" Opera in top form. Maria Riccarda Wesseling provided plenty of vocal and dramatic power in the title role" 
(Wall Street Journal of Europe, Juni 2006; Opéra National de Paris: Première Iphigénie en Tauride)

Maria Riccarda Wesseling was born in Graubünden (Switzerland) and has a love for her native mountain lakes. She studied with Hedwig Vonlanthen, Elisabeth Glauser, Margreet Honig and is currently being coached by Barbara Martig.

On 6 June 2006, the day of the premiere of Iphigénie en Tauride in Paris, the Opéra National decided to have Maria Riccarda Wesseling replace Susan Graham in the title role (Krzysztof Warlikowski/Marc Minkowski production). After her outstanding performance, media and public acknowledge: „une decouverte“ – a discovery (Les Echos). Yet on the premiere night the mezzo-soprano was re-engaged for the consecutive Gluck production at the Paris National Opera: Orpheuswith Pina Bausch in February 2008, incling a reprise for the Hellenic Festival at the ancient Greek amphitheatre in Epidaurus (July 2008). The performance of 16 February 2008 was broadcasted live by Arte; the first time ever the acclaimed German choreographer permitted one of her productions to be televised live (DVD release will follow). Maria Riccarda Wesseling received equal attention with her interpretation of title role Phaedra on occasion of the world creation of Henze’s latest composition at the Staatsoper Berlin in co-production with the Théâtre National de la Monnaie in September 2007: "The great mezzo-soprano Maria Riccarda Wesseling is an ideal cast." (Deutschlandradio Kultur).

Meanwhile an appreciated interpreter of Gluck (Iphigénie en Tauride, Orpheus, Euridice – the latter in the Paris version with Jérémie Rhorer at the Festival de Beaune in July 2008) Maria Riccarda Wesseling particularly performs Carmen, Octavian, Idamante in Idomeneo and Sextus in La clemenza di Tito, Cenerentola, Rosina, Fenena, Berlioz’ Marguerite, Offenbach’s Hedwig in Die Rheinnixen (with Marc Minkowski at the Opéra National de Lyon) and Giulietta in Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Première at the Grand Théâtre de Genève on 19 October 2008). Her interpretation of Offenbach’s Metella in La Vie Parisienne (Laurent Pelly production) in December 2007 was recorded on DVD for EMI and broadcasted on television and radio throughout Europe. At the same time Metella was the artist’s fourth principal role at the Opéra National de Lyon in only two years. There, also in 2007, she performed von Zemlinsky’s Bianca in Eine florentinische Tragödie, a role that brought her to the Oper Frankfurt three weeks after the premiere in Lyon and to the Festival de Ópera de Tenerife later that same year.

Next to the late 18^th to early 20^th century music, Ms Wesseling’s repertoire includes Purcell’s Dido and Händel roles such as Rodrigo, Rinaldo, Amadigi, Giulio Cesare + Sestus, Dejanira in Hercules and Medea in Teseo (on DVD at Arthaus) and stretches to contemporary music including the dramatic coloratura role Kassandra in Aribert Reimann’s Troades, Le Pèlerin in Kaija Saariaho’s L’amour de loin (Peter Sellars' production at the Finnish National Opera Helsinki), Olga in Peter Eötvös’ Tri Sestri and Duchessa di Malaspina in Sciarrino’s Luci mie traditrici.

In the vocal-symphonic field Maria Riccarda Wesseling sings Berlioz’ Les Nuits d’été and La mort de Cleopatre, Ravel’s Shéhérezade, Respighi’s Il Tramonto, Chausson’s Poème de l’amour et de la mer, Wagner’s Wesendonck-Lieder (recorded on CD with Marcus Bosch), orchestra songs of Schönberg, Zemlinsky, Berg, Mahler and Strauss (CD release by Claves), plus a variety of sacred music/oratorio. Lieder is the artist’s hobby-horse. In a staged recital she performed a selection of Alma Mahler’s compositions, combined with Lieder of Gustav Mahler and von Zemlinsky, at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam in April 2008. A similar program, which includes Lieder of Clara Schumann and Lily Boulanger, was recorded by Claves in May 2008 – Ms Wesseling’s 3rd solo CD with this label; and 7th CD recording in total.

The artist performs at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées Paris (title role Rodrigo, recorded for Naïve in May 2007), Opéra National de Paris, Opéra National de Lyon, Théâtre National de la Monnaie Bruxelles, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Finnish National Opera Helsinki, Staatsoper Berlin, Semperoper Dresden, Oper Frankfurt, Philharmonie-Essen, Philharmonie- Köln, Tonhalle-Zürich, Palau de la Musica-Barcelona, Concertgebouw Amsterdam as well as the festivals in amongst others Montpellier (Radio France), Beaune, Halle, Schwetzingen and Zurich (Zürcher Festwochen). She collaborates with conductors such as Peter Eötvös, Vladimir Fedosejev, Thomas Hengelbrock, Philippe Herreweghe, Christopher Hogwood, Jesus Lopez-Cobos, Susanna Mälkki, Marc Minkowski, Jean-Christophe Spinozi, Alberto Zedda; and stage directors like Pina Bausch, Peter Mussbach, Laurent Pelly, Peter Sellars and Krzysztof Warlikowski.

Her solo CDs Wien 1900 and Handel Heroines appeared at Claves, Naïve has released Amadigi (title role) and will release Rodrigo (also title role) in September 2008. On DVD there is Medea in Teseo at Arthaus, as well as Metella in La Vie Parisienne in the Laurent Pelly/ Opéra National de Lyon production to be released by EMI in 2008. A DVD recording of title role Orpheus in the Pina Bausch/Opéra National de Paris production will follow thereafter. 

Future engagements include Eurydice (in the Paris version) with Jérémy Rhorer at the Musikfest Bremen, Giulietta in Les Contes d´Hoffmann with Olivier Py and Patrick Davin at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, Prinz Orlowsky in Die Fledermaus with Friedrich Haider and Johannes Schaaf at De Nederlandse Opera Amsterdam, 2 productions at ABAO/Ópera Bilbao: Sestus in Giulio Cesare with Eduardo López Banzo and Yannis Kokkos + title role Carmen with Patrick Davin and Arnaud Bernard. In the concert field she is scheduled to perform the Rückert-Lieder, Paulus and Johannespassion with conductors such as Vladimir Fedosejev and Riccardo Chailly, as well as a solo recital at the Tonhalle Zürich.

August 2008