Discovering Oneself through Singing

She grew up on a farm in the Hausruckviertel district of Upper and the fact that she nevertheless found her way into the world of music is indirectly thanks to her father. “My Dad has a lovely tenor voice and often also sings solos in the church choir. We had an old piano standing around at home, a really ancient one that was used to give my siblings and me our first lessons.” When Michaela Selinger’s music teacher discovered her talent for sight-singing, he convinced her parents to send their daughter to the Linz Musikgymnasium (Academy of Music). “At the school, I formed part of Balduin Sulzer’s choir”, she explains. “The major pieces such as the Passions, Brahms’ Requiem or the Carmina Burana were mostly conducted by Franz Welser-Möst, who was previously one of Sulzer’s pupils.” Whilst in Linz, Michaela Selinger made a very important personal discovery: “Singing enabled me to find myself. When involved in music, when singing, I was completely at one with myself.” Song and Opera. Having successfully completed her “Matura” (the Austrian general qualification for university entrance), Selinger then went to to study Voice at the city’s University of Music, where she was, however, anything but happy: “I felt inhibited, on the one hand due to the abundance of strong voices from the East and on the other hand through the burden of tradition. I had to get out of there!” Basel was her next port of call, where she was taught by the famous singing teacher Kurt Widmer, to whom she owes several decisive developments in her career. “He taught me how to find a connection with a piece and how to develop trust in my own musicality and imagination.” Basel was also the place where Michaela Selinger not only discovered her passion for contemporary music, but also had her first brush with the world of opera. “Singing in the trouser role in a Baroque opera really sparked my interest in this field.” Since then, song and opera have been the two pillars around which her activities have been equally entwined. She was initially able to gain further stage experience in the ensemble of the Tyrolean State Theatre in , as well as as a guest singer in Klagenfurt, where the Director of the heard her perform as Polina in The Queen of Spades and invited her to come and audition for him. “In Klagenfurt I played my own piano accompaniment for Polina’s song. When I also had to sing this piece during my audition in Vienna and so was making my way towards the piano, Mr Holender told me: ‘You don’t have to play the piano for yourself here.’ ‘But that’s the only way I know how’, was my response.” Michaela Selinger has been a member of the ensemble of the Vienna State Opera since September 2005 and has already been able to draw attention to herself on numerous occasions thanks to her vocal and acting qualities, most recently as the youthful Magdalena in Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg), conducted by Christian Thielemann. “I really enjoyed performing in this role, which is full of humour.” A New Role. Michaela Selinger feels like she is in good hands in the ensemble of the Vienna State Opera. She has already sung the roles of Rosina, Orlofski, Cherubino and Idamante, will at least cover her dream part of Charlotte in Werther and is certain to play the role of Octavian, which she initially took on in Braunschweig directly after the run of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in Vienna, at some point in time. Another major task is also awaiting her in the very near future, namely her debut in the role of the Composer in Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos on 27th March. “I not only have a lot of respect for the role, but also for the location in which the opera is being performed. After all, nearly all major female singers have sung this part in Vienna.” She certainly thoroughly prepared herself for the role and fully put herself in the position of this young genius whose ideals threaten to shatter when faced with reality. “He is at his own mercy”, explains Michaela Selinger. “He feels things that he can’t explain and that therefore also overburden him. Portraying such a role is a major challenge!” Coming from the Hausruckviertel district and successfully conquering the Vienna State Opera is a great achievement. Her father must be extremely proud of her, surely? “Of course!” answers Michaela Selinger, “But at the moment he is very busy himself. He has now handed the farm over to my brother and is taking singing lessons. In fact, he recently completed his first Schubert recital at 68 years old, so I’m the one who is really proud of him!”