right in the middle of all the green grass and trees. Then, inside the hall you will find blue seats, white balconies, (evoking the sea) and AMAZING acoustics. At just over 1100 seats, it is the perfect size auditorium for opera in my opinion. I love the opera so much, I even made a little video tour. Check it out!

READ FULL ARTICLE AT operacanada.ca/opera-places-soprano-jessica-muirhead-takes-us-to-essen/