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The Dutch mezzo-soprano, Marjolein Niels, studied at the Conservatory of Amsterdam with Maarten Koningsberger and Margreet Honig. She finished her masters at the Opera Academy of Amsterdam and The Hague, where she sang various roles such as Contessa in Le nozze di Figaro and Pamina in Die Zauberflöte. During 2003-2004 season she was an ensemble member of the Dutch Opera Studio. It was in this period she made her debut at the Nationale Reisopera, a company for which she is a regular guest. She has followed master-classes with Dawn Upshaw, Graham Clark, Rudolf Janssen, Roger Vignoles and Konrad Richter.
On the operatic stage Marjolein Niels has performed various roles including Maman in L’Enfant et les Sortilèges (NTR ZaterdagMatinee of the Concertgebouw), Dido in Dido and Aeneas, First Secretary in Nixon in China, Dorabella in W.A. Mozart's Così fan tutte (Het Gelders Orkest), Zerlina in W.A. Mozart's Don Giovanni (Concertgebouw Amsterdam in direction of Laurence Dale) and Second Lady in W.A. Mozart's Die Zauberflöte (Nationale Reisopera).
As a soloist Marjolein Niels performed with orchestras such as Concerto Copenhagen, Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, Holland Symfonia (with De Nederlandse Opera in Writing to Vermeer), Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra, Arnhem Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra of the 18th Century and the Dutch Chamber Orchestra. She worked with conductors such as Hans Graf, Roberto Rizzi Brignoli, Lars Ulrik Mortensen, Reinbert de Leeuw, Frans Brüggen and Bruno Weil.
Marjolein Niels is also a passionate Lieder singer. She was invited for solo recitals on important national and international stages such as the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Le Grand Théatre de Tours (France), The Voices Festival in Holzhausen (Germany) and the vocal-series ‘Royale Vocale’ in The Hague (with baritone Henk Neven).
One of the highlights of the past seasons was the role of Wellgunde in Antony McDonald’s highly acclaimed production of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen conducted by Ed Spanjaard. Marjolein Niels successfully sang this role with the Nationale Reisopera, where she also performed the roles of Néris in Medea and Siegrune in Die Walküre. |
