esther heideman, soprano

Winner of the 2000 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the Licia Albanese Competition, Esther Heideman is quickly becoming known as one of America’s most promising singers. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut singing Pamina (Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte), New York Philharmonic debut (Bach’s Christmas Oratorio), and her European debut with the Prague Radio Symphony (Mahler’s Symphony No.2), all in the same year. “Hearing this lively redheaded coloratura sing…it was impossible not to think: Beverly Sills” (New York Times, March 2000).

A native of Wisconsin, Ms. Heideman became a popular performer with the Minnesota Orchestra. She has been heard there in repertoire ranging from Handel (Messiah) and Mozart (Requiem, Le Nozze di Figaro), to Ravel (L’enfant et les sortileges), Berg (Seven Early Songs), and Kernis (Simple Songs). In total, Esther has been a featured soloist in almost 20 different concerts, working with such notable conductors as David Zinman, Eiji Oue, Jeffrey Tate, Bernhard Klee, Ingo Metzmacher, Thomas Ades, David Alan Miller, and William Eddins.

In season 2003-04 Ms. Heideman appeared in return engagements with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, in Bernstein’s West Side Story (Maria) and Candide (Cunegonde) under the direction of S. Terrell. Additional engagements included Handel’s Messiah with the Chicago Symphony under the direction of Mo. Peter Schreier, Bizet’s Carmen (Micaela) with the Ft. Wayne Philharmonic, Mahler Symphony No. 4 with Buffalo Philharmonic, as well as the role of Baby Doe in Moore’s The Ballad of Baby Doe with Opera Illinois. Recent and upcoming engagements include Mendelssohn’s Elijah with Asheville Choral Society and Messiah with the National Chorale, Haydn Creation and the role of Pamina in The Magic Flute with the National Philahrmonic.

Season 2002/03 featured this young American talent with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra in two engagements, first in a performance of Berg’s Sieben fruehe Lieder under the baton of Ingo Metzmacher, and later as a soloist in Rihm’s Deus Passus to be conducted by Markus Stenz. Other appearances include Mahler Symphony No. 2 with Pittsburgh Symphony, Beethoven’s Egmont with Atlanta Symphony, Bach’s Mass in b minor with Master Chorale of Washington, Messiah with Boston Baroque, Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 and Strauss’ Four Last Songs with the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra.

In December of 1998, Ms. Heideman made her New York debut at Carnegie Hall with the Masterworks Chorus singing Messiah. This launched her career which now includes recent debuts and return engagements with the Chicago Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Little Orchestra Society, Berkshire Choral Festival, Pacific Symphony, Springfield Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Boston Baroque, and the Rotterdam Philharmonic in the Netherlands.

In addition to singing traditional repertoire, Esther Heideman has been featured in several world premieres, including the role of Jenny Lind in Libby Larsen’s opera Barnum’s Bird (Plymouth Music Series, Philip Brunelle); Sister Angelica in The Three Hermits by Stephen Paulus; and the Revelation of St. John by Daniel Schnyder (Milwaukee Symphony, Andreas Delfs).