Valda Wilson

Biography

Australian soprano Valda Wilson is singing a varied repertoire ranging from Händel and Mozart to Verdi and Strauss heroines and contemporary opera. A member of the ensemble at Saarländisches Staatstheater since 2016, her roles have included Marschallin Der Rosenkavalier, Elisabeth de Valois Don Carlos, Leonora Il Trovatore, Violetta La Traviata, Marguerite Faust, Micaela Carmen, the title role of Alcina, Contessa Le nozze di Figaro, Fiordiligi Così fan tutte, Sylva Varescu Die Csárdásfürstin, Hanna Glawari Die lustige Witwe, Musetta La bohème and Harey in Michael Obst’s Solaris. Her new roles this season are Wellgunde Das Rheingold and Rosalinde Die Fledermaus. In 2022 she made her role debuts as Helmwige Die Walküre at the Royal Danish Opera and as Euridice in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice at the New National Theater Tokyo.

2014-2016 Valda Wilson was a soloist at Oldenburgisches Staatstheater performing Contessa Le nozze di Figaro, Alice Ford Falstaff, Hanna Glawari Die lustige Witwe, Romilda Xerxes, Iole Hercules, Anna La dame blanche, Helena A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Mrs Naidoo in P. Glass’ Satyagraha. She appeared as Romilda Xerxes at Staatstheater Nürnberg, as Iole Hercules at Nationaltheater Mannheim and as 1^st Woodsprite Rusalka at Teatro di San Carlo in Naples. For Theater Ulm she sang Vitellia La clemenza di Tito and the title role of Aida in an open-air production. Earlier engagements include the Händel roles Rodelinda and Theodora for Pinchgut Opera, Pamina with Oper Klosterneuburg and Donna Anna for Sommer Oper Bamberg. 2010-2012 she was a member of the Young Ensemble at Dresden Semperoper, where she has sung a.o. Pamina Die Zauberflöte, the title role of Hartmann’s Simplicius Simplicissimus and the female lead role in Srnka’s Jakub Flügelbunt in its world premiere.

Valda Wilson has sung Bach’s St John Passion, St Matthew Passion, Mass in B minor, Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, Händel’s Messiah, Samson, Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Mass in C minor (Soprano I & II), Exsultate, jubilate, Beethoven’s Ah! perfido and 9^th Symphony, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, Fauré’s Requiem, Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder, Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas brasileiras no.5, Strauss’ Vier letzte Lieder, Orff’s Carmina Burana, a.o. She was a soloist with L’Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg under A. Grosu, with Stuttgarter Philharmoniker under M. Bosch, with Münchner Symphoniker under K.J. Edusei, with L’Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, the Bremer Philharmoniker and the Tasmanian SO, all under M. Letonja, the Hallé Orchestra under M. Stenz, the Royal Flemish Philharmonic and L’Orchestre des Champs Elysées under P. Herreweghe, at the Verbier Festival under C. Dutoit, Auryn Quartet, Orava Quartet, Goldner Quartet, Ensemble Liaison, Freies Ensemble Dresden, Ensemble Mediterrain. Richard Bonynge invited her to sing at the Westminster Abbey memorial service for Dame Joan Sutherland with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House under Sir Antonio Pappano.

Valda Wilson trained at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music before winning Opera Foundation Australia’s scholarship to the National Opera Studio London. She received 1^st Prize at the Stella Maris Competition 2012 and appears in the TV documentary “Sängerkrieg auf hoher See”. Her discography includes Paul Hindemith’s Three Songs with Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz and K.-H. Steffens, Franz Schreker’s On Eternal Life with the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz and C. Ward. She appears on DVD as Giulietta Un Giorno di Regno for Opernfestspiele Heidenheim with M. Bosch, in the title role in Händel’s Theodora, live at Pinchgut Opera, and in the title role of Händel’s Rodelinda on ABC Classics CD with Richard Bonynge.