Katarina Dalayman

Mezzo-soprano

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“Few manage to encompass [Kundry’s] sensuality and her wild extremes as comprehensively as Dalayman’s first-class singing did.”
(Richard Fairman, Financial Times)

Katarina Dalayman first enjoyed a long and prestigious international career as a soprano, building a reputation as a performer of strong dramatic interpretation and impeccable musicianship. Now focused on a mezzo-soprano repertoire, Dalayman has made many widely-praised role debuts in recent seasons including as Klytämnestra (Elektra) in Francesca Zambello’s production at Washington National Opera under Evan Rogister, as Herodias (Salome) at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden under Alexander Soddy, as Amneris (Aida) and Fricka (Die Walküre) for Royal Swedish Opera and Jezibaba (Rusalka) at Teatro Real Madrid in a new production by Christof Loy.

At Bayerische Staatsoper, where Dalayman previously appeared extensively in Wagner’s Ring Cycle, she recently created several characters in the world-premiere of Hans Abrahamsen‘s The Snow Queen, conducted by Cornelius Meister, and in Berlin’s Philharmonie she joined Kirill Petrenko as La Zia Principessa (Suor Angelica) in a special project with Akademie of Berliner Philharmoniker. Dalayman made her debut at Glyndebourne Festival Opera as Kabanicha (Kát’a Kabanová) under Music Director Robin Ticciati, going on to repeat this role at Het Concertgebouw as part of NTR ZaterdagMatinee series with Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra under Chief Conductor Karina Canellakis and with London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican Hall under Sir Simon Rattle.

katarina Dalayman 4 (new) — Katarina Dalayman

The current season began with Dalayman’s triumphant debut as Madame de Croissy in Barrie Kosky’s unanimously acclaimed production of Dialogues des Carmélites at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, conducted by Robin Ticciati, including a concert performance as part of the BBC Proms at London’s Royal Albert Hall, with The Guardian writing, “Katarina Dalayman’s Old Prioress is utterly compelling”. Elsewhere, she reprises her interpretation of Herodias under Marc Albrecht at Teatro dell’Opera di Roma and will feature on two upcoming releases: Salome with Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra under Ed Gardner (Chandos) and Kát’a Kabanová under Sir Simon Rattle (LSO Live).

A strong concert performer, Dalayman has appeared with many major orchestras including Wiener Philharmoniker, NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Münchner Philharmoniker and with Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood. Her varied repertoire includes classics such as Mahler’s Symphony No.8, Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder alongside less-often performed works such as Schönberg’s Gurrelieder, Brahms’ Alto Rhapsody and Nyström’s Sinfonia del Mare.

Dalayman’s discography includes Marietta in Korngold’s Die tote Stadt with Royal Swedish Opera, Brünnhilde in Wagners Götterdämmerung with the Hallé and Sir Mark Elder and Brangäne (Tristan und Isolde) on DVD recorded live from the Metropolitan Opera. She was broadcast live around the world as Kundry (Parsifal) as part of the Metropolitan Opera’s ‘Live in HD’ series. Katarina Dalayman has been recognised for outstanding service to the arts by her homeland of Sweden by her special appointment as court singer to the King as well as with the royal medal Litteris et Artibus.

Gallery

Jenůfa (excerpt) © Royal Swedish Opera

Korngold: Die Tote Stadt (excerpt) © Naxos

“Katarina Dalayman’s Old Prioress is utterly compelling, the seeming erotic undertones of her death truly disturbing.”

The Guardian, June 2023

“Almost stealing the show, however, is Katarina Dalayman as the ailing old prioress, losing her lifelong faith on her deathbed in a gruesome scene that will long haunt anyone who sees it.”

The Times, June 2023

“Katarina Dalayman’s Kabanicha (one of opera’s most nightmarish mothers) was fearsome, her mezzo dripping with velveteen nastiness.”

(The Guardian, May 2021)

“Not just because she had the glamorous advantage, the star of the evening was Katarina Dalayman’s Amneris in a performance of intensity and smooth, rich tone that got darker the lower it went.”

(John Allison, Opera Magazine, May 2018)

“[Katarina Dalayman’s] interpretation [of Klytaemnestra] was intense and believable: she was composed…one moment, the next moment, she was completely broken”

(Bachtrack, January 2018)

“Katarina Dalayman’s Kundry was the Prom’s other clinching performance and, equally vividly, it jumps off the recording. Her voice projects Kundry’s weird, conflicted psychology brilliantly and, with Elder’s support, steers us through the complexities of Act Two”

(Classical Source, November 2017)

“Best of the soloists is Katarina Dalayman [as Kundry]”

(Opera Magazine, October 2017)

“Of the protagonists, only one, Katarina Dalayman as Kundry, retains her lustre; her portrayal conjures dramatic presence out of every phrase and can compare with the best of those already available on disc. No one else matches her combination of intensity and vocal security.”

(The Guardian, Andrew Clements, May 2017)

“Katarina Dalayman was an unusually sympathetic Fricka, with an easy top”

(Bachtrack, May 2017)

“Already remarkable in Das Rheingold, Katarina Dalayman is a tigress one can’t resist as Fricka. The ease with which the voice has evolved and homogenously developed in the lower registers validates her switch to more mezzo roles.”

(Forum Opéra, May 2017)

“Katarina Dalayman (Fricka) charted every blow in their marital argument. Dalayman, regal and opulent of voice, wheedling and demanding the abandonment of Siegmund”

(Bachtrack, May 2017)

“Katarina Dalayman sang with fiery passion as the Foreign Princess.”

(Bachtrack, February 2017)

“The Swedish soprano Katarina Dalayman is subtly conniving as the Foreign Princess.”

(Huffington Post, February 2017)

“Katarina Dalayman – that most downwardly mobile of sopranos – brought eloquent warmth to the officially mezzo part of Jocasta.”

(Opera Magazine, John Allison, December 2016)

“Katarina Dalayman’s Judith was compellingly characterized”

(Opera Magazine, July 2016)