Signe Asmussen

Last updated
Signe Asmussen (centre) with The Tolkien Ensemble in 2015 The Tolkien Ensemble.jpg
Signe Asmussen (centre) with The Tolkien Ensemble in 2015

Signe Asmussen Manuitt (born 1970) is a Danish mezzosoprano singer who has performed widely, not only in classical concerts, chamber music and opera but also in Latin jazz and as a member of The Tolkien Ensemble. [1] Since 2001, she has made a mark as one of Denmark's most impressive female singers. [2] In addition to appearances in Denmark, she has given recitals in London's Wigmore Hall and Amsterdam's Concertgebouw. [3] Asmussen recently starred as Hanna Glawari in Operette Kompagniet's production of The Merry Widow . [4] She is married to the Cuban Salsa singer Ernesto Manuitt. [5]

Contents

Biography

Born in 1970 in Copenhagen, Signe Asmussen was brought up in a musical family, learning to sing and play the violin from an early age. [1] She studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Music under Bodil Øland and Keld Thaarup, graduating as a soloist in 2001. From the start, she received encouraging support from the critics as she branched out into virtually all genres. She became particularly fond of singing lieder, developing an extensive repertoire as a member of Liedkompagniet founded by Christian Westergaard. She has been accompanied by prominent pianists from Denmark and abroad, including Howard Shelley and Peter Hill, and has sung with orchestras conducted by Thomas Dausgaard, Lan Shui, Michel Tabachnik, Michael Seal and Howard Shelley. [3]

Asmussen has participated in several ensembles, including Theatre of Voices, [6] the Copenhagen Saxophone Quartet, [7] Athelas Sinfonietta, [8] Figura Ensemble. [9] and the Esbjerg Ensemble. [10] As an opera singer, she has appeared at the Royal Danish Opera and at Den Jyske Opera in a variety of roles, including Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro , Bertha in The Barber of Seville and Musette in La Bohème. [11] In 2013, she sang and played the violin in Sangbogen fra Eldorado, a lively baroque concert inspired by 17th and 18th century Latin-American songs. [12] As a member of Grupo Cubita, she has also sung modern Cuban numbers. [13]

Awards

Signe Asmussen has received a number of grants and scholarships. In 2009, she was awarded the Aksel Schiøtz prize for excellence as a lieder singer. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aksel Schiøtz</span> Danish singer

Aksel Schiøtz was a Danish tenor and later baritone, who was considered one of Europe's leading lieder singers of the post-World War II period.

Bent Lorentzen was a Danish composer. He was one of the outstanding figures in contemporary Danish music. His works are frequently performed at festivals at home and abroad, and he had established particularly close links with musical life in Poland and Germany. He was honoured with several international prizes and was named Choral Composer of the Year in Denmark in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Tolkien Ensemble</span> Danish musical group

The Tolkien Ensemble is a Danish ensemble which created "the world's first complete musical interpretation of the poems and songs from The Lord of the Rings". They published four CDs from 1997 to 2005, in which all the poems and songs of The Lord of the Rings are set to music. The project was approved by the Tolkien Estate. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark gave permission to use her illustrations on the CD covers.

Kaisa Roose was born in Tallinn, Estonia on 15 April 1969. At the age of six she began studying piano at the Tallinn School of Music. In 1987 she was admitted to the Tallinn Conservatoire, where she studied choir conducting, taking her degree in 1992. The following year Kaisa Roose was admitted to The Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, where she studied orchestra conducting. She completed her studies there and took her degree in 1997 and gave her debut concert with the Danish Odense Symphony Orchestra. The same year Kaisa Roose was awarded the Grethe Kolbe Grant for promising young conductors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theatre of Voices</span>

Theatre of Voices is a vocal ensemble founded by baritone Paul Hillier in 1990; it focuses on early music and new music.

<i>At Dawn in Rivendell</i> 2003 studio album by The Tolkien Ensemble

At Dawn in Rivendell is the third album by the Danish group the Tolkien Ensemble. It featured a guest appearance by the actor and singer Christopher Lee, who voiced the spoken word tracks and sang the part of the Ent Treebeard.

<i>Leaving Rivendell</i> 2005 studio album by The Tolkien Ensemble

Leaving Rivendell is the fourth album by the Danish group The Tolkien Ensemble, with Christopher Lee as additional vocalist. It features songs composed to the lyrics found in The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien and forms the end part of a complete musical interpretation of all lyrics in the book.

Morten Olsen is a Danish musician and composer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Forsell</span> Swedish opera singer

Carl Johan Jacob Forsell, known as John Forsell, was a prominent Swedish baritone, opera administrator and teacher of voice. He was the leading baritone of the Royal Swedish Opera (RSO) from 1896–1918, and thereafter sang roles periodically with the company until his last stage performance in 1938. From 1923-1939 he served as the director of the RSO. He also sang leading roles as a guest artist with opera companies internationally, drawing particular acclaim for his portrayal of the title character in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Don Giovanni.

The 1948–51 Nordic Football Championship was the fifth Nordic Football Championship staged. Four Nordic countries participated: Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Sweden won the tournament, its third Nordic Championship win. The tournament was arranged by the Danish Football Association and the trophy was named DBU's Vase.

Giordano Bellincampi is an Italian-born Danish conductor and trombonist. He is the Music Director of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. Previous position have included General Music Director of the Duisburg Philharmonic, Chief Conductor of the Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra, General Music Director of the Danish National Opera in Aarhus and chief conductor of the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra.

Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen is a Copenhagen-based, Danish chamber ensemble specializing in the performance of modern compositions. It was founded in 1990 and is highly esteemed for the high quality of its work. Artistic Director of the ensemble since 2014 is Jesper Lützhøft while Pierre-André Valade is Principal Guest Conductor.

Ars Nova Copenhagen is a Danish vocal ensemble specialised in the interpretation of the polyphonic choral music of the Renaissance and new vocal music. It was founded in 1979 by composer Bo Holten among others. In 1996 Hungarian conductor Tamás Vetö was appointed chief conductor by the singers in the group and Holten founded his own ensemble, Musica Ficta (Denmark). Ars Nova Copenhagen is now led by Paul Hillier, and collaborates on a regular basis with his ensemble Theatre of Voices.

Birgitte Grimstad is a Danish-born Norwegian singer, guitarist, composer and writer.

Dacapo Records is a Danish classical music and new music record label. It was founded in 1989 to promote the classical and new music of Denmark and represents itself as "the Danish National label". The board includes university and Danish Radio appointees. Dacapo also produces jazz and experimental music.

Mogens Dahl Chamber Choir is a professional vocal ensemble founded in 2005 in Copenhagen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Else Torp</span> Danish soprano born 1968 in Roskilde (born 1968)

Else Torp is a Danish soprano born 1968 in Roskilde.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esbjerg station</span>

Esbjerg station is the main railway station in the city of Esbjerg in southwest Jutland, Denmark.

Henriette Bonde-Hansen is a Danish operatic soprano who made her début at Den Jyske Opera in Aarhus in 1993. She has performed at opera houses throughout Europe as well as in Canada and South America.

Carl Werner Hansen, commonly known as Carl W. Hansen, is a Danish former football referee and linesman, who officiated in the Danish top-flight, second-tier and third-tier including lower ranking leagues in the 1950s and 1960s and in both European and UEFA sanctioned club tournaments. From 1962 until 1969, he was a full international for FIFA, and officiated international friendlies and competitive games at senior, secondary 'B' team and under-19 level.

References

  1. 1 2 "Signe Asmussen Manuitt". Grupo Cubita. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  2. ↑ Levinsen, Jakob (26 October 2001). "Blandet selskab". Berlingske (in Danish). Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Signe Asmussen" (in Danish). GuidOpera. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  4. ↑ "Signe er vores Hanna Glawari" (in Danish). Operette Kompagniet. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  5. ↑ "The Latin Side..." Signe Asmussen. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  6. ↑ "Signe Asmussen, mezzo". Theatre of Voices. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  7. ↑ "Koncert med: Copenhagen Saxophone Quartet og sopranen Signe Asmussen" (in Danish). Nordvestjysk Musikkreds. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  8. ↑ "Asmussen, Jespersen and the Athelas Sinfonietta play Saariaho, Nielsen, Holm and more in Copenhagen". World Concert Hall. 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  9. ↑ "Figura Ensemble // Signe Asmussen". Seismograf. 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  10. ↑ "Chansons Madécasses, Nahandove: Esbjerg Ensemble & Signe Asmussen" (in Danish). DR: Danmarks Radio. 28 January 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  11. ↑ "Songbook from Eldorado". Via Artis. 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  12. ↑ "Sangbogen fra Eldorado". Via Artis. 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  13. ↑ "Grupo Cubita Live på Søpavillonen" (in Danish). AOK. 20 April 2009. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  14. ↑ "Signe Asmussen modtager Aksel Schiøtz Prisen" (in Danish). Den Jyske Operas Venner. 13 September 2009. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.