Katja STARKE  Mezzosopran
 
  BIOGRAPHY  

 

"But the greatest discovery of the evening was Katja Starke. She mastered the highly dramatic role with sweeping passion." Westfalen-Blatt

the magazine, Westfalen-Blatt, wrote on Katja Starke’s debut as EBOLI in Don Carlo at the Bielefeld Theatre at the beginning of the season 16/17. Since then, she regularly performs here. She was ZIA PRINCIPESSA in “Suor Angelica”, AMNERIS in “Aida”, ERDA in “Das Rheingold“, the 3rd DAME in “Die Zauberflöte” and the WITCH in “Hänsel und Gretel”.

Katja Starke studied singing at the Würzburg Conservatory of Music with prof. H. Günter, in Zurich, with E. Coelho in Vienna, with H. Raymond in Geneva and with Nicola Martinucci. Sie was a scholarshipholder of the Richard-Wagner-Association and of the Opera Zurich. Master classes took her to Brigitte Fassbaender, Thomas Hampson, Elisabeth Schwarzopf, Charlotte Lehmann and Laszlo Polgar.

Until 2013 Katja Starke was a member of the St. Gallen Theatre ensemble. Here, she sang a broad range of roles ,including ADALGISA in Bellini‘s “Norma”, DONNA ELVIRA in Mozart‘s “Don Giovanni”, DORABELLA, in “Cosi fan tutte”, the 3rd DAME in “Die Zauberflöte”, Frau REICH in “Die Lustige Weiber von Windsor”, the COMPOSER in “Ariadne auf Naxos”, HÄNSEL in “Hänsel und Gretel”, LOLA in “Cavalleria Rusticana”, OLGA in “Eugen Onegin”, ORLOVSKY in “Die Fledermaus”, POLLINA in “Pique Dame”, SONJETKA in “Lady Macbeth of Mzensk”, ULRICA in “Un ballo in maschera” and CARMEN in George Bizet‘s opera.

In 2007 she sang TISBE in Rossini‘s La Cenerantola together with Cecilia Bartoli in a New Year‘s gala Concert at the Zurich Opera House. In 2005 Katja made a concert tour through Italy with the Orchestra Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini under the musical direction of Yuri Temirkanov, singing the part for mezzo soprano in Mozart‘s Requiem.

Lately, guest engagements brought her once again to the Zurich Opera House as SUZUKI in “Madama Butterfly”, as the COMPOSER in “Ariadne auf Naxos” to the St. Gallen Theatre, as ERDA in “Das Rheingold” and “Siegfried” and as KABANICHA in “Katja Kabanova” to the Opera de Dijon and to the Hannover State Opera as ULRICA in “Un ballo in maschera”.

Lately, Katja Starke also had guest performances as KABANICHA in “Katja Kabanova” and as MADAME DE CROISSY in “Les Dialoges des Carmelites” at the Aachen Theatre and as EBOLI in “Don Carlo” at the Munster Theatre. In 2017 she sang the alto part in Mahler‘s 2nd SYMPHONY with the Aachen Symphony Orchestra.

At the Bielefeld Theatre she was awarded the ‘Bielefelder Operntaler’ Prize.

 

 
 
 
REVIEWS
 
Theater Bielefeld – Hänsel und Gretel - KNUSPERHEXE
Katja Starke as the shirt-sleeved wicked witch was ste star of the evening, particularly for the little ones.
Opernglas 1/2019 – S.Mauß
Opernhaus Aachen – Les Dialogues des Carmelites – MADAME DE CROISSY /PRIORIN
The mezzo soprano Katja Starke, another guest singer in the house, could already be heard as Kabanicha in Janácek’s »Katja Kabanowa«. Her part of the dying abbess is one of the dramatic highlights of the evening.
Das Opernmagazin
www.opernmagazin.de
Singing with a by no means old voice Katja Starke impressively performs the dying abbess.
Online Musik Magazin
www.omm.de
With her oraganlike voice KATJA STARKE gives an oppressive portrayal of the old abbess’ suffering.
Online Merker
www.onlinemerker.de
Theater Bielefeld - Das Rheingold - ERDA
With pastose alto tones the primordial mother Erda, Katja Starke, urged Wotan to avoid the ring but without success.
Online Merker
www.onlinemerker.com
Short but all the more impressive was Katja Starke's performance as Erda..
Neue Westfälische
www.nw.de
Theater Aachen – Katja Kabanova - MARFA
...and Katja Starke‘ s Marfa is simply overwhelming in vocal expression and intense play.
Der Opernfreund
www.deropernfreund.de
Theater Aachen - Katja Kabanova - KABANICHA
Really outstanding here is the fabulous alto singer Katja Starke, who portrays the Kabachina with enchanting body language and fascinating tones.
Aachener Zeitung
www.aachener-zeitung.de
Theater Bielefeld – Don Carlos - EBOLI
As Katja Starke as Eboli has a voluminous middle register. In her aria "O don fatale" she convinces with huge dramatic outbursts in the high registers.
Online Musik Magazin
www.omm.de
Staatsoper Hannover - Un ballo in maschera - ULRICA
Katja Starke a smoothly earthed Ulrica
Wolfenbüttler Zeitung
www.wolfenbuetteler-zeitung.de
 
 
 
ON STAGE
Theater Bielefeld - Das Rheingold - ERDA
 
Theater Aachen – Katja Kabanova – MARFE
 
Theater Bielefeld – Don Carlos - EBOLI