“There are no boundaries between people in opera.”
The soprano singer Elsa Dreisig, born to a French father and a Danish mother, on the importance of the Staatsoper Berlin – and a formative encounter with Daniel Barenboim.
My career began at the Staatsoper Berlin, and it still feels like home to me to this day. Working with Daniel Barenboim – who was the general music director there at the time – and the support of many wonderful artists and conductors played a key role in my development.
I remember my audition very well: Barenboim was sitting in the auditorium, I sang Mozart and he came up onto the stage and gave me some pointers. It was like a dream come true for me. At that moment, I felt that Berlin could become my artistic home - and that this place would leave its mark on me.
I then spent two years in the opera studio at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, followed by five years as a permanent member of the ensemble. That was something completely different from the guest roles I’d been engaged for previously. I have felt more comfortable and at ease in productions in Berlin than anywhere else. The singers are outgoing and sociable and you feel part of a community. At other opera houses, you go straight home after a performance, but in Berlin we would always meet in the canteen. The Staatsoper Berlin has a special energy.
Music to me is a universal language. People from many different countries come together on stage. Currently, I’m singing ‘Così fan tutte’ in Milan with colleagues from England, France, the Netherlands and Italy. The audience is also made up of people from all over the world. A few days ago a man from Istanbul came over to speak to me - he had travelled to Milan just to see us. Moments like these reveal just how much music connects us and what power the voice can have.
In an ensemble you constantly meet people whose language you don’t speak. I communicate with two Russian singers in German, but use French or English with the others. Every time we have to think anew about how best to work together. Where we come from isn’t particularly important. You can get close to anyone through music. Opera is the ideal place for this. Only if we really engage with one another can we touch the audience’s heart. There are no boundaries between people in opera. Together, people from different cultures create something that touches the emotions. That’s what I love about my profession.
About: Elsa Dreisig
Elsa Dreisig is a French-Danish soprano singer. She came to the opera studio at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in 2015 and subsequently became a member of the ensemble. Based in Berlin, she built an international career and sings in opera houses in Geneva, Paris and Vienna.
