MEZZOSOPRAN / ALT

Bettina Smith

Falsensvei 6, 5063 Bergen
t +47 5529 6702, m +47 994 25 983
mail   www

Uteksaminert fra Bergen Musikkonsertvatorium og Royal Conservatory of Music, Haag, Holland. Hun fullførte sine studier ved International Opera Studio of the Opernhaus i Zürich, Sveits. I tillegg til å være operasnger på scener som Opernhaus Zurich, Staatsoper Berlin og Muziekteater Amsterdam, er hun aktiv i kammermusikk, oratorie- og romansesanger med opptredener over hele Europa. Som elev av den kjente sangerinnen Elly Ameling, har hun spesilalisert seg på tyske og franske lieder. Har oppnådd en rekke priser ved internasjonale konkurranser og mottatt prestisjefylte stipendier, som bl.a. Herbert von Karajan Music Legacy.

Bettina Smith is from Bergen, Norway. Studied first at the Bergen Conservatory of Music where she graduated with the highest degree. She then pursued her studies with Wout Oosterkamp and Elly Ameling at the Koninklijke Conservatorium Den Haag, Holland, graduating with distinction for her Masters Degree.
She studied a further 2 years in the Internationales Opernstudio des Opernhaus Zürich, Switzerland, singing the following roles on the main stage:
- “Melibea” from Rossini’s “Il Viaggio a Reims”
- “Flora” from Verdi’s “La Traviata”
- “Pisana” from Verdi’s “I due Foscari”
- “Berta” from Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia
- “Gräfin” from Lortzing’s “Der Wildschütz”
- “Popova” from Walton’s “The Bear”, also performed at the Zürcher Festspiele.

In February 2001, Bettina made her debut at the Staatsoper Berlin as “Berta” in Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia”, and has since then been performing at the leading operahouses, festivals and concerthalls in Europe. Bettina has a wide repertoire ranging from Medieval to contemporary music, and appears regularly as an oratorio and cantata soloist in addition to being an active chamber-musician. Oratorios include a.o. :”Requiem“ by Verdi / “Elias” by Mendelssohn / “c-minor mass” / ” Requiem” / ” Credomesse” and “Coronation-mass” (all by Mozart) , all the passions by Bach and his “Magnificat” and ” b-minor mass” / Stabat Mater by Rossini / Telemann’s “Die Gekreuzigte Liebe” and “Lukas passion” / “Christus” by Liszt / “f-moll messe” by Bruckner and Mahler’s 8th Symphonie.

As a recitalist, Bettina has performed in several festivals in Europe a.o. The Rhijnauwen Kamermuziekfestival , The Brahms Festival Den Haag, The Stichting Forte+ Piano, The Hindemith Festival in Den Haag where she performed “Des Todes Tod” together with Nabuko Imai, The Grieg Stichting, The Mozart Tage Luzern, KKL Luzern, and in the Strawinsky-Festival 2000 at Het Muziekteater Amsterdam (Les Noces) together with Het Nationale Ballet. Together with pianist Jan Willem Nelleke Bettina sings recitals all over Europe, including Amsterdam (Het Concertgebouw), Oslo, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Reykjavik and Baden bei Wien. Together they give recitals in Holland for the organisation Vrienden van het Lied. Bettina has been Artist in Residence at the Laudinella Festival in St.Moritz, Switzerland, and she has performed Hugo Wolf’s “Spanisches Liederbuch” in the prestigious Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In April 2007, Bettina and Mr. Nelleke gave a highly acclaimed recital in the Concertgebouw De Vereiniging Nijmegen, and in May 2007, Bettina gave a solo recital at the Bergen International Festival, together with pianist Einar Røttingen. This duo also performed together at the Fartein Valen Festivalen in Haugesund 2007, Oi-Oi Festival-07 and AVGARDE- series; as part of the Grieg -07 Festival.

Bettina has made radio recordings for Dutch, German, Swiss and Norwegian broadcasting and has received several prestigious scholarships , a.o. the Edwin Ruud award and the Herbert von Karajan Music Legacy.
She was a prizewinner in the Francesco Viñas competition in Barcelona 2001, and was awarded a special prize given by Dalton Baldwin for outstanding lieder-singing.