News

VERLORENE STIMMEN

The trailer to the new programme "Was Du mir bist" - a programme that sings about love in the 1920s - has been recorded and will be released soon. An exciting endeavour together with Christopher White. More to follow soon!

HOLLANDSE NIEUWE

Radio 4 programme "Passaggio" discusses the cd for the entire week!

Link to the first episode you can find here.

"It's not the most cheerful material, but it is beautifully executed. Poignant."

"Es ist nicht der fröhlichste Stoff, aber er ist wunderschön ausgeführt. Ergreifend."

Diggers' Requiem now available on SOUNDCLOUD

The Guardian's Top Ten of 2018

The opera production Le Cid, in which I sang L'Infante alongside esteemed colleagues as Lee Bisset, Leonardo Capalbo and Paul Gay, has been chosen into the Top Ten of Classical Music in 2018 by the Guardian! Guardian Top Ten 2018 

The ABC recording of DUET 

Click on the link for the video: Haunting and elusive - The Lost Man

Leaving for a two month tour in Australia

Early September I will fly 'down under' to start rehearsing for a recital called 'Five Senses'. It is the title of a cycle written by Ross Edwards, a celebrated Australian composer, whom I have met in 2010. In honour of his 75th Birthday this year I have gathered English, American and Australian songs around the theme of all the five senses. 

I will give this recital on the 16th of September together with another Australian composer and pianist, whose own songs will be concluded as well. Calvin Bowman has earned himself a place as a song composer, having just released his first CD with DECCA and Universal Music.

Part of this recital will be performed in an all Ross Edwards celebration concert at the Sydney East Recital Hall on the 20th October, whereafter a studio recording will be made by the ABC of the song cycle Five Senses. For both these occasions Bernadette Harvey will be the accomplished pianist. 

The Diggers Requiem is back and because of the huge success in France earlier this year, a small scaled version with band only, will be made to tour and give performances in both Sydney and Melbourne. 

The full orchestra and choir version however will be performed and recorded in Canberra on the 6th of October.

Diggers Requiem in Amiens was an enormous success!

Standing ovations for the première of the Diggers Requiem in Amiens. It is to be performed in Australia in September and October 2018 as part of the Centenary Projects of the Government Department of Veterans' Affairs and the Australian War Memorial. Chris Latham has herewith created the second of seven Peace Symphonies. Here the reportage of France 3 - Picardie about the concert.

Dorset Opera Festival again!

Happy to return back to Dorset Opera Festival1 This time I will be singing L'Infante in Le Cid by Massenet. It will be a British Premiere with a stellar cast, including Lee Bisset, Leonardo Capalbo and Paul Gay, conducted by Jeremy Carnall. Opening night is on the 24th of July (19.00), further performances on the 26th of July (19.00) and 28th of July (14.00)      More information on the website: Le Cid

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Australia

Happy to be back in Canberra for The Healers, a pocket opera, honouring the work of Red Cross nurses in WWI. See the article in City news:

'The soprano's closeness to the work she'll be singing will combine with what Latham calls her ability to "feel the emotion of her roles more than any other person I've met."'

Cover Girl for City News!

It's a coming home to Dorset Opera

The last time was seven years ago. Due to unforeseen circumstances only a few years ago an earlier come back was not possible, but 2017 sees Simone Riksman return to Dorset Opera for the role of Siebel in Faust. Director Roderick Kennedy has been running Dorset Opera, which has become a Festival in the meantime, firmly, and it is a real honour to be part of the family again! Shows are 26, 28 and 29th of July. Come and join us on the amazing grounds of Bryanston School. All further details: https://www.dorsetopera.com/productions/faust/

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Operetta Research Center Amsterdam

An interview by Kevin Clarke of the Operetta Research Center Amsterdam about operetta in general, Gräfin Mariza in particular and many other subjects.

There is more to soubrette roles than nudity and sex appeal!

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Schwesterlein Lisa in Gräfin Mariza

The operette by Kálmán is opening on the 20th of December in Theater St Gallen. An overwhelming production by Stefan Huber - director, and Danny Costello - choreographer, featuring Tobias Bonn (Geschwister Pfister), Siphiwe McKenzie or Ilia Papandreou in the demanding main parts. I will play Lisa, the little sister of Tassilo (Tobias Bonn), desperate for love, but in the meantime capable of keeping her brother's secret!

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Micaela in Carmen

A new production by Nicola Berloffa is being prepared, with a stellar cast of Alex Penda/Gala El Hadidi (Carmen), Aris Argiris/Jordan Shanahan (Escamillo), Ladislav Elgr/Derek Taylor (José) conducted by the wonderful maestro Modestas Pitrenas. Opening night for me is 25th of October! 

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Das Schlaue Füchslein

Première of my newest debut of the title role in Janaçek's opera The Cunning Little Vixen (Das Schlaue Füchslein in a musical arrangement for chamber music ensemble, by Jonathan Dove) will be on the 19th of February in LOK, the new theatre venue of Stadttheater St Gallen. For further dates click here.  A very demanding role, both physically and vocally, being prepared with me by director Nicola Raab and conductor Attilio Tomasello. Come and see!

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Zerlina

Opera magazine has reviewed the new production of Don Giovanni by Guy Joosten. Please click on the link to read the entire review (in dutch).

Knappe Giovanni opent seizoen St.Gallen.

Don Giovanni

The season is starting with a new production of Don Giovanni by the great director Guy Joosten, in which I will make my debut as Zerlina. Very exciting!

Première is on Friday 6th of September. For more information click here

Coming season

Dear all, the new theatre season is starting.. and it will be one busy year! Four new and exciting roles to learn and perform, as well as two "Wiederaufnahmen".

We start rehearsing with La Wally, in which I will perform Walther. The internationally acclaimed Guy Joosten will be the director, the conductor being Modestas Pitrenas.

Soon we will re-open Die Zauberflöte. I have performed the role of Pamina numerous times in the Bernd Mottl-production last year, and will take on all of the performances this season as well!

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Italy

The concerts in Italy were a great joy and a huge success. Both locationwise and musically an unforgettable experience. After what felt as too short a time to enjoy beautiful and inspiring Italy - which included a visit to Verdi's house in Sant Agatha! - it is back home to start work in what is our biggest house: The Netherlands Opera. Here I will make my debut as First Priestess in Gluck's Iphigenie en Tauride, conducted by Marc Minkowski. It promises to be very exciting! Performances are from the 7th of september onwards, starring Mireille Delunsch, Yann Beuron, Laurent Alvaro and Jean-Francois Lapointe. SR 07'11

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Cultura in Musica Limes

Cultura in Musica Limes is an International Chamber Music Festival organised around Lake Garda, Italy. With Ensemble Novalis I will perform Respighi's Il Tramonto and several songs by Mendelssohn, arranged for string quartet by Aribert Reimann. For more information look here. On the 17th and 18th of July we will perform in resp. Caldonazzo and Gargnano. For an impression of the location, click here.                                                                                                       SR 06 '11

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Mendelssohn's Symphony 2 Lobgesang

On the 7th of July Mendelssohn's second symphony will be performed as festive conclusion of the St Galler Festspiele in the Kathedrale, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983. Maestro David Stern will lead the orchestra. I'm looking forward working with the Maestro again, performing such music at such an occasion and such  a site. Look for more information at the website of Theater St Gallen! SR 06 '11

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Debut The Netherlands Opera (DNO)

It is signed and sealed, my debut at our own biggest opera company in Amsterdam. In september 2011 they will perform a double-bill of both Gluck's Iphigenie opera's: Iphigenie en Aulide and Iphigenie en Tauride. In the latter I will perform First Priestess. I am looking forward very much to start working at this wonderful company!                                                                             SR 08/02/'11

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Reprise of the wonderful Janacek program with the Doelen Quartet

Finally there is a small tour going through the Netherlands with one of the most special programs made around the two big string quartets of Janacek. Janacek wrote an enormous amount of music, inspired by the woman he loved from a distance, but with a fire.. This is shown in his letters he wrote to her, read by me as a lead into the music he basically wrote for her, his Muse. Together with Folksongs, a big project he worked on for more than 20 years, "Kamilla" wanders through all his letters to find and listen to "her" music.

Performances are in Zeewolde, The Hague, Nijmegen and Maassluis. Hope to see you there!

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Dorset Opera has started Bizet's Carmen

Having arrived in Bryanston in Dorset, rehearsals have begun for Bizet's Carmen, in which I will sing the role of Micaela. It promises to be wonderful already, with Paul Higgins, house director of Covent Garden, as the director, and some wonderful singers as Franco Pomponi and John Hudson, all casted by Dorset Opera's Artistic Director Roderick Kennedy. Performances will be 30th and 31st of August, both in the evening at 7 PM.                                                              SR 18/07/'10

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Festspillene i Nord Norge

And what a success it was! A 1000 people on their feet, overwhelmed by what was truely a wonderful night. Performing beautiful ensembles of the opera repertoire together with some of the most famous aria's, gave the public but also us as performers and friends an evening to not easily forget.

The review gave some wonderful words about me as well -"Simone Riksman's performance of the Mimi aria was enchanting". And "it was when Audun Iversen entered the stage with Simone Riksman that the magic began".

Here a first glimpse of a wonderful Gala evening! www.nrk.no

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More details are coming, but preparing first for the next exciting concert!

The Canberra International Music Festival was a great success in many ways. Working together with the most brilliant musicians, mostly of Australia and New Zealand and the extraordinary programming, I think something quite special was shared with the audience. The musical partnership with Tamara Anna Cislowska was something worth to be repeated, and the encounter with one of Australia's best composers Ross Edwards, will have a follow up for sure!

Pictures and recordings will be coming, but first I am preparing immediately for the next exciting concert:

the Opera gala at the Festspillene i Nord - Norge, or the Festival of the North of Norway in Harstad. Dear friend and colleague Audun Iversen has invited his friends to be part of the Carte Blanche he has been given by the Festival, being an extraordinary talent. Magnus Staveland, Timo Riihonen and many others will perform in what is to become an exciting evening, all in the setting of the famous Midsummer...                                                                         SR 10/06/'10

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 Last preparations for the Canberra International Music Festival

The last days of preparations, before I leave for Australia. That is, when the ash cloud coming from Iceland will allow it! Following the news closely therefore, but am still very excited going "Down Under".

I'll be performing at Queensday and Memorial Day at the Dutch Embassy and at the Canberra International Music Festival mid May. This is a very exciting Festival with special programs created by its Director Christopher Latham. Have a look at their website to get a feel!

http://www.cicmf.org/default.asp?id=153

I hope to be updating from Australia as well, but who knows, that might be difficult. I'll be exploring this hugely interesting, vast continent as much as I can of course!! All best, Simone                                                                   SR 24/04/'10

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The CD of Opera Trionfo has been released!

Finally the CD has been released. It can be bought online and will be in the store soon. Here you find a link to one of the selling websites. Hope you will enjoy!      SR 20/04/'10

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An EXTRA performance of Medea in Corinto

A surprise on the 29th of December, when due to illness of her colleague, Simone jumped in for another Medea in Corinto performance, the day after Cosi fan tutte. An absolute delight of an evening, sharing the stage with Elzbieta Szmytka, Mark Milhofer and Lawrence Brownlee.                                                                                      SR 05/01/'10