Praised by critics and loved by audiences for her beauty of tone and impeccable artistry, young soprano Mojca Erdmann is a rapidly rising star in the international music scene. Of her return to the Salzburg Festival in 2007, a critic wrote “The surprise of the evening, however, was Mojca Erdmann. (...) young, slim, blond, sporty, she was Mozart’s “Zaide” last year here in Salzburg. Now she sings “Zelmira”, a strong personality, a beautiful, warm, technically perfect voice that is highly expressive. She deservedly received the greatest applause.”

Born in Hamburg, she started taking violin lessons at the age of six, while also singing in the children’s choir of the Hamburger Staatsoper and taking up private singing lessons. Mojca Erdmann studied singing with Hans Sotin at the Cologne College of Music, where she also studied violin. She continues to work intensively with Ingrid Figur.

In 2002, Mojca Erdmann won the first prize at the German Federal Competition (category voice), as well as the Special Prize for Contemporary Music. In August 2005, she was awarded the NDR Music Prize in the framework of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, as well as the Luitpold Prize during the Bad Kissingen Summer. Whilst still a student, Mojca Erdmann became a member of the ensemble of Komische Oper Berlin and also performed as a guest at various opera houses (including Deutsche Oper Berlin, Theater Basel, Nationaltheater Mannheim).

She began the 2009-10 operatic season with her role debut as Sophie in Strauss’ Rosenkavalier in a new production by Stefan Herheim at the Staatsoper Stuttgart. Further operatic highlights include her role debut as Ännchen in a new production of Weber’s Der Freischütz at Theater an der Wien, conducted by Bertrand de Billy and the world premiere of Wolfgang Rihm’s new opera Dionysus at the Salzburg Festival, conducted by Ingo Metzmacher. Ms Erdmann appears extensively in concert this season, including appearances as Sorge/Soprano 1 in Schumann’s Scenes from Goethe’s Faust with the Stockholm Radio Symphony under Daniel Harding, the DSO Berlin conducted by Ingo Metzmacher, and with the Orchestra at La Scala di Milan conducted by Pinchas Steinberg in what marks her debut at La Scala. Further projects include a European tour of a Bach-programme with Hilary Hahn, Matthias Goerne and the Munich Chamber Orchestra as well as concerts in Frankfurt, at the Vienna Musikverein and in Berlin. An acclaimed and accomplished recitalist, Ms Erdmann can be heard in recital at the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Philharmonie Cologne, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, and in Bad Kissingen.

After her Salzburg Festival debut in 2006 as Mozart’s Zaide under Ivor Bolton, she was immediately invited to return to the festival in 2007 where she sang Zelmira in Haydn’s Armida, (again, under the direction of Ivor Bolton, in a production by Christof Loy). This production was revived in 2009. In 2008, she gave her debut as Blondchen in Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail at Opera Amsterdam, conducted by Constantinos Carydis. Simon Rattle invited her to sing Waldvogel in his new production of Wagners Siegfried in Aix (2008) and at the Salzburg Easter Fesival in 2009. Future operatic plans include her debut at the Metropolitan Opera New York as Zerlina in a new production of Don Giovanni under James Levine, as well as productions of Cosi fan tutte and Don Giovanni in Baden-Baden.

An unusually versatile performer, she is much sought after for her interpretation of contemporary music: She gave her debut with Berlin Staatsoper in the world premiere of Takemitsu – My Way of Life, conducted by Kent Nagano. In 2009 she performed the title role in Wolfgang Rihm’s monodrama Proserpina, a piece written specifically for her. She has also premiered pieces by Aribert Reimann, such as Diptych.

Mojca Erdmann has a vast concert repertoire and is frequently working with conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Ivor Bolton, Manfred Honeck, Kent Nagano, Fabio Luisi and Daniel Harding. She appeared with the Berliner Philharmonic, the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Symphony, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra.

In 2007, she gave her debut at the Lucerne Festival with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra under Jonathan Nott, performing Ligeti’s Requiem. Nikolaus Harnoncourt invited her to the Vienna Musikverein for Schumann’s Paradies und die Peri, to the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orkest for Scenes from Goethe’s Faust, and to the Berlin Philharmonic for Haydn’s Orlando Paladino.

Mojca Erdmann can be heard on many recordings, including an acclaimed version of Mahler’s 4th Symphony with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra under Jonathan Nott released by Tudor and in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Simon Rattle, released by EMI. In 2009, the soprano signed an exclusive agreement with Deutsche Grammophon, with the first recording, featuring arias by Mozart and his contemporaries, slated for release in 2011.