Sofie Elkjær Jensen

Soprano

Born and raised in Slagelse. She made her debut at the Royal Danish Theatre in 2010 as Papagena in Mozart’s The Magic Flute.

She graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Music in 2008 and from the Opera Academy in 2011. She became a permanent member of the soloist ensemble at the Royal Danish Theatre in 2016.

At the Royal Danish Theatre, Sofie has, among other roles, sung the title role in The Cunning Little Vixen, Micaëla in Carmen, Musetta and Mimì in Puccini’s La bohème, Vela in Kuhlau’s Lulu, Gilda in Rigoletto, Marguerite in Faust, Tatyana in Eugene Onegin, and the Mozart roles Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, Pamina in The Magic Flute, and Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte.

In 2011, she made her debut at Den Jyske Opera as Zerlina in Don Giovanni, and at Kiel Opera in the children’s opera Caliph Stork. The same year, she debuted with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Górecki’s Symphony No. 3.

Sofie has also appeared in numerous concerts with orchestras such as Copenhagen Phil, Odense Symphony Orchestra, Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, Storstrøm Chamber Ensemble, and Randers Chamber Orchestra.

She has participated in several contemporary works, including Gerda in Hans Abrahamsen’s The Snow Queen, Beatrix in Thomas Adès’ The Exterminating Angel, Maid in Adès’ Powder Her Face, Laetitia in Menotti’s The Old Maid and the Thief—all at the Royal Danish Theatre—and Agnes in Nothing by Bruce David at Den Jyske Opera.

She has been nominated for a Reumert Award as Singer of the Year for her roles as Adele in Die Fledermaus, Åse in Drot og Marsk, and Laetitia in Menotti’s The Old Maid and the Thief at the Royal Danish Theatre.

Why is opera important?

Opera is important because it is like a mirror that tells us about society, power structures, and human relationships. It teaches us empathy and romance, and it makes us laugh and cry. It is an art form that works just as well today as when it was written. For example, The Marriage of Figaro deals with the upper class versus the servant class, and how the upper class tried to use their status to gain sex and power. That is still very much a relevant social issue.

Although on the surface opera may seem to be about the past, fairy tales, kings, and counts, it is really about people of flesh and blood—about love, life, death, mental illness, and the great crises and joys of life. The music helps support the moods and the words, so the stories speak not only to our intellect but also to our hearts.

The strangest or most magical thing you’ve experienced on stage?

It was a strange and magical experience to be naked on stage in Powder Her Face. I had to build up to it, and I postponed it until late in the rehearsal process. But in the end, I didn’t think about it at all, because the music was so complicated that I had to stay completely focused on the conductor. In a way, it became a very liberating and wild feeling.

I often experience magic on stage, especially when the music is as beautiful as in La bohème. There are many moments when I can’t help but shed a small tear towards the end, when the main character Mimì lies bravely on her deathbed in the arms of her beloved Rodolfo.

Where do you see opera between tradition and renewal?

I think there has been a great deal of work over many decades to bring opera into our own time. But sometimes it is nice to lean back in your seat and enjoy the visual grandeur with large, beautiful dresses and lavish sets. The most important thing is to tell the story, and as long as we hold on to that, renewal will happen naturally, because the story we want to tell will naturally reflect the times we live in. However, we must preserve the tradition of singing without amplification and the fine musical traditions that have been upheld since the composers’ time.

Who is your favorite singer and why?

Maria Callas, because she was magical and human—and imperfect.

What is your favorite opera?

La traviata by Verdi, because I always need to have handkerchiefs ready from the start of the overture, and because I hope that one day I will be skilled enough to sing the leading role of Violetta.