Sven Hjörleifsson
tenor
© Agentur
The Icelandic tenor Sven Hjörleifsson is back at Oper Frankfurt, where he made his debut stepping in at very short notice to sing Leonard (from the side of the stage), in Nielsen's Masquerade, to sing the Lawyer in this new production of Harrison Birtwistle's Punch and Judy in the Bockenheimer Depot. He studied in Reykjavík and the University for Music and the Performing Arts in Vienna. He joined the ensembles at the Landestheater in Linz, then Oper Leipzig, where roles inclulded Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), Ernesto (Don Pasquale), Alfred (Die Fledermaus), the Steuerman (Flying Dutchman), Wenzel (The Bartered Bride), Narraboth (Salome) and the Witch (Hänsel und Gretel). More contemporary roles have included Ulrich (Harmonie der Welt) and Bothwell (Mary Queen of Scots) and he took part in world premieres including Bernhard Lang's Mondparsifal ALPHA 1–8 at the Festwochen in Vienna, Bruno Strobl's Hemma and Moritz Eggert's Terra Nova. Other engagements have taken him to venues including the Konzerthaus and Musikverein in Vienna, the Semperoper in Dresden, Jyske Opera, the Vorarlberg Landestheater, Iceland Opera and Malmö Opera. Recent concert work has included Beethoven 9, Christ on the Mount of Olives, Handel's Messiah, Bach's Christmas Oratorio and Dvořák's Stabat Mater. He's also passionate about singing Lieder - most recently Die schöne Müllerin and Dichterliebe in Vienna, Linz and in Iceland. His own Drag version of Die schöne Müllerin was highly praised and nominated as »Best Performance« in Iceland and »Singer of the Year«. Other engagements this season take him to places including Bologna Opera (Oedipus Rex), Oper Leipzig (The Armourer) and concerts with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.