Malena Ernman

”Malena is completely unique. I don’t know of any other singer that reminds me even the slightest of her. Over the years she has perfected her voice capability to what is humanly possible regarding speed and range.”
Anne Sofie von Otter

Malena Ernman is one of very few opera singers in the world who has succeeded in combining a world opera career with being an artist loved by the broad public audience. She has sung title roles in Paris, Vienna, Brussels, Aix en Provence, Frankfurt and Amsterdam. She has sung opera for 100 000 people at pop festivals. She has hosted TV shows. Acted in TV dramas. Her records have sold double platinum. And she has competed in the Eurovison Song Contest for her native Sweden.

Malena is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, she is appointed Hovsångerska (singer of the Royal Court) and she has been decorated with the Litteris et Artibus medal by King Carl XVl Gustaf of Sweden as well as the City of Stockholms medal of honor; S:t Erik. Educated at the Conservatoire d’Orléans, the Royal Music School and Royal Opera College of Sweden, she made her debut in Sven David Sandströms Die Stadt 1998 and as Rosina in Il Barbieri di Siviglia at Stockholm Royal Opera. After that she awaited a few seasons at the Staatsoper Berlin and at La Monnaie singing with Barenboim and Rene Jacobs in Le Nozze di Figaro ( Cherubino), Don Giovanni (Zerlina) and Griselda (Roberto) to name a few.

Her international breakthrough came in 1999 as Nerone in Agrippina (Rene Jacobs) at La Monnaie and the Theatre des Champs-Élysées in Paris. Malena Ernman has sung at Glyndebourne (Nancy in Albert Herring and Orlovsky in Die Fledermaus) at the Salzburg Festspiele (Annius in La Clemenza di Tito with Harnoncourt) and three seasons in Aix en Provence. In 2005 she created the title role at the world premiere of Boesmans Julie at La Monnaie, Vienna and Aix en Provence.

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Among other roles she has appeared as Nerone in L’Incoronazione di Poppea (Staatsoper Berlin and La Monnaie) with Rene Jacobs and (De Nederlandse Oper) with Rousset. As Elvira in Don Giovanni at La Monnaie in Brussels. As well as Angelina in La Cenerentola at the Royal Opera in Stockholm and Frankfurt. Malena has sung the titlerole in William Christie´s les Arts Florissants and Deborah Warners hugely praised Dido and Aeneas (Grand Prix de la Critique, France) for five reruns – and counting – since the opening at Wiener Festwochen 2006, at the Opera Comique in Paris and De Nederlandse Oper. Malena has also been a frequent guest at Theater an der Wien; La Callisto (R Jacobs) Giulio Cesare(Loy / R Jacobs) Semele (W Christie) Rodelinda (Harnoncourt) and the sensationally successful Serse with Ensemble Matheus and J C Spinosi.

In 2012-14 she sang Elena in La Donna del Lago at Theater an der Wien. (Loy/ Hussain) Il Barbiere di Siviglia in Stockholm (J C Spinosi) and Beatrice in Beatrice et Berlioz at Theater an der Wien (Kasper Holten / Leo Hussain). Malenas engagements include Nerone in Agrippina (McVicar / H Bicket) and Ruggiero in a new Christof Loy production of Handels Alcina in Zürich.

Malena Ernman is a highly renowned concert artist with concerts in Madrid, Paris, London, Los Angeles, Berlin, Moscow and Tokyo. She has been working with conductors like Gustavo Dudamel, Esa Pekka Salonen, René Jacobs, Daniel Barenboim, Nicolaus Harnoncourt, Philippe Herreweghe, Herbert Blomstedt, Marc Minkowski, Daniel Harding and Sir Simon Rattle, JC Spinosi, Christina Pluhr, Barbera Hanningan, Cecilia Bartoli, YoYo Ma, David Zinman, Laurence Renes, Teodor Currentzis.

In 2009 she entered the Swedish Eurovision Grand Prix (Melodifestivalen) which is by far the biggest TV event in the Nordic countries. Malenas victory created a 30% increase in all opera ticket sales in Sweden. The Swedish Minister of Culture called this ”The Malena Effect”.

In July 2012 she sang at one of the worlds biggest music festivals, Les Vieilles Charrues in France with Ensemble Matheus and J C Spinosi. The concert attracted an audience of over 100 000 people and several french papers called it the highlight of the festival. Other artists included Bob Dylan, Sting and The Cure.

For more the 10 years until the pandemic in 2020 Malena Ernman had her own Dalhalla Summer Concert which is the biggest opera concert in Scandinavia with an annual of almost 75 000 tickets sold. Her guests have been the biggest artist in Sweden but also Christopher Maltman, Ensemble Matheus and J C Spinosi.

In 2014 Malena produced Xerxes together with Blixten & co (Current All things live Sweden) where she played the title role with Ensemble Matheus and conductor J C Spinosi. The performance was praised in all the press and played at Versailles in Paris.

In recent years, Malena has mixed opera concerts with leading roles on the musical stages in musicals as ”Så som i himmelen” and “Piaf”, that was specially written for her.

In the 2024, Malena has planned concerts and also a record recording with Ensemble L’Arpeggiata and concerts Znojmo Music Festival and Performance of Juditha Triumphans By Handel.