About me
VANESSA WALDHART
In 2022 the Austrian coloratura soprano was nominated as “Newcomer of the Year” in “Opernwelt” for her singing and acting performance. In 2023 she was finalist in the singing competition “Concorso Lirico Internazionale Portofino” where she got the Award of the Beckwith-Foundation and the EVA KLEINITZ AWARD from Dominque Meyer as head of the international jury.
During her studies the soprano debuted as Blonde in Anthony Pilavachi’s production of Mozart’s »Entführung aus dem Serail« at Schlossoper Haldenstein (Switzerland), as well as Zerlina in »Don Giovanni« at the Schlosstheater Schönbrunn in Vienna. The soprano got her first permanent engagement at the Halle Opera, where she made her debut as Bastienne in Tobias Kratzer’s production of Mozart’s »Bastien und Bastienne« and is a fixed member of the ensemble since 2018/19 there.
Her repertoire includes a.o. roles like Olympia in Offenbach’s »Contes d’Hoffmann«, Adele in Strauß‘ »Fledermaus«, Rosina in Rossini’s »Barbiere di Siviglia«, Fiakermilli in Strauss’ »Arabella« at Aalto-Theater Essen, Konstanze in Mozarts »Entführung aus dem Serail« at Chamber Opera Schloss Rheinsberg, Susanna in Mozart’s »The Marriage of Figaro« and Ännchen in Weber’s »Der Freischütz« at Goethe-Theater Bad Lauchstädt, Oscar in Verdi’s »Un ballo in maschera«, Titania in Britten’s »Midsummer Night’s Dream« at Oper Halle. She sang the role of the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s »The Magic Flute« at Edda Moser’s “Festival of the German Language” at the Goethe Theater in Bad Lauchstädt, at Schlosstheater Schönbrunn Vienna, at the National Theater in Sarajevo, at the Theater Chemnitz and at the Mecklenburg State Theater in Schwerin and will also portray this role at Oper Halle in 2024/25. At the opening of the Int. Gluck Festival 2024 she sang Vitellia in Gluck’s »La clemenza di Tito« at Markgräfliches Opernhaus Bayreuth and made her UK-Debut as Drusilla and Amore in Monteverdi’s »Incoronazione di Poppea« at the Grange Festival in England in June 2024.
In 2019 Vanessa Waldhart made her critically acclaimed debut at the Int. Handel Festival Halle as Cleopatra (»Julius Caesar in Ägypten«) directed by Peter Konwitschny. In 2021 she appeared as Agilea (»Teseo«) there. In 2022 to 2024 she sang Daughter Zion in a scenic production of »Brockes Passion« by Walter Sutcliffe, Dorinda in »Orlando« under baton of Christian Curnyn and Atalanta in »Serse« under baton of Attilio Cremonesi again at Int. Handel Festival Halle.
In season 2024/25 she will debut as Luigia/Elvida in Donizetti’s »Viva la mamma« (new adaption) and as Poppea in Handel’s »Agrippina« under baton of Laurence Cummings at Int. Handel Festival Halle 2025.
She has worked with conductors such as René Jacobs, Attilio Cremonesi, Ariane Matiakh, Michael Hofstetter, Christian Curnyn, Philippe Bach, David Bates, Proinnsias O`Duinn, Michael Francis, Guido Mancusi, Alessandro Bonato, Christoph-Mathias Mueller, Christoph U. Meier, Peter Marschik, Peter Christian Feigel, Werner Ehrhardt, Michael Wendeberg, Fabrice Bollon and José Miguel Esandi as well as with directors like Tobias Kratzer, Anthony Pilavachi, Peter Konwitschny, Isabel Ostermann, Martin G. Berger, Leonard Prinsloo, Beverly Blankenship, Igor Folwill, Patric Seibert-Wolf, Georg Quander, Walter Sutcliffe, Katharina Kastening and Louisa Proske.
Among others Vanessa Waldhart won first prize (2nd section) at the 21. INTERNATIONAL FERRUCCIO TAGLIAVINI – singing competition and also received the „Dame Joan Sutherland“-Prize as best Soprano of the whole competition. In 2016 she also became First Prize Winner at „MUSICA JUVENTUTIS“ and got an invitation for a Lieder recital at the Konzerthaus Vienna in May 2017. She is first prizewinner at the singing competition of “Schlossoper Haldenstein” 2017, won the Gold Prize of “Manhattan Int. Music Competition, Voice” 2018, was finalist of “Online Vocal Competition” 2021 (Opera Tools) and is prizewinner at the “Kammeroper Schloss Rheinsberg” 2022. Beside that she is a scholarship winner of FOHN-Foundation Vienna 2015 and FEILING-Foundation 2016 and got the SYLFF-Fellowship of the Tokyo-Foundation for her distinguished accomplishments.
In addition to the opera she also sings recitals and concerts: With Carl Orff’s »Carmina Burana» she made her debut in the Golden Hall of the Wiener Musikverein, at the Grachtenfestival Amsterdam and in Innsbruck (Tyrol). She gave a recital in the Wiener Konzerthaus and sang the soprano solo in Pergolesi’s «Stabat mater», Handels «Messiah», «Il delirio amoroso» and «Apollo e Dafne», Bach’s «Magnificat in D-Dur», «Johannespassion» and «Weihnachtsoratorium», Saint-Saëns «Oratorio de Noël» as well as Mozart’s «Exsultate Jubilate» and «Requiem». Mahler’s 4th symphony took her to Switzerland and she sang Eva in Haydn’s «Creation» at concerts in North and South Tyrol. With Handel’s «Il delirio amoroso» she is going to be heard with Händelfestspielorchester under baton of Attilio Cremonesi in Halle in April 2025.
Vanessa Waldhart came in touch with music quiet early (singing, piano, piano trio, ballet). While attending classes in high school she started studying Singing at the Tyrolean Conservatory and graduated her Bachelor and Master degrees at University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna with distinction. Master classes with KS Christa Ludwig, KS Brigitte Fassbaender, Magreet Honig and KS Edita Gruberová complete her studies. She also worked with Krassimira Stoyanova and is currently working with KS Romelia Lichtenstein and Nelly Miricioiu.