Gisela Stille

Soprano

Born and raised in Sweden. She made her debut at the Royal Danish Theatre in 1998 in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte.

Gisela Stille trained at the Opera Academy in Copenhagen and has been a member of the soloist ensemble since 2001. She has performed, among other roles, Lulu in Stefan Herheim’s award-winning production of Alban Berg’s opera in Oslo and Dresden. At the Semperoper in Dresden, she has also sung Agathe in Der Freischütz. She has performed Mathilde in Rossini’s Guillaume Tell at Welsh National Opera, Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier at the Opera in Monte Carlo, Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Savonlinna Opera Festival, and Pamina in The Magic Flute at the Bregenz Festival.

At the Royal Danish Theatre, Gisela Stille has performed a wide range of major operatic roles, including Pamina in The Magic Flute, Aunt Lydia in The Handmaid’s Tale, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Alice Ford in Falstaff, Mimì in La bohème, Eurydice in Orpheus and Eurydice, Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, Leonora in Maskarade, Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier, Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor, the title role in Lulu, Violetta in La traviata, Micaëla in Carmen, Elena in Les vêpres siciliennes, the title role in Salome, Agathe in Der Freischütz, Leonora in Il trovatore, Desdemona in Otello, Amelia in Un ballo in maschera, Hanna Glawari in The Merry Widow, the title role in Kát’a Kabanová, Marchallin in Der Rosenkavalier and Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly.

Why is opera important?

Opera is an art form where great emotions are at stake. As an audience member, I am drawn into a universe where human problems and conflicts are illuminated with such power that I feel almost overwhelmed and full of new thoughts afterwards. An art form that can move us so deeply is extremely important. In this way, we experience a sense of community, as we are all human beings capable of such profound emotions.

The most unusual thing you have experienced on stage?

I once stood on an outdoor stage in strong wind and rain, singing Mozart’s The Magic Flute. I had to whisper to the tenor that we needed to sit down because the wind was pulling so hard at my cloak. In practice, we had to slide down from the platform we were standing on and crawl out of the final scene. The poor Queen of the Night suffered whiplash because she was wearing a heavy headdress, and she also had trouble opening her eyes because her false eyelashes were weighed down by rain. It was quite a spectacular experience.

In which direction should opera develop between tradition and renewal?

I think opera is very successful at combining the old and the new. Some directors focus only on the future, but the most exciting productions I have experienced are those that engage with history. It helps us understand our own time. I hope we will remain acoustic. If we start using microphones, we lose the essence of what opera is—a live experience without filters.

Who is your favourite singer?

Anna Moffo, because her voice is like balm to my ears!

What is your favourite opera?

Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss. It was the first opera I ever saw, and I cried from beginning to end.