Danish bass Nicolai Elsberg’s rich sonorous voice has already caught the attention of contemporary composers Karsten Fundal and Rasmus Zwicki, who have written respectively an opera and an oratorio specifically for his rare Lyricher/Dramaticher Seriöser Bass. Nicolai Elsberg was the lead singer of the critically-acclaimed Danish band, Spillemændene. Always pushing the limits of genres, Elsberg slowly moved from rhythmic music into the world of classical singing and opera.
In 2016, holding a Bachelor in contemporary music from The Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen, Elsberg started studying classical singing at The Royal Danish Academy of Music with the Susanna Eken as his voice teacher. In 2020, he joined the soloists’ ensemble at The Royal Danish Opera. In the season 2021-2022, Nicolai sang Colline (La Bohème) and Il Commendatore (Don Giovanni) at Royal Danish Opera as well as multiple roles in The Nose by Shostakovich and the bass part in both Mozart’s and Verdi’s Requiem with the Copenhagen Philharmonic. Previous seasons’ highlights are his performances of Plutone (L’Orfeo), Sarastro (Magic Flute) and Watchman as well as Masquerade Master in Carl Nielsen’s opera, Masquerade, at the Royal Danish Opera. He took part in the Vocal Residency at Festival d’Aix-en-Provence led by Edith Wiens, and sang the role of Il Commendatore in a new interpretation of Mozart’s Don Giovanni at The Copenhagen Opera Festival. In 2021, Elsberg participated in the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition representing Denmark. In 2020, Elsberg received three talent prizes from his home country: The Copenhagen Opera Festival Talent Prize, The Léonie Sonning Talent Prize and The Queen Ingrid Honorary Grant.
