Maria Riccarda Wesseling is a Swiss-Dutch operatic mezzo-soprano who
has appeared in lead roles at international opera houses and
festivals. She created the title role in Henze's last opera, Phaedra,
at the Staatsoper Berlin, repeated at La Monnaie in Brussels and in
the Barbican Centre.Born Maria Riccarda Schmid in Wattwil, she studied
with Hedwig Vonlanthen in Solothurn, with Elisabeth Glauser at the
Musikhochschule Bern, and with Margreet Honig [nl] at the Sweelinck
Conservatory in Amsterdam. She appeared as Rossinis La Cenerentola on
a tour with the Orchestre National de Lille. She was a regular guest
at the Stadttheater Bern, where she performed roles such as Kassandra
in Aribert Reimann's Troades, Fenena in Verdi's Nabucco, Enrichetta in
Bellini's I puritani, Olga in Tri Sestri by Pter Etvs, Idamante in
Mozart's Idomeneo, Cesare in Handel's Giulio Cesare, and the title
role in Bizet's Carmen. She sang leading roles by Handel also at
festivals, the title role of Rinaldo at the Lucerne Festival, the
title role of Amadigi di Gaula at the Handel Festival Halle and the
Festival de Radio France et Montpellier, Sesto in Giulio Cesare at the
Festival de Beaune, Medea in Teseo in Halle, and Dejanira in Hercules
in Potsdam. Several of these performances were recorded. Wesseling
received international attention in 2006, when she stepped in at the
Paris Opera for the title role of Gluck's Iphignie en Tauride, staged
by Krzysztof Warlikowski and conducted by Marc Minkowski. She was
Iphignie again in 2011 also at the Teatro Real in Madrid, now
conducted by Thomas Hengelbrock. She appeared as Orpheus in Orfeo ed
Euridice, staged by Pina Bausch and conducted by Hengelbrock, which
was broadcast live by arte and recorded for DVD, and presented not
only in Paris but also the Greek theatre in Epidauros, Lincoln Center
in New York, and the Teatro Real. Wesseling appeared in Madrid also as
Ottavia in Monteverdi's Lincoronazione di Poppea, conducted by Sylvain
Cambreling. At the Ruhrtriennale 2015, she was Fricka in Das Rheingold
under the batton of Teodor Currentzis. Since she created the title
role in the world premiere of the opera "Annas Maske" by David Philip
Hefti, sang Herodias in the Serebrennikow production of "Salome" at
Staatsoper Stuttgart, debuted as Amneris in Aida and Klytmnestra in
"Elektra".In contemporary opera, she performed the title role in the
premiere of Henze's Phaedra at the Staatsoper Berlin, repeated at La
Monnaie in Brussels and in the Barbican Centre, also Plrin in Kaija
Saariaho's L'Amour de loin at the Finnish National Opera, Irma in Le
Balcon by Pter Etvs in Bordeaux, and Malaspina in Salvatore
Sciarrino's Luci mie traditrici in Lyon. She appeared in Claude
Vivier's Wo bist Du, Licht at the Ruhrtriennale, and as the Queen in
Heinz Holliger's Schneewittchen, staged by Achim Freyer at Theater
Basel.In January 2018, Maria Riccarda Wesseling has presented her
first production as stage director with a very successful staging of
"The rape of Lucretia" at the Dutch National Opera Academy. In 2020
she staged "The merry widow" at Theater Nordhausen.
has appeared in lead roles at international opera houses and
festivals. She created the title role in Henze's last opera, Phaedra,
at the Staatsoper Berlin, repeated at La Monnaie in Brussels and in
the Barbican Centre.Born Maria Riccarda Schmid in Wattwil, she studied
with Hedwig Vonlanthen in Solothurn, with Elisabeth Glauser at the
Musikhochschule Bern, and with Margreet Honig [nl] at the Sweelinck
Conservatory in Amsterdam. She appeared as Rossinis La Cenerentola on
a tour with the Orchestre National de Lille. She was a regular guest
at the Stadttheater Bern, where she performed roles such as Kassandra
in Aribert Reimann's Troades, Fenena in Verdi's Nabucco, Enrichetta in
Bellini's I puritani, Olga in Tri Sestri by Pter Etvs, Idamante in
Mozart's Idomeneo, Cesare in Handel's Giulio Cesare, and the title
role in Bizet's Carmen. She sang leading roles by Handel also at
festivals, the title role of Rinaldo at the Lucerne Festival, the
title role of Amadigi di Gaula at the Handel Festival Halle and the
Festival de Radio France et Montpellier, Sesto in Giulio Cesare at the
Festival de Beaune, Medea in Teseo in Halle, and Dejanira in Hercules
in Potsdam. Several of these performances were recorded. Wesseling
received international attention in 2006, when she stepped in at the
Paris Opera for the title role of Gluck's Iphignie en Tauride, staged
by Krzysztof Warlikowski and conducted by Marc Minkowski. She was
Iphignie again in 2011 also at the Teatro Real in Madrid, now
conducted by Thomas Hengelbrock. She appeared as Orpheus in Orfeo ed
Euridice, staged by Pina Bausch and conducted by Hengelbrock, which
was broadcast live by arte and recorded for DVD, and presented not
only in Paris but also the Greek theatre in Epidauros, Lincoln Center
in New York, and the Teatro Real. Wesseling appeared in Madrid also as
Ottavia in Monteverdi's Lincoronazione di Poppea, conducted by Sylvain
Cambreling. At the Ruhrtriennale 2015, she was Fricka in Das Rheingold
under the batton of Teodor Currentzis. Since she created the title
role in the world premiere of the opera "Annas Maske" by David Philip
Hefti, sang Herodias in the Serebrennikow production of "Salome" at
Staatsoper Stuttgart, debuted as Amneris in Aida and Klytmnestra in
"Elektra".In contemporary opera, she performed the title role in the
premiere of Henze's Phaedra at the Staatsoper Berlin, repeated at La
Monnaie in Brussels and in the Barbican Centre, also Plrin in Kaija
Saariaho's L'Amour de loin at the Finnish National Opera, Irma in Le
Balcon by Pter Etvs in Bordeaux, and Malaspina in Salvatore
Sciarrino's Luci mie traditrici in Lyon. She appeared in Claude
Vivier's Wo bist Du, Licht at the Ruhrtriennale, and as the Queen in
Heinz Holliger's Schneewittchen, staged by Achim Freyer at Theater
Basel.In January 2018, Maria Riccarda Wesseling has presented her
first production as stage director with a very successful staging of
"The rape of Lucretia" at the Dutch National Opera Academy. In 2020
she staged "The merry widow" at Theater Nordhausen.
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