Biography

Rebecca Nelsen returns to the Vienna Volksoper this season where she is one of their stars - and is heard as Pamina, Violetta, Hanna Glawari, interpretations of which she is well-known for.  Last season the established soprano made a house debut at the Royal Danish Opera as Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata, a role which she has now sung over 50 times and garnered much support from audiences and critics alike. In spring 2025 she will also make a debut at the Philharmonie de Paris with the Orchestre de Paris under the baton of Omer Meir Welber in performances of Viktor Ullman's Kaiser von Altantis as Bubikof (role debut). 

This past summer she was the cover of Daniele De Niese at Glyndebourne Festival's new production of Lehar's The Merry Widow as Hanna Glawari.  

In 2022 Rebecca made her debut as Prosperina in the one-woman show of Wolfgang Rihm with the Neue Oper Wien lead by Walter Kobera, also to rave reviews.  

Following her 'barnstorming' debut at the Leipzig Opera as Lulu in 2018, Rebecca Nelsen sang the soprano role in Berg's Lulu Suite on a European tour with the London Philharmonia and renowned Finnish conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen. Other plans for 2019/20 included her return to the Vienna Volksoper as Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Eurydike (Orpheus in der Unterwelt), Fiona MacClaren (Brigadoon), and Frauke-Beeke Hansen in the Austrian premiere of Marius Felix Lange's Das Gespenst von Canterville. In early 2020, she made her debut at the Grand Théâtre de Genève singing Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail.

In 2018/19, the American soprano returned to the Malmö Opera as Violetta in a new Olivier Py production of La traviata, as well as making her house debut at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo with Konstanze in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail. The season began with three roles at the Vienna Volksoper: Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Adele in Die Fledermaus, and Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi. In February 2019 she sang the role of Clara in a concert performance of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess and in June 2019 she appeared as Eurydice in the revival of Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld, both at the Vienna Volksoper.

For her June 2018 Leipzig Opera house debut in the title role of Alban Berg's Lulu, Rebecca's performance was described by the German press as 'perfectly cast', 'terrific' and 'a barnstorming role debut, both as a singer and actress'. In 2017/18, she also earned rave reviews for her transformation into the iconic Marilyn Monroe for the European premiere of Gavin Bryars' Marilyn Forever at the Vienna Volksoper. Other Volksoper appearances last season included Rosina in The Barber of Seville, Laura in Der Bettelstudent, Valencienne in Die lustige Witwe, Annina Giró in Vivaldi - Die fünfte Jahreszeit, as well as a return to the roles of Pamina, Adele, Violetta Valéry and Susanna.

After her June 2016 Perm Opera house debut as Violetta in a La traviata conducted by Teodor Currentzis and staged by Robert Wilson, Rebecca began the 2016/17 season with performances of the same role at the Vienna Volksoper. In November 2016 she debuted with Malmö Opera, where she starred as Susanna in a new production of Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro directed by Peter Stein. Appearances at the Vienna Volksoper during this season included her role debut as Rosina in The Barber of Seville, Annina Giró in a new production of Vivaldi - Die fünfte Jahreszeit, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Adele in Die Fledermaus, and Laura in Der Bettelstudent. She also appeared at the Vienna Musikverein as the soprano soloist in performances of Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the Tonkünstler Orchestra.

In 2015/16 Rebecca made her Glyndebourne Festival debut as Blondchen in the touring production of Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail. During the holiday season, she appeared as the soprano soloist in New Year's Concerts at the Vienna Musikverein and other cities in Lower Austria with the Tonkünster Orchestra. Her appearances at the Vienna Volksoper included Pamina, Gretel, Adele, Violetta, Corilla (Viva la Mamma), Marzinah in a concert performance of Kismet, and Laura in a new production of Der Bettelstudent.

In summer 2013 the artist made her Salzburg Festival debut as Blonde in a new, live-TV production of Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail in cooperation with Servus TV, released on DVD (Arthaus). In November 2014 at the Maison de Radio France in Paris, she performed in a special carte blanche concert for Peter Eötvös in his 70th birthday year with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and the Ensemble Intercontemporain.

After studies at Vienna's University of Music and the Performing Arts on a Fulbright scholarship, Texan soprano Rebecca Nelsen launched her career with critically acclaimed performances at the Neue Oper Wien, where she most recently sang the role of Eva in the world premiere of Peter Eötvös' Lilith - Paradise Reloaded in Vienna and at the Palace of the Arts in Budapest with a CD recording.