Description
The classical music magazine Gramophone wrote of Marianne Beate Kielland: "The mezzo-soprano is quite outstanding: strong, firm, sensitive in modulations, imaginative in her treatment of words, with a voice pure in quality, wide in range, and unfalteringly true in intonation."
Musicweb International says of this disc: "This latest disc will now join those with Janet Baker, Christa Ludwig, Brigitte Fassbaender, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Thomas Hampson and several others. I urge readers to follow my example"
Kielland studied at the Norwegian Academy of Music with Svein Bjørkøy. Her other teachers have included Oren Brown and Barbara Bonney. Considered today one of Europe's leading singers, she performs regularly on major concert stages in Europe, America and The East. Among the conductors with whom she has performed are Philippe Herreweghe, Fabio Biondi, Jordi Savall, Rinaldo Alessandrini, Christophe Rousset, Marc Minkowski, Masaaki Suzuki, Thomas Dausgaard, Juanjo Mena, Jos van Immerseel, Robert King, Andrew Manze, Daniel Reuss and Rune Bergmann.
In 2012 she received a Grammy nomination in the category of 'Best Classical Vocal Solo' for her recording of "Veslemøy Synsk" by the composer Olav Anton Thommessen. With nearly fifty other albums in addition to a demanding concert schedule, Marianne Beate Kielland is established as an exceptional performer with a wide-ranging repertoire from baroque to contemporary. Together with pianist Nils Anders Mortensen she has released seven earlier recordings on the LAWO Classics label: "Früh" (LWC1033), "Sæle jolekveld" (LWC1040), "Grieg" (LWC1059), "Young Elling" (LWC1072), "The New Song" (LWC1097), "Whispering Mozart" (LWC1111), and "Songs: Kielland/Dørumsgaard" (LWC1145) In 2015 she released "Påsketid" (LWC1077) with violinist Elise Båtnes and organist Kåre Nordstoga, and in 2017 she released "Terra Nova" (LWC1125) with composer and pianist Jan Gunnar Hoff.