Tenor Valdemar Villadsen
Valdemar Villadsen's extensive opera repertoire ranges from Cavalli's Apollo to Rossini's Almaviva and contemporary title roles. Since studying at the Royal Danish Conservatory of Music, the sought-after tenor has worked with renowned conductors and music houses throughout Europe. In addition, the specialist for Bach oratorios regularly takes a seat in the director's chair himself.
About the artist
sought-after concert and oratorio singer
Danish tenor Valdemar Villadsen graduated from the soloist class at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen.
On Stage
Engagements have brought him to the Royal Albert Hall, Berliner Philharmonie, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen, Royal Opera House La Monnaie in Brussels, Wiesbaden State Opera, Kiel Opera House, Open Air Opera Berlin, Teatro Principal de Burgos, Rossini Festival, Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci, Heinrich Schütz Musikfest, Festival de Música Antigua, Bergen International Festival, Copenhagen Opera Festival, Aarhus Summer Opera, and Internationale Maifestspiele Wiesbaden. He has performed acclaimed solo recitals in Paris, Rome, Istanbul, Berlin and Basel.
His opera roles include Ferrando in Così fan tutte, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Lindoro in Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri, Don Ramiro in Rossinis La Cenerentola, Gualtiero in Bellini’s Il pirata, Castor in Rameau’s Castor et Pollux, title role in Rameau’s Pigmalion, Glaucus in Leclair’s Scylla et Glaucus, Apollo in Cavalli’s Gli amori d’Apollo e di Dafne, Seth in Franz Danksagmüller’s Nova – Imperfecting Perfection, Blake in Bernard Fouccroulle’s Cassandra, Asger in Signe Lykke’s Nordkraft, Adam in Svend Nielsen’s Chains and Officer in Bernd Alois Zimmermann’s Die Soldaten.
Villadsen is a sought-after concert and oratorio singer, and he has particularly made a name for himself as a Bach Evangelist. He has appeared in Bach’s Passions in Sweden, Denmark, United Kingdom, Iceland, Switzerland, Italy and Germany (including the Berliner Philharmonie). He is also sought-after for the demanding tenor part in Orff’s Carmina Burana.
Cooperations
Villadsen has worked with conductors such as Giancarlo Andretta, Julius Rudel, Christian Vásquez, Fabio Luisi, Alessandro Amoretti, Kazushi Ono, Christina Pluhar, Lars Ulrik Mortensen, Paul Hillier, Václav Luks, Andrew Lawrence-King, Carlos Mena, Javier Illan, Benjamin Bayl, Sirrka-Liisa Kaakinen-Pilch, David Riddell, Mark Tatlow, Christian Kluxen, Matthew Toogood, Stefan Parkman, Johannes Gustavsson, Peter Spissky, Florian Helgath, Johannes Wildner and Zsolt Hamar, and with opera directors such as Vasily Barkhatov, Lucinda Childs, Elisabeth Linton, Marie-Eve Signeyrole, and Sir David McVicar.
Season 2023/24 includes Schmelzer’s Missa dei Patris Benedicti in the Berliner Philharmonie, the leading tenor role Blake in Bernard Fouccroulle’s opera Cassandra at the Royal Opera House La Monnaie in Brussels (cover), Apollo in Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo at the Styriarte Festival in Graz, Arbace in Mozart’s Idomeneo at the Open Air Opera Berlin, Shepherd in John Blow’s Venus and Adonis in Hannover, Rossini Gala Concert in Zaragoza Concert Hall, Puccini’s Missa di Gloria in Basel, Konzert zur Gründung des Grauen Klosters 1574 in the Berliner Philharmonie, as well as several Bach concerts thoughout Europe.
Recording
In 2021, Villadsen released his first single Valdemar Villadsen & Friends, featuring Renaissance music, on the Italian record label Halidon Music. A full solo album is expected to be released in 2024.
Villadsen is also an accomplished stage director. He has directed plays, cabaret shows and opera productions at venues such as the Hamburger Kammeroper, InnovationArt Theatre in Berlin and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London.
Valdemar Villadsen currently resides in Berlin.
