Cast (Wotan-Fricka-Siegmund/Siegfried-Sieglinde)

Greer Grimsley - Wotan
This American bass baritone is considered one of the most important Wagner performers in his field. He gained international attention with his rendition of Escamillo in Peter Brooks’ production of “The Tragedy of Carmen,” which he has sung in many of the world’s opera houses, including his debut at the Festival Du Mondi in Spoleto as well as the Teatro Communale in Bologna. He made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Captain Balstrode in Benjamin Britten’s “Peter Grimes” and has also sung Escamillo in “Carmen,” Jochanaan in “Salome,” Scarpia in “Tosca,” Telramund in “Lohengrin” and Amfortas in “Parsifal” at the same venue. At the Deutsche Oper Berlin he has sung the title role in “Der fliegende Holländer,” the role of Wotan in “Ring des Nibelungen” and Jochanaan in “Salome.” Other performances have taken him to Copenhagen, Prague (including as Kurwenal in “Tristan und Isolde”), Mexico City, Nancy, Oviedo (Mephistopheles in “Faust”) and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, with which he debuted as Don Pizarro in “Fidelio” under the musical direction of Kurt Masur as part of the Lincoln Center Festival.
Recently he has performed in the title role of Verdi’s “Macbeth” in Vancouver, the title role in “Der fliegende Holländer” in Lithuania, the High Priest in “Samson and Delilah” in San Diego, Claggart in Benjamin Britten’s “Billy Budd” in Pittsburgh, Rigoletto in San Francisco and Siegfried the Wanderer in Venice.

Dalia Schaechter – Fricka

Israeli mezzosoprano Dalia Schaechter has been a member of the Ensemble of the Cologne Opera since 1995. Her first engagement in Europe was at the Opera Studio of the Vienna Staatsoper. She debuted at New York’s Carnegie Hall in “Elektra” in 1991. In Israel she sang the part of Margret in Alban Bergs “Wozzeck” under Daniel Barenboim. In 1992 she debuted at the Salzburg Osterfestspiele under Sir Georg Solti in Richard Strauss’ “Die Frau ohne Schatten.” She also guest performed at the Deutsche Oper Berlin (Amneris in “Aida”), the Deutsche Staatsoper Unter den Linden Berlin ( “Die Brautwahl” by Ferrucio Busoni, Margret in Berg’s “Wozzeck”), at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris and as one of the Valkyries at the Bayreuth Festival. At the Cologne Opera she has sung roles including Santuzza in “Cavalleria rusticana,” Amneris in “Aida,” Suzuki in “Madame Butterfly,” in Nono’s “Intolleranza,” Fata Morgana in Prokofiev’s “Love for Three Oranges,” Buryja in “Jenůfa,” Kabanicha in “Kat’a Kabanova,” Dulcinée in “Don Quichotte,” Agaue in “The Bassarids,” Kundry in “Parsifal,” Fricka, Waltraute and 1st Norn in “Der Ring des Nibelungen,” Ortrud in “Lohengrin,” Venus in “Tannhäuser,” Brangäne in “Tristan und Isolde,” Prinzessin Eboli in “Don Carlo,” Preziosilla in “La forza del destino” and Ulrica in “Un ballo in maschera.” Together with actor Bert Oberdorfer she brought out the program “A Liedele in Jiddisch,” a very popular “Klezmer evening with chicken soup.” Dalia Schaechter sang the part of Clairon in Strauss’ “Capriccio” at the Edinburgh Festival. In the 2007/2008 season she was honored by the Cologne City Council with the title of “Chamber Singer.”

Lance Ryan - Siegmund/Siegfried

Anglo-Canadian “heldentenor” Lance Ryan studied with teachers such as Carlo Bergonzi, Iris Adami Coradetti and Gianni Raimondi. He won the first prize at the major international competition As.Li.Co 2002 and was a winner of the Ottavio Ziino 2003 international singer competition. The young singer debuted in Germany in the role of Othello at the Stadttheater Münster, followed by his 2005 debut as Siegmund in “Die Walküre” in Karlsruhe. As a new permanent ensemble member at the Badische Staatstheater Karlsruhe he sang Calaf in “Turandot,” before taking on the role of Siegfried in the new Karlsruhe productions of “Siegfried” and “Götterdämmerung.” There he has also sung the title role of Verdi’s “Othello” and the role of the emperor in “Die Frau ohne Schatten.” Lance Ryan’s repertoire also includes the lead tenor roles in “Les Contes d’Hoffmann,” “Werther,” “Carmen,” “I Pagliacci,” “Cavalleria Rusticana,” “Il Trovatore,” “Norma,” “Le Villi,” “Aida,” “Tosca” and “Madame Butterfly.” The young tenor has also sung in many important theaters in Italy, including the opera houses in Cagliari, Brescia, Cremona, Pavia, Como, Livorno, Pisa, Lucca and Fiesole. Recently he enjoyed triumphal success in Rome as Turiddu in “Cavalleria rusticana.” He has also appeared at the Santa Barbara Opera House and has performed in many concerts in Italy, Germany and Canada. Guest appearances have taken him to Stuttgart, Dresden, Vienna and other opera venues. At the Salzburg Osterfestspiele he was a great success as Siegfried under the musical direction of Simon Rattle.

Astrid Weber - Sieglinde

Soprano Astrid Weber took her first voice lessons at 16, as well as dancing lessons. She studied English and Romance Literature at Kassel University, and in 1991 received her first engagement at the Vienna Operetta Theater. In 1993 she sang at the Opera Studio of the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, and two years later signed on with the Erfurt Theater. Since the 2000/2001 she has had guest appearances with the Erfurt Theater and the Augsburg Theater. As a guest performer in Chemnitz in 2002 and as an ensemble performer there from 2003 to 2005, Astrid Weber gained accolades for her performances as Chrysothemis in “Elektra,” Rosalinde in “Die Fledermaus,” the Marschallin in “Der Rosenkavalier,” Agathe in “Der Freischütz,,” Senta in “Der fliegende Holländer,” Arabella in Strauss’ Opera of the same name, Sieglinde in “Die Walküre” and Gutrune in “Götterdämmerung.” In addition, she performed in Franz Liszt’s “Legend of Saint Elisabeth” at the Teatro Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, as well as playing Sieglinde in a concert performance of Act 1 of “Die Walküre” in Madrid, playing the part of Grete at a guest performance of the Staatsoper Berlin with Schreker’s opera “Der ferne Klang” in Seville in the version of Peter Mussbach, and again Senta in “Der Fliegende Holländer” in Essen. In June 2006 she debuted in Chemnitz as Elsa in “Lohengrin” and in October 2007 as Manon in Puccini’s opera “Manon Lescaut.” She was a guest performer with the Frankfurt Opera in 2008 as the Infanta in Zemlinsky’s “Der Zwerg” in Sevilla. In October 2008 she performed in China as a guest performer with the Deutsche Oper Berlin in “Tannhäuser” and “Der Rosenkavalier.”