Elisabeth Meyer-Topsøe

MEYER-TOPSØE Elisabeth

opera singer, daughter ot MSc in Engineering. Dr of Technology. Erik V. Meyer (died 1969) and wife Åse born Rasmussen (died 1987); married 12-12-1981 to author. L. L. M. Vilhelm Topsøe. Graduate trom Holte Gymnasaum; studied musiooiogy at the University of Copenhagen; was educated as a singer by Ib Fl. Hansen. Sten Høgel and Else Brems; turther studies at the Opera School in Stockholm and with Vagn Thordal and Court Singer Birgit Nilsson; empioyed at the Opera in Augsburg 1968-90. in Nürnberg 1990-93; debut at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen 1992.

Guest appearance at i.a. Théâtre Cháteiet and Théátre Champs- Eiysées, Paris, Statsoper Wien, Deutsche Oper and Unter den Linden, Berlin, the opera houses in Zürich, Rome, Leipzig, Torino, Verona. Trieste. Sevilla. Lausanne. Toulouse, Nancy. Mannheim, Bonn, Essen, Darmstadt and Stockholm, Teatro Colén. Buenos Aires, Festival d'Aix-n-Provence. the Savoiinna Opera Fstival, Maggio Musicale Firenze. the Aarhus Opera Festival, Festival de Musica de Galncia and Internationale Maitestspiele, Wiesbaden. Debut 188 as Oxana in Tchaikovski/'s comic opera Cherevichki.

In 2006 Elisabeth Meyer-Topsøe graduated trom The Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copnhagn as a Master of Elite Singing Teaching and she has sinoe 2003 been giving lessons to singers.

The title of her thesis is “A Viable Vocal Technique. Birgit NiIsson‘s Thoughts on a Viable Vocal Techniqe."

The thesis is based on Elisabeth's lessons with Birgit Nilsson from 1987 to 1999. The assessment of the thesis was highly favourable and ‘A Viable Vocal Technique” earned much praise from among others examiners Prolessor Emeritus Peer Birk. Denmark. and Prolessor Kare Bjorl-raj. Norway. To acquire the thesis, which also includes two CDs with examples from Birgit Nilsson's lessons. please contact Elisabeth Meyer-Topsoe. (See “Contact".)

Elisabeth Meyer-Topsoe gives singing lessons and master classes. Recently. Elisabeth has taught master classes at the Conservatory oi Reykjavik. the Opera School in Stockholm and the conservatories in Tromso and Trondheim. In autumn 2009. Elisabeth has been invited to be guest professor at the Trondheim Conservatory.

Most important roles: Freia in The Fihmegold. Elsa in Lohengrin. Elisabeth in Tannhauser. Sieglinde in The Valkyrie. Senta in The Flying Dutchman. The Feldmarschallin in The Knight oi the Rose. the title roles in Arabella. Daphne. Ariadne on Naxos and Euryanthe. Leonore in Fidelio. Leonora in The Troubadour. Desdemona in Othello. the title role in Madam Butterfly. Ellen Ortord in Peter Grimes. Lady Ingeborg in King and Marshal, sang Isolde's Love-Death at the tributary pertormance ol the Stockholm Opera on Birgit Nilsson‘s birthday 1998. Sang The Four Last Songs in the concert hall 01 the Academy 01 Music in Moscow 2001.

Also solo pertormance in Iceland and with orchestras in France. Holland. Austria. Switzeriand. Spain. Turkey. Russia. Serbia and the USA. Recordings 01 wotks by Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss. Danish Hymns. Danish Songs vol. 1 and 2. songs by Sibelius and Rangstrém and Herman D. Koppel's Moses. Received Det Slott-Mollerske Familielegat 1985, The Birgit Nilsson Prize 1989. Musikanmelderringen at 1924's Kunstnerpris 1991. Noilly Prat Prisen 1991. Elisabeth Dons‘ Mindelegat 1993, Einar Hansens Videnskabelige og Kulturelle Pris 1994. Tagea Brandts Flejselegat 1995.