Meet mezzo soprano - Nina van Essen

Nina van Essen is one of Hollands rising stars. Her blossoming career takes her from the big Opera stages to concert halls all over the world such as Teatro alla Scala di Milano, Théatre des Champs-Elysées, Theater an der Wien, Royal Danish Opera, Dutch National Opera, Teatro Nacional de São Carlos Lisbon, Zaterdag Matinee Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Opera de Dijon, Oper Leipzig, and many more. 

During her time being part of the ensemble of Staatsoper Hannover for five seasons she has grown a diverse repertoire, including; Hänsel from Hänsel und Gretel by E.Humperdinck, Rosina from Barbiere di Siviglia by G.Rossini, Mercédès from G.Bizets Carmen, Ruggiero from Händels Alcina, Piacere from Händels il Trionfo, Romeo from V.Bellini’s I Capuleti e I Montecchi, Orfeo in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, Cherubino and Dorabella from Mozarts classics Le nozze di Figaro and Cosi fan tutte.

Nina has worked with some of the worlds leading stage directors, for example; Lydia Steier, Immo Karaman, Barbora Horáková, Tatjana Gürbaca, Elizabeth Stöppler and conductors like; Sir Mark Elder, Reinbert de Leeuw, Alexander Joel, Boudewijn Jansen, Mikhail Agrest, Stephan Zilias and more.

Other engagements include the collaborations with Festival Musique et Vins, Seiji Matsumoto festival, Serie Grote Zangers, ASKO Schönberg Ensemble, Grachtenfestival, Nouvel Opéra de Fribourg and more.

Her extensive concert repertoire includes Mezzo solo parts in Bach's St. Matthew Passion, Mozart's Mass in C minor, Rossini's Petite Messe Solenelle, and orchestral song cycles such as Les nuits d'été de Berlioz and Ravel's Trois poèmes de Stephane Mallarmé.

Nina won the first prize ánd the best female voice award in the ninth edition (2023) of Concorso Lirico Internazionale di Portofino, in the International Vocalist competition in 's-Hertogenbosch Nina won the audience prize, the Annett Andriessen concert prize (concert-tour in Ningbo/China) and an engagement with the Residentie Orchestra. Nina graduated cum laude from the Dutch National Opera Academy. For this program she received a scholarship from the Miluška Duffková foundation. In the context of an Erasmus Exchange she studied in France, Lyon at the C.N.S.M.D. 

Nina received her Bachelor degree summa cum laude, with distinction at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague. Nina is world-wide represented by Artista International, Franziska Hunke.