Elisabeth Jansson

Mezzo-soprano

Born in Stockholm. She trained at the Richard Strauss Conservatory in Munich, the Royal Academy of Music in London, and the Opera Academy in Copenhagen. She made her debut at the Royal Danish Theatre in 2003 as Cherubino in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. Elisabeth Jansson became a member of the Royal Danish Opera’s soloist ensemble in 2005.

At the Royal Danish Theatre, she has performed key mezzo-soprano roles such as the title role in Carmen, Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier, Rosina in The Barber of Seville, Dorabella in Così fan tutte, Caroline Mathilde in The Royal Physician’s Visit, Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Elisabetta in Maria Stuarda, Meg Page in Falstaff, Charlotte in Werther, Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, Sesto in La clemenza di Tito, Melisande in Pelléas et Mélisande and the composer in Ariadne auf Naxos. 

Elisabeth has also appeared as a soloist at several of Europe’s opera houses, concert halls, and festivals, including the Berlin Philharmonie, the Baden-Baden Festival, the Salzburg Landestheater, and La Scala in Milan.

Elisabeth Jansson embraces multiple musical genres; for example, she has sung Cher and Piazzolla in Mysteries of Desire, Whitney Houston in Our Voices, and Gershwin and Cole Porter in concerts with the Royal Danish Orchestra.

Elisabeth Jansson has been awarded Reumert Awards in 2004 and 2024 and has also received numerous other prizes and scholarships.

How would you describe opera as an art form?

Opera is the ultimate art form because so many elements must come together to create a unified whole. For a singer, it is also the ultimate challenge to use the entire body as an instrument without amplification. I also think it is a special experience for the audience to hear singing without amplification—it becomes very direct and present when you cannot hide behind anything.

We convey immense emotions, and it is a wonderful challenge to express them without turning them into clichés. There are so many disciplines involved, and you use your entire inner self and soul. But it is a euphoric adrenaline rush when it works for me as a singer, and hopefully for the audience as well.

Your most unusual experience on stage?

I sang the role of Carmen in an outdoor performance with thousands of audience members. Suddenly, without warning, we were hit by a violent storm, with rain pouring down while I was in the middle of a love scene with Don José lying on top of me—it was quite a special experience...

In which direction should opera develop between tradition and renewal?

As a singer, I find it uninteresting to do only traditional productions. It is exciting when a director stages an opera so that it relates to our own time. These are older works that are not necessarily rooted in our present, so they need to be made relevant. This often succeeds—but not always—and it will probably always divide audiences. But as an artist, I find it exciting.

What is your favourite opera?

Carmen means a lot to me because I have performed it so often in many different productions. Barrie Kosky’s version has had a great impact on me as a person and given me a sense of great personal strength. I would never behave like Carmen in my own life, but it becomes a kind of therapy and is incredibly exciting to portray such a strong woman—it can definitely inspire you in your own life.

You often play male roles—what is that like?

As a mezzo-soprano, there are many roles as young men, and it is really exciting to work on them. I immerse myself deeply in the roles I play—so much so that my elderly father once became confused when I was performing as a man. I work a lot on moving differently, but it has to look natural and not like a caricature of a man. When I am on stage as a man, I genuinely feel in love with the woman I am playing opposite. I enjoy playing with my own sexuality through body language and exploring different sides of myself, discovering new details and nuances in the theatrical space. But I actually do not feel that the difference between how men and women move is that big here in the Nordic countries—we are quite grounded as women and dress differently here in Scandinavia than, for example, in southern Europe.

What music do you listen to at home?

I almost never listen to opera or classical music at home—mostly pop and soul. When I was younger, I dreamed of singing soul like Whitney Houston.