Judith van Wanroij

Soprano
Written By Boudewijn Dekker
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Judith van Wanroij

Soprano

Judith van Wanroij is managed worldwide by Rozemarijn Tiben and Fernando de Testa, excluding the francophone territories.

Contact:
Artist Manager
E: rozemarijn.tiben@interartists.nl
T: +31 6 34 272 282

Assistant Artist Manager
E: fernando.detesta@interartists.nl
T: +33 7 48 25 93 63

Dutch soprano Judith van Wanroij is “renowned for her intensely dramatical interpretations of rediscovered and less-known operas.” She is praised for conveying poetry and its colours in an astonishing way. Since her debut at Opéra de Lyon as Virtù en Drusilla in Monteverdi’s L’Incoronzione di Poppea, she has performed numerous roles at leading opera houses such as Teatro Real Madrid, Dutch National Opera, La Monnaie Lincoln Center New York, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Opéra national du Rhin, Opéra Royal de Versailles, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Théâtre des Champs Elysées, Theater Basel and the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence.

Judith van Wanroij studied with Margreet Honig at the Conservatory of Amsterdam and De Nederlandse Opera Academie. She was a first prize winner at the 2003 Erna Spoorenberg Vocalisten Presentation and took part in the Jardin des Voix 2005, the vocal academy of Les Arts Florissants and William Christie.

The core of her repertoire consists of, but is not limited to, French and Italian baroque music, French romantic repertoire and Mozart’s vocal works. A selection of her main roles includes Contessa in Le Nozze di Figaro, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Ilia in Idomeneo and the title roles in Rossi’s Orfeo and Lemoyne’s Phèdre.

Highlights of the 2023/24 season include the role of Rozenn in Lalo’s Le Roi d’Ys at Müpa Budapest and at the Concertgebouw, with the Orchestra of the National Opera of Hungary led by György Vashegyi, the role of Cybèle in Lully’s Atys at the Royal Opera of Versailles with Les Talens Lyriques led by Christophe Rousset, Dritte Dame in Die Zauberflöte at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in a new production by Cédric Klapisch led by François-Xavier Roth, and a recital of arias from the time of Napoleon at the Hôtel National des Invalides in Paris.

Highlights of the 2021/22 season include the title role in Ariane et Bacchus (Marin Marais) with Le Concert Spirituel at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Swanhilde in César Francks Hulda with the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, and a revival of Die Zauberflöte at Theater Basel, in which Van Wanroij sings Erste Dame.

Recent highlights include concerts and recordings of César Franck’s Hulda (role: Swannhilde) with the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège led by Gergely Madaras, Télaïre in Rameau’s Castor et Pollux with the Orfeo Orchestra and Purcell Choir at the Concertgebouw, the soprano solos in Händel’s Messiah at the Concertgebouw, and in Bach’s St Matthew Passion with philharmonie zuidnederland, the role of Créuse in Charpentier’s Médée as well as the title role in Ariane et Bacchus (Marin Marais) with Le Concert Spirituel led by Hervé Niquet at the Théâtre du Champs-Elysées, Zirphile in Rameau’s Archante et Céphise under the baton of Alexis Kossenko, Léna in La princesse jaune with the l’Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse and Ilia (Idomeneo) with Les Talens Lyriques at the Mozartfest Würzburg.

She received much critical acclaim for her performances of the title role of Lemoyne’s Phèdre with the Orfeo Orchestra, released on CD by Palazzetto Bru Zane. The press wrote that “she leaves aside the ‘nice girls’ to whom the beauty of her timbre seems to be destined, she knows how to chisel her text in the tragic language, translating the heroine's suffering into her body.” In 2018, she had another recording success in the title role of Alceste by Lully with Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques, produced by Maximilien Ciup for the label Aparté. The disc was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category ‘Best Opera Recording’.

Her ever-expanding discography includes many lesser-known operas, such as Saint-Saëns La princesse Jaune with the Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse, Monteclair’s Jephté and Rameau’s Dardanus, with the Orfeo Orchestra and Purcell Choir for the label Glossa, Salieri’s Tarare, Les Horaces and Les Danaïdes all with Les Talens Lyriques for Aparté, Gounod’s Le Tribut de Zamora with the Münchner Rundfunkorchester for Palazzetto Bru Zane. She also recorded Gounod’s Cantatas and Sacred music with the Brussels Philharmonic and Flemish Radio Choir also for Palazzetto Bru Zane and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with the Camerata RCO for Gutman Records.

Highlights 2023-24

October-November 2023:
Dritte Dame in Die Zauberflöte at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in a new production by Cédric Klapisch led by François-Xavier Roth.

January-February 2024:
Rozenn in Lalo’s Le Roi d’Ys at Müpa Budapest and at the Concertgebouw with the Orchestra of the National Opera of Hungary led by György Vashegyi.

Cybèle in Lully’s Atys at the Royal Opera of Versailles with Les Talens Lyriques led by Christophe Rousset,

Revival of McBurney’s production of Die Zauberflöte at Theater Basel, role: Erste Dame.

Recital of arias from the time of Napoleon at the Hôtel National des Invalides in Paris.

 
 

Reviews

“‘Outstanding among the stylish cast is Judith Van Wanroij as the eponymous heroine, her delivery pliant and lucid, her satin tones persuasively seductive.”
— BBC Music Magazine,
“[Judith van Wanroij] now fully masters the torments of the character.”
— Res Musica
“Judith Van Wanroij fascinates by her investment in the character of Phaedra. Leaving aside the “nice girls” to whom the beauty of her tone seems to be destined, she knows how to chisel her text in the tragic language, translating the heroine’s suffering into her body.”
— Forum Opéra
“All her interventions are magnificent. Her only address to Venus « Ô toi, dont la présence allume/Le feu qui dévore mon cœur/Vénus, adoucis la rigueur/du mal secret qui le consume » is worth its weight in vocal gold. Judith van Wanroij, whose dramatic talent is as obvious as her radiant voice, is both touching and vengeful, capable of stripping away the deepest pain.”
— Crescendo Magazine
“Salieri gives the role of Camille a beautiful musical and dramatic consistency, which Judith van Wanroij interprets magnificently. The voice is dark, valiant, expressing a whole range of feelings. The overflowing joy of ‘Oui, mon bonheur est assuré’ or ‘Que je vous dois d’encens’ soon gives way to pain and rage. The soprano’s expressiveness, served by a beautiful musicality, reveals the tragic fate of a character whose passions are misunderstood and despised.”
— Forum Opéra
“Judith van Wanroij is also touching as La Contessa in Le Nozze di Figaro. The ductile and luminous metal of her voice and the purity of the vocal line are marvellous....”
— Forum Opéra
“The role of Orpheus is played by Judith van Wanroij, who embodies her character with fierce intensity from beginning to end, and shines in particular with her heart-rending pleas. A truly dazzling performance.”
— Bachtrack
“Judith van Wanroij has a perfect timbre for ‘Die himmlische Freude’.”
— Luister
“A recent recording of the opera Jephté perpetuates soprano Judith van Wanroij’s rightful fame in the French baroque repertoire. In Montéclair’s neglected masterpiece, she uses a mother role to tap into new dramatic layers in her voice. Suggestive in anguish visions or comforting in duets with daughter Iphise, Van Wanroij always combines formal French finesse with true emotions. She even dares to sacrifice vocal beauty to portrait the mother who is fighting like a tigress.”
— Operamagazine.nl
“The stars of the performance are the Dutch soprano Judith van Wanroij as a truly fantastic Belinda.”
— Het Parool
Boudewijn Dekker
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