Dramatic Soprano Petra Lang Will Give Her Role Debut as Isolde at the 2016 Bayreuth Festival

As of next summer, the dramatic soprano Petra Lang will take over the title role in Katharina Wagner’s production of Tristan und Isolde. Under the baton of Christian Thielemann it will mark her role debut.

For many years, Petra Lang is a welcome guest on Bayreuth’s “Green Hill”. At this summer’s festival she once again sang a highly acclaimed Ortrud in Lohengrin and was part of the reason why the “rat” production of Hans Neuenfels closed as one of the most popular in recent years.

“Petra Lang is probably now the Ortrud of her generation and no one else is so obviously downright evil, deceitful, manipulative or melodramatic. […] Her Isolde next year is eagerly awaited.” (Seen and Heard, August 8, 2015)

Ever since her change from the mezzo into the dramatic soprano repertoire in 2012 she is a very successful Brünnhilde. She celebrated her international break-through in this role in the new Ring Cycle production of Dieter Dorn at the Grand Théâtre de Genève (2013/2014). In fall 2015 she will take on her next Brünnhilde in Die Walküre and Götterdämmerung at the Munich State Opera.

Next summer, she then adds Isolde to her repertoire. Petra Lang always handled her career very consciously and is now very much looking forward to her debut. Which place would be more suitable for it than Bayreuth?

Already early in her career she turned to the music of Richard Wagner and became one of the most sought-after singers in this highly in demand repertoire. She is known for her outstanding interpretation of roles such as Ortrud (Lohengrin), Kundry (Parsifal), Venus (Tannhäuser), Sieglinde (Walküre) or Brangäne (Tristan und Isolde), which she all sang on major international stages.

In addition, the Frankfurt-born is an exquisite concert singer and recitalist performing with the major international orchestras, conductors and pianists. She is part of a 2009 release of Wagner’s Lohengrin with the WDR Orchestra under Semyon Bychkov and won two 2002 Grammy Awards for her Cassandre as part of the live recording of Berlioz’ Les Troyens with the London Symphony Orchestra under Sir Colin Davis. Ms. Lang supports young singers in international master classes.