Lise Davidsen Makes History As Debut Album Tops UK Classical Charts
Lise Davidsen is the first operatic soprano to debut at No. 1 in the UK Classical Charts with her self-titled album of Strauss and Wagner songs.
Norwegian lyric dramatic soprano Lise Davidsen makes history as her debut self-titled solo album tops the Official UK Classical Artist Chart – she is the first operatic soprano to debut at No. 1. The album includes Strauss’ Four Last Songs, as well as arias from Ariadne Auf Naxos, and Wagner’s Tannhäuser performed with the Philharmonia Orchestra under the baton of Esa-Pekka Salonen.
Lise Davidsen said, “I want to thank each and every one of you for buying, streaming and downloading, and the incredible team at Decca!”
Lise Davidsen’s debut album has achieved outstanding reviews during its first week of release. Associated Press described Davidsen as, “The next great Wagnerian soprano”. Gramophone magazine declared, “This album only reinforces the fact that she is one of the greatest vocal talents to have emerged in recent years, if not decades.” The Observer stated she has, “One of the greatest voices I have heard” and Presto Classical remarked, “I honestly can’t remember hearing a more impressive first recording from a singer.”
Managing Director of Decca Classics, Dr. Alexander Buhr, said, “We couldn’t be more excited about the fantastic response to Lise’s debut album so far. Decca has long been seen as the home of opera and many of the world’s greatest voices from the last 90 years have recorded for us. It is an absolute honour to have Lise become part of this legacy and her chart success is tribute to her unique qualities as a singer.”
Lise Davidsen shot to prominence in the summer of 2015 when she was crowned winner of the Queen Sonja singing competition in her native Norway. Davidsen went on to win three awards – the First Prize, Birgit Nilsson Award and Audience Prize – at Plácido Domingo’s Operalia competition, where she was hailed as “the real deal” by the Financial Times. Since her breakthrough Lise has made a series of acclaimed opera debuts. In spring 2019 Davidsen made her debut as Elisabeth in a new production of Tannhäuser at Opernhaus Zürich, a role she takes to Bayreuth in July and August in a new production under the baton of Valery Gergiev. She will appear with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Philharmonia at the BBC Proms on 10th August, performing works by Brahms, Bruckner and Strauss. In the autumn she will debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, performing the role of Lisa in Tchaikovsky’s The Queen Of Spades. Davidsen performed at the Royal Opera House for the first time in 2018 in Wagner’s Ring Cycle and will return for Beethoven’s Fidelio in 2020.
Lise Davidsen is the first operatic soprano to debut at No. 1 in the UK Classical Charts with her self-titled album of Strauss and Wagner songs.
As Gramophone affirmed following her ‘Young Artist of the Year’ award win in 2018: “Davidsen’s is a name to remember, and a voice – once heard – you won’t forget.”
Lise Davidsen’s self-titled debut album is out now and can be bought here.
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