Anne Sofie von Otter

The Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter (born 9 May 1955) is a well-known opera singer and concert recitalist. She is particularly famous for her trouser roles.

Von Otter was born in Stockholm. Her father was a diplomat and she grew up in Bonn, London and Stockholm. After studying in Stockholm and Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, she was engaged by the Basel Opera, where she made her operatic début in 1983 as Alcina in Haydn's Orlando paladino. She made her Royal Opera House, Covent Garden début in 1985 and her Metropolitan Opera début in 1988 as Cherubino. In 1987, she made her La Scala debut. She has had notable success in roles of Mozart, Handel, and Monteverdi. In recitals, she excels in the music of Mahler, Brahms, Grieg, Wolf and Sibelius. In 2001 her CD releases moved in an unusual direction and included an album with Elvis Costello for which she won an Edison Award. Among the conductors she has worked with repeatedly are William Christie, Marc Minkowski, Claudio Abbado, John Eliot Gardiner, and Myung-Whun Chung. Her recitals and many of her recordings have been collaborations with Swedish pianist Bengt Forsberg.

She is married to Benny Fredriksson, an actor and theatre director, and has two children.

Among the many works from opera to lieder to folk songs that von Otter has recorded are:

[edit] Lieder and songs

Johannes Brahms Lieder with Bengt Forsberg (1991) Deutsche Grammophon
Grieg Songs with Bengt Forsberg (1993) Deutsche Grammophon
Speak Low: Songs by Kurt Weill conducted by John Eliot Gardiner (1995) Deutsche Grammophon
Frauenliebe und –leben by Schumannwith Bengt Forsberg (1996) Deutsche Grammophon
Des Knaben Wunderhorn (with Thomas Quasthoff) by Mahler conducted by Claudio Abbado (1999) Deutsche Grammophon

A magnificent Mahler song cycle. (Sorry, no link now-- please check Deutsche Grammaphon site.)

Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss conducted by Bernard Haitink (1991) EMI Classcis
Agrippina by Handel conducted by John Eliot Gardiner (1997) Polygram
Werther by Massenet conducted by Kent Nagano (1997) Elektra
Ariodante by Handel conducted by Marc Minkowski (1999) Archiv
Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss conducted by Giuseppe Sinpoli (2002)
Hercules by Handel conducted by Marc Minkowski (2002) Archiv
Giulio Cesare by Handel conducted by Marc Minkowski (2003) Archiv
Serse by Handel conducted by William Christie (2004) Virgin Classics