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The Sedish tenor, Leif Aruhn-Solén, studied at Adolf Fredriks musikklasser in Stockholm (1987-1989), Södra Latins gymnasium in Stockholm (1989-1991), and La Junta High School in Colorado (1991-1992). He started his vocal performance studies at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm (1994-1998) followed by studies at Oberlin College in Ohio, USA, where he graduated from the Artist Diploma program (1999-2001).
While still being a student (since 1997), Leif Aruhn-Solén performed as a soloist with prestigious orchestras such as the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (Sakari Oramo), the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra (Herbert Böck), the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Arnold Östman) and Malmö Symphony Orchestra (Eric Ericson). Immediately upon graduation, he was contracted to sing with Les Arts Florissants (Director: William Christie), The New Israeli Opera (Christoph Spering) and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (Lim Yau).
At home in both opera and oratorio, Leif Aruhn-Solén has a passion for the Baroque music. He is often heard in the demanding Evangelist parts of J.S. Bach's Passions, in George Frideric Handel's tenor compositions and in the haute-contre parts of the French Baroque music. With his knowledge of the various performance practices of music from different centuries, he has also had success in roles by Haydn, W.A. Mozart, Rossini and contemporary composers. He has sung in Rameau's Les Paladins, Monteverdi's L'Orfeo and W.A. Mozart's Zaide and recent engagements have also included Don Ramiro in Rossini's La Cenerentola at the Royal Opera in Stockholm, Gassmann's L'opera Seria at the Drottningholm Theatre and the world premiere of Perez-Ramirez Rimbaud, la parole libérée at Opéra National de Montpellier. In addition he has sung the roles of Almaviva in Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and Don Ottavio in W.A. Mozart's Don Giovanni. On the concert stage he has performed both as the evangelist and the tenor soloist in J.S. Bach's St. Matthew Passion (BWV 244) and St. John Passion (BWV 245)and Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248). Other often performed tenor solos have included Bach's Mass in B minor, G.F. Handel's Messiah and W.A. Mozart's Requiem. Since April 2016, he holds Permanent tenor solo positionat Göteborg Baroque Director: Magnus Kjellson).
For over a decade, Leif Aruhn-Solén has been a sought after singer on the world’s concert- and opera stages. His tenor voice with ease for coloraturas, combined with a beutiful timbre and fine interpretations, have rendered him collaborations with some of the world’s most renowned Baroque ensembles and symphony orchestras. Likewise, his opera engagements have taken him to opera houses around the globe. Leif Aruhn-Solén has appeared with Grand Théâtre de Genève (December 2004-February 2005: Pastore in Monteverdi's L'Orfeo), Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris (2002-2006), The Royal Opera in Stockholm, Opéra National de Montpellier, the New Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv, Glimmerglass Opera in New York (2000), Chicago Opera Theater, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (2001), Göteborg Opera, Kungliga Operan in Stockholm (June 2008-May 2009: Don Ramiro in Rossini's La Cenerentola), Malmö Opera (October 2011-January 2012: Lillebror in Lindahl's Karlsson on the roof; January-April 2014: Jacquot in Offenbach's Pierrette & Jacquot), Opera Queensland in Brisbane, Australia (March 2013: Evangelist in J.S. Bach's St. Matthew Passion (BWV 244)), Salzburger Landestheater (September-December 2013: Osmin in Gluck's Die Pilger von Mekka), Göteborg Baroque (January 2014: Dido in Purcell's Dido & Aeneas), Confidencen - Ulriksdals Slottsteater in Solna, Sweden (June-August 2015: Ferrando in W.A. Mozart's Così fan tutte).
His orchestral engagements have taken him to several of the world's music centers to perform with such prestigeous orchestras as Les Arts Florissants (Director: William Christie), Freiburger Barockorchester, Il Giardino Armonico (Director: Giovanni Antonini), Concert Spirituel, Cleveland Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, New Trinity Baroque, Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble and REbaroque. He also performed J.S. Bach's Cantatas with Enghave Barok (Director: Christian Dehn Bang) in Copenhagen. The list of orchestras and opera houses where Leif Aruhn-Solén has performed has since grown to include appearances in over 30 countries.
Leif Aruhn-Solén's most recent opera engagements include Rinaldo in Haydn’s Armida with Pinchgut Opera in Sydney conducted by Antony Walker (May-June 2016) and Gandhi in Philip Glass’ Satyagraha at Folkoperan in Stockholm conducted by Matthew Wood (July-November 2016). In 2017 Leif will return to sing Gandhi both at Folkoperan in Stockholm and on tour. Future engagements also include the title role in Monteverdi’s L’orfeo at various festivals. He currently lives in Malmö, Sweden.
Leif Aruhn-Solén has also recorded extensively. CD recordings "Handel Arias" (Edition Lilac), the two complete operas Ifigenia in Aulide by Martín y Soler and Aminta, Il Rè Pastore by Mazzoni (Harmonia Mundi K617), Charpentier's Judicium Salomonis (Virgin Classics) and "Songs of the Heart" Swedish art songs (Sterling). |
