Anja Van Engeland graduaded in 1999 with highest distinction as “Master in Music” at the Belgian Lemmensinstituut (Leuven), where she was coached by Dina Grossberger. Then, she followed a postgraduate for singing and opera with mezzo-soprano Lucienne Van Deyck and internationally renowned stage director Guy Joosten at the Antwerp Conservatoire and eventually was accepted as a member of the Flanders Opera Studio. Anja Van Engeland folllowed masterclasses with Cyndia Sieden, Mia Besselinck, Ann Rachel-Morgan, Robert Alderson, Mary Brennan, Suzanne Eken and Helmut Deutsch.
Among her recent parts : Alicia Ford (Falstaff) and Marguerite (Faust/Gounod) for the company Opera-Zuid (Maastricht, The Netherlands). Just recently she made her debut as Micaela (Carmen) at Opéra Royal de Wallonie (December 2010) and next season she will appear for the first time at "de Nederlandse Opera Amsterdam" as Magd 4 in Elektra.
She startet her career she sang parts such as Clorinde (La Jolie parfumeuse/Offenbach), Giacinta (La Finta Semplice/Mozart), Juliette (Romeo & Juliette/Gounod), Amor (Orfeo ed Euridice/Gluck) and Mme Silberklang (Der Schauspieldirektor/Mozart).
After having left the Flanders opera Studio she was immediately offered to sing roles as : Sophie Scholl (Die weisse Rose/Udo Zimmerman), Leila (Les Pêcheurs de Perles/Bizet), Elvira (I Puritani/Bellini), First lady and Queen of the night (Zauberflöte/Mozart), Mimi (La Bohème/Puccini), Elvire (La Muette de Portici/Auber), Aennchen (Freischütz/Weber) and Ophelia (Hamlet/Thomas).
At Flanders Opera Anja Van Engeland was engaged as Nicolette (L’amour des trois oranges/Prokofiev), Laura (Louisa Miller/Verdi), Ygraine (Ariane et Barbe-Bleue/Dukas) Berta (Il Barbiere di Siviglia/Rossini), Queen of the night, the so called “Second Violin” (in the contemporary opera “Prova d’orchestra” by Giorgio Battistelli) and in June 2006 she made her debut as “Freia” (Das Rheingold/Wagner). Eventually she returned as the “The Female Chorus” in Brittens “The rape of Lucretia” (Dec. 2008).
In concert Anja Van Engeland was offered to sing soprano parts in “Der Tod Jesu” (Carl Heinrich Graun), the “Stabat Mater” by Pergolesi, the Cantata 137 by J.S. Bach, “In exitu Israel” by Jan Dismas Zelenka, “Laetatus sum” by Scarlatti, Vivaldi’s “Magnificat” and Antonio Caldara’s “Te Deum”. With the Symphonic Orchestra of Flanders, led by David Angus, she created the “Nursery Songs” by the Belgian composer Piet Swerts. With the Flemish Radio orchestra she regularly brings opera arias in concert. She frequently sang with several orchestras at Brussel’s Palais des Beaux Arts a.o. in Mozart’s c minor Mass, Bruckner’s Mass 1, Haydn’s “Creation” and Vaughan William’ Sea-Symphony. In this hall, she will aslo debut in the soprano part of Verdi Requiem (December 2011, with o.a. Brussels Choral Society).
With the Philharmonic Orchestra of Luxemburg she recorded in 2009 “Der Geiger von Echternach” (by Lou KOSTER).
CV Update : season 2011/2012 |
