Elza van den Heever makes her much-anticipated Bayreuth Festival debut this summer as Elsa von Brabant in Lohengrin, one of Richard Wagner’s most iconic heroines. She stars in the revival of Yuval Sharon’s visually striking production, with designs by the celebrated artist duo Rosa Loy and Neo Rauch.
Elza’s debut at the Bayreuth Festival is a major milestone, taking place on the storied stage Wagner created in 1876 to present his works on his terms. With its long-standing traditions and singular focus on Wagner’s vision, Bayreuth remains one of the most important destinations for dramatic singers and devoted audiences alike.
Ms. van den Heever has previously sung Elsa at the Wiener Staatsoper, Bayerische Staatsoper, Oper Frankfurt, and Opernhaus Zürich, earning praise for the beauty of her voice and the dramatic intensity of her interpretation. In a review of her Zürich performance, Bachtrack highlighted her “tremendous vocal range” and remarked on the way she “truly became a bride as the wedding gifts came in, as her dearest friends congratulated her.”
She joins a stellar cast that includes Piotr Beczała as Lohengrin, Mika Kares as Heinrich der Vogler, Ólafur Sigurdarson as Telramund, Miina-Liisa Värelä as Ortrud, and Michael Kupfer-Radecky as the King’s Herald. Christian Thielemann, a leading interpreter of Wagner’s music, conducts.
Performances are scheduled for August 1, 4, 6, and 9.
The August 1 performance will be available to stream live; click here for more information.