Valda Wilson

Biography

Australian soprano Valda Wilson performs a varied repertoire ranging from Händel to Verdi and Strauss heroines as well as 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, Musetta La bohème, Marguerite Faust, Micaela Carmen, the title role of Alcina, Contessa Le nozze di Figaro, Fiordiligi Così fan tutte, Rosalinde Die Fledermaus, Sylva Varescu Die Csárdásfürstin, Hanna Glawari Die lustige Witwe, Wellgunde Das Rheingold and Harey in Michael Obst’s Solaris. Last season she received great acclaim for her portrayal of the title role in Sarah Nemtsov’s new opera Ophelia. New roles coming up this season are the title role of Suor Angelica and Agnès Sorel The Maid of Orleans. In 2022 she made her role and house debuts as Helmwige Die Walküre at the Royal Danish Opera and as Euridice 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. For Theater Ulm she sang Vitellia La clemenza di Tito and the title role of Aida in an open-air production. 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. Among earlier engagements 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 sang 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’s concert repertoire includes 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 has appeared 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. She was a soloist with Auryn Quartet, Orava Quartet, Goldner Quartet and 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.