Biography
©Anisha Lanewala
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Karin Torbjörnsdóttir was named Singer of the Year 2020 by Gríman, the Icelandic Performing Arts Awards, for her portrayal of Cherubino in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro with the Icelandic Opera. In September 2021 Karin gave a recital together with pianist Gaiva Bandzinaite in Iceland, and made her Sweden debut in December performing Alma Mahler with Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. Karin is returning to Iceland in March to give a recital in Harpa Concert Hall.
Musically versatile, the lyric mezzo soprano has shown some of her many colours with operatic repertoire ranging from baroque to contemporary, especially in Mozart and early romantic music. Prior engagements include Luzerner Theater (CH), and at the opera studio in Staatsoper Stuttgart (DE), where she performed a variety of opera roles. She has performed in concerts on numerous occasions in Europe, USA and Asia, and at international festivals such as Anima Mundi in Pisa, Italy, Macau International Music Festival, Lucerne Festival in Switzerland, Barocknacht, and Nacht der Komponisten in Salzburg. Among Karin's roles are Amando (Le grand Macabre/Ligeti) Mozart's Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro), Annio (La clemenza di Tito), Bastien (Basiten und Bastienne) Dorabella (Cosi fan tutte), 2.Lady (Magic flute), Flora (La traviata/Verdi), Tisbe (La cenerentola,/Rossini), Rosina and Berta (Il barbiere di Siviglia/Rossini), as well as Alto 2 (Prometeo/Luigi Nono), Der Trommler (Der Kaiser von Atlantis/Ullmann), Ottavia (Il giuoco del quadriglio/caldara) and Pastuchyna (Jenufa/Janacek). |
Born in Lund, Sweden, the early musical background of the Icelandic mezzo-soprano include piano studies and competition-leveled choral singing, followed by private vocal studies with Swedish Mezzo Kerstin Grevelius and Prof. Laura Sarti before enrolling the Reykjavík Academy of Singing and Vocal Arts in Iceland, graduating DipABRSM with Distinction. Further studies at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg followed; Bachelor studies 2010-12, and Master of Arts - Opera and music theater 2012-14, lastly with Andreas Macco, Prof. Josef Wallnig and Eike Gramss, graduating on both occasions with Distinction.
Master classes of Voice and Operatic repertoire with Laura Sarti, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Galina Pisarenko, Donald Kaasch, Martha Sharp, Margaret Singer, Jane Thorner and Marianne Cornetti. Lied with Clara Taylor, Richard Stokes and Breda Zakotnik; baroque gestures and baroque acting with Margit Legler, and improvisational acting with Nicola Hümpel.
She works regularly with mezzo-soprano Helene Schneiderman and with pianist Gaiva Bandizanite.
Master classes of Voice and Operatic repertoire with Laura Sarti, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Galina Pisarenko, Donald Kaasch, Martha Sharp, Margaret Singer, Jane Thorner and Marianne Cornetti. Lied with Clara Taylor, Richard Stokes and Breda Zakotnik; baroque gestures and baroque acting with Margit Legler, and improvisational acting with Nicola Hümpel.
She works regularly with mezzo-soprano Helene Schneiderman and with pianist Gaiva Bandizanite.