Camilla Nylund

Though active throughout the closing years of the 1990s, Camilla Nylund rose to prominence in the opening decade of the new century as a leading soprano, particularly celebrated for her interpretations of Wagner, Richard Strauss, and Mozart. Her extensive command of both operatic and concert repertoire has taken her to leading stages throughout the United States and Europe.

Born in Vaasa, Finland, on June 11, 1968, Nylund first received vocal instruction from Eva Illes and subsequently continued her training at the Salzburger Mozarteum. Between 1995 and 1999 she belonged to the ensemble of the Niedersächsischen Staatsoper, during which time she made her initial recorded appearances: Mikko Heiniö’s Hermes, released by Ondine, and the E.T.A. Hoffmann Miserere, issued by Koch International, both in 1996. From 1999 to 2001 she held membership in the Saxon State Opera in Dresden, receiving the Christel Goltz-Preis in 2000. Around the same period she made several important debuts, among them her first collaboration with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2001, when she performed Richard Strauss’ Four Last Songs.

Nylund’s earliest DVD release came in 2002 with the Dacapo production of Langgaard’s Antikrist, in which she portrayed The Great Whore. Over the course of her career her broad repertory has encompassed roles such as Mimi in La bohème, Anne Trulove in The Rake’s Progress, and Desdemona in Otello. In the concert hall she has sung works by Bach, Bernstein, Bruckner, Mahler, and numerous contemporary composers. Her stage appearances have included the Vienna State Opera, La Scala, Deutsche Oper Berlin, and the Finnish National Opera. In 2004 she made her widely praised Zurich debut as Leonore in Fidelio under Nikolaus Harnoncourt. For her 2008 Salzburg Festival debut she assumed the title role in Rusalka, with Franz Welser-Möst leading the Cleveland Orchestra. That same year the state of Saxony conferred upon her the title Kammersängerin. Since 2011 she has returned regularly to the Bayreuth Festival, appearing in Wagner’s Tannhaüser, Die Walküre, Lohengrin, and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

Her recordings appear on Deutsche Grammophon, Hänssler Classic, and ArtHaus Musik, among other labels. Standout releases include the 2010 ArtHaus Musik DVD of Wagner’s Rienzi and the 2018 Opus Arte documentation of a Bayreuth Festival production of Wagner’s Tannhaüser. In 2020 she was featured on an Orfeo recording of Richard Strauss’ Die Frau ohne Schatten.