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Elza van den Heever

Blessed with a plush, dramatic voice capable of formidable power and dazzling high notes, (Associated Press) soprano Elza van den Heever makes three major role debuts in her 201314 season. First is her U.K. debut as Ellen Orford in a new David Alden production of Brittens Peter Grimes at English National Opera, a role she will perform later in the season with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony. She collaborates again with Alden at Hamburgische Staatsoper as Giselda in a new production of Verdis I Lombardi. And on the heels of her successful Metropolitan Opera debut as Elisabetta in Maria Stuarda, Ms. van den Heever adds a second Donizetti queen to her repertoire in a role debut as Anna Bolena for MarieLouise Bischofbergers new production at Opra National de Bordeaux. Her season also includes Donna Anna in Mozarts Don Giovanni at Munichs Bayerische Staatsoper and La Duchesse Hlne in Frankfurts Opers Verdis Les vpres siciliennes. The South African sopranos vocally burnished and emotionally tempestuous Elisabetta (The New York Times) was broadcast worldwide to millions of viewers as part of The Metropolitan Operas Live in HD Series. Audiences and critics alike lauded recent role debuts as two of Handels most formidable characters: Armida in Rinaldo with Lyric Opera of Chicago and the title role in Alcina with Opra National de Bordeaux. In Europe, Ms. van den Heever has garnered critical acclaim for such roles as Desdemona in Otello where Frankfurter Rundschau praised her huge voice, full of tenderness and precision, in addition to Elisabetta di Valois in Don Carlo, Elsa in Lohengrin, Vitellia in La clemenza di Tito, Antonia in Les contes dHoffmann and Desdemona in Otello, and Elettra in Idomeneo. Her European successes have also included Elsa in Lohengrin for Munichs Bayerische Staatsoper; Agathe in Der Freischtz at Viennas Theater an der Wien; Fiordiligi in Cos fan tutte for Opra National de Paris; Donna Anna in Don Giovanni at Hamburgische Staatsoper; and Elettra in Idomeneo, the Composer in Ariadne auf Naxos and Leonora in Il Trovatore at Opra National de Bordeaux. In addition to Chicago Lyric Opera and The Met, critically acclaimed appearances in North America include Leonora for Canadian Opera Company; Fiordiligi with Dallas Opera and Donna Anna with Santa Fe Opera. In San Francisco, where she participated in both the Merola Opera Program and San Francisco Operas Adler Fellowship, she portrayed Mary Custis Lee in the world premiere of Philip Glasss Appomattox and Donna Anna in the companys 2007 Don Giovanni, performances which were seen nationwide through the companys Grand Opera Cinema Series and broadcast on Northern Californias KQED Public Television. She enjoys a successful performance partnership with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony with performances of Strausss Four Last Songs and GRAMMY Award winning

performances of Mahlers Symphony No. 8 in San Francisco, on tour in Europe and on disc for SFS Media. One of triplets, Ms. van den Heever was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa and received her musical training at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Winner of the 2008 Seattle Opera International Wagner Competition, she continues to study with soprano and master teacher Sheri Greenawald. A dual citizen of France and South Africa, Ms. van den Heever makes her home in Bordeaux, France.

Biography: Updated October 2013

International Press Representation: Karen Ames (415 641 7474) karen@karenames.com