Dorothea Herbert, soprano (Germany)
German soprano Dorothea Herbert’s artistry has inspired critical praise and plaudits. The Westdeutsche Zeitung commended her for owning ‘a lot of passion in a voice that … shines very charmingly, which has warmth in the middle but also glows beautifully’. A finalist in the 2014 Wagner Society Singing Competition in London and a Richard Wagner Scholar in 2016, she was one of the youngest students in Germany ever to be selected for the Young Student Programme at Munich’s Richard Strauss Conservatory. Dorothea went on to graduate from Trinity College of Music in London, and completed her studies at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and the Opera Studio at Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in cooperation with Welsh National Opera in Cardiff, where she was supported by the Leverhulme Foundation. She has taken part in masterclasses with some of the world’s leading singers, Christa Ludwig and Anna Tomowa- Sintow among them.
In recent seasons, Dorothea Herbert has become established on the stage of many European opera houses. Her repertoire includes roles such as Senta (Der Fliegende Holländer), Donna Anna, Salome, Rusalka, Leonore (Fidelio), Eva (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg), Elsa, Rosalinde, Elisabetta (Don Carlo), Agathe, Chrysothemis and Arabella. In 2016-17, she made her debuts as Senta at the Bühnen Halle and as Amelia (Un ballo in maschera) at the Stadttheater Bremerhaven shortly after. An invitation to sing Amelia at Nationaltheater Mannheim followed. In 2017-18 season, Dorothea Herbert was second cast for the title role in Christof Loy’s new production of ‘Das Wunder der Heliane’ at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and made her successful debut as Donna Anna in the new production of Don Giovanni at the Nationaltheater Mannheim. In 2018-19, she returned to Mannheim as Donna Anna und made her debut as Agathe in ‘Der Freischütz’ at the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe. The 2019/20 season started with her debut as Salome at Theater Krefeld Mönchengladbach, the return to Karlsruhe for Freischütz’ Agathe and her debut as Gerhilde in Wagner’s Die Walküre at Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam under the baton of Marc Albrecht. In December 2019 Dorothea gave her house debut at Semperoper Dresden in Weber’s Freischütz and covered the role of Eva in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in the iconic Salzburg Easter festival production at Semperoper Dresden under the baton of Christian Thielemann. Dorothea returned to the role of Fidelio in January 2020 at Theater Chemnitz and in spring 2020 Dorothea gave her debut in the title role of Rusalka for which she received raving reviews, prompting the Neue Ruhr Zeitung to predict that she ‘is on the brink of a really great career’ and Opernmagzin to conclude that ‘she convinced throughout the evening with a wonderfully balanced voice’.
2020/21 highlights included her debut at Theater an der Wien in Christof Loy’s new production of Zazà as Floriana and La Signora Dufresne and her Sieglinde debut in Wagner’s Walküre at Theater Krefeld. Unfortunately Wagner’s Die Walküre at Semperoper Dresden under the baton of Christian Thielemann was cancelled due to Corona.
Dorothea gave her Glyndebourne Festival debut in the title role of Beethoven’s Fidelio in 2021. She sang Sieglinde in a concert performance at Staatstheater Darmstadt, revived her acclaimed Salome in Krefeld and in her house debut at Tiroler Landestheater. Dorothea was also seen in Operettengalas at Nationaltheater Mannheim and sang Agathe at Staatstheater Mainz and Staatstheater Kassel. Dorothea returned to the role of Senta in Der Fliegende Holländer in her house debut at the State Opera in Prague in 2022 and gave her role debut as Elsa in Wagner’s Lohengrin at Staatstheater Darmstadt.
Future highlights of the 2022/23 season include her return to State Opera Prague as Senta, a new production of Der Fliegende Holländer at Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe and her return to Semperoper Dresden for Die Walküre with Christian Thielemann.
