Extended version

Soprano Bodil Arnesen
Bodil Arnesen was born in Harstad ,Norway and studied at the University in Rogaland ,department of Arts in Stavanger from 1987-1991.

Bodil Arnesen attended masterclasses with renowned singers Prof. Edith Mathis ,Elly Ameling, Ingrid Bjoner and the pianist Rudolf Jansen. Later on she had private lessons with Dorthy Irving , Anna Reynolds and Julie Kaufmann.

She also attended The International Bach-Akademie where she studied music of W. A. Mozart and J.S. Bach under Helmut Rilling in Stuttgart.

In 1990 she received the Kirsten Flagstad Prize and the same year she won the 3 price in ARD Wettbewerb in Munich where she also performed Songs of Edvard Grieg under the button of Sir Colin Davis.

1991-1993 she studied Opera in Munich at The Bavarian State Opera. During this time she sang Operaparts like Barbarina, Susanna-Marriage of Figaro, Ännchen-Freischutz, Norina –Don Pasquale, Pamina, Papagena - Magic Flute .Täumännchen, Grethel- Hänsel und Grethel.

During the years Bodil Arnesen has studied and sung numerous of Operaroles and Oratoriums. Donna Elvira –Don Giovanni, La Contessa – Le nozze di Figaro and Händel Operaroles, are planned for the next seasons. In 2009 she will also be to hear with Minsk Chamber Orchestra on a new CD with Arias of G. F Händel a selection of his famous Operas. A recording of F.B.Mendelssohn's Lieder with Rudolf Jansen will also be released during the Mendelssohn anniversary 2009. From 2004-2008 she studies and prepeare her roles with Kammersänger/Opersänger George Fortune, conductors, pianists and the studio leader Kevin McCutch at The Deutsche Oper Berlin.

Since 1993 she has toured the whole world as a soloist and recording artist with a series of prestigious prices behind her.

This led to many prestigious venues.Among them are:
The Hong Kong Arts Festival, Richard Strauss Festspiele Garmisch Parten Kirchen, Schubert Festival Anniversary, Operafestival in Salvador Brasil, Festival Olypic Games LOOC throughout Europe and USA, Mozart Anniversary Japan, International Chambermusic Festival Stavanger.

Her career has also brought concerts and recitals with appearances in:

England: Queen Elisebeth Hall, Wigmore Hall, Birmingham Concert Hall.
USA: Lincoln Center, Alice Tulley Hall, Carnegie Hall, Colombia University.
Japan: Suntory Hall Tokyo, Hiroshima Concert Hall, Togo Citizen Hall.
Singapor: Victoria Hall.
Spain: Palau de la Musica Catalana, Barcelona.
Denmark: Tivoli Festival Hall, Aarhus Concerthouse.
Germany: Alte Oper Frankfurt, Gasteig Munich, Herculessaal Munich,
Liederhalle Stuttgart, Cuvie Theater Munich, Komische Oper Berlin,
Bavarian Staatstheater, Semperoper Dresden.
Norway : Grieghallen i Bergen, Oslo Konserthus, Stavanger Konserthus.

Bodil Arnesen worked with several Conductors. Among them are:
Iona Brown, Boris Brott, Mariss Jansons, Alberto Zedda, John Nelson, Michael Boder,
Eri Klas, Karl Anton Rickenbacker, Fabio Luisi, Manfred Honech, Bjarte Engeseth,
Michael Schönwandt, Sir Colin Davis, Alexander Dimitriev, Matthias Foremny,
Mosche Atzmon, Jan Wagner, Gerard Korsten, Salvador mas Conde,
Ole Kristian Ruud, Linda Horowitz, Morten Schultz Jensen, Josep Vila i Casanas,
Niklas Willen.

Soloist engagements with Orchestras:

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, England,
St.Lukes Orchestra new York USA,
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra USA,
Kanazawa Chambermusic Orchestra Japan,
Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin,
The Royal Flander Philharmonic Orchestra Belgum,
RTL Symphonieorchestra,
Bamberger Symphoniker,
Dresden Stadtkapelle,
München Kammerorchester,
Singapore Symphonie Orchestra,
Orchestre National de Lille France,
The Finnish Radio Symphony,
Tampere Philharmonic Finland,
Lahti Symphony Orchestra,
The German Radio stations WDR Symphonie Orchestra,
NDR Symphonie Orchestra,
ZBF Symphonie Orchestra and ARD Symphony Orchestra,
Malmö Symfoniorkester,Helsingborg Symfoniorkester,
Orquestra Sinfonica del Valles Spain,
Kibbutz Orchestra Israel,
Israel Chambermusic Orhestra TelAviv,
The National Chinese Symphonie Orchestra,
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra,
NRK Kringkastingsorkesteret,
Trondheim Symphony Orchestra,
Stavanger Symphony Orchestra,
Bergen Filharmoniske Orchestra,
Tromsø Symfoniorkester,
Sønderjylland Symfoniorkester Tivoli,
Aalborg Symfoniorkester,
Odense Symfoniorkester,
Århus Symfoniorkester,
Sønderborg Symfoniorkester.

Bodil Arnesen has not only an extensive career but she was also engaged as a soloist on several CD productions, over 23 productions and among them was Berlin Rundfunk – Sinfonieorchester, in the early works of Beethoven and “The young Richard Strauss”. In addition to this she recorded three solo CDs where two of them were released on Naxos. The new CD “In recital“ has recently appeared at ARENA RECORDS 2008. All the three solo CDs were recorded with Pianist /Prof. Erling R. Eriksen. This collaboration and her great affection for Edvard Grieg ´s music led to.

International solo recordings for Naxos which were highly acclaimed by the music press.The Grieg Songs CD was a bestseller in Europe 1997.

Soprano Bodil Arnesen

The Norwegian born soprano Bodil Arnesen is one of the exciting classical sopranos in her country.

After a solo concert with St.Lukes Orchestra in Alice Tulley Hall, The New York Times wrote; a Norwegian soprano with a velvety tone and a graceful interpretative manner.

Her career has brought concerts, recitals and Opera engagements in her own country and abroad, tours around the World in different venues with famous orchestras, conductors and appearances throughout Europe, in the United States and the far East.

At early age she won a large number of top prices for singers, among them are: HRH Princess Astrid Music Competition in Trondheim, The ARD Competition in Munich, Kirsten Flagstad Music Price for singers, Mirjam Helin International singing competition in Helsinki, Robert Shumann prize and Edvard Grieg Prize.

In addition to this she has an equally active career in the broadcasting and recording studios.
The 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympic Organizing Committee appointed Bodil Arnesen to be one of the official musicians participating in worldwide culture presentations for the Olympic Games. Among her many recordings Bodil Arnesen achieved great success with the Album Edvard Grieg Songs released on Naxos. It became a worldwide success in the classical music field and led to being a bestseller of Naxos. In a Gramophone review for her Grieg recital on Naxos, she won praise for her “Lyrical soprano with just the right freshness for these open – air songs of spring and hope”.

During 2008 a new CD release with Bodil Arnesen will appear where she sings Lieder of Franz Schubert, Richard Strauss, Johannes Brahms and Hugo Wolf.

Reviews on Web

► Crossover Magazine (1993)

► Arbeiderbladet (1994)

The New York Times' Arts Section - February 24, 1998
"Bodil Arnesen, a Norwegian soprano with a velvety tone and a graceful interpretive manner... ". From the article "Music Review; Composers of Norway, On Down Through Many Eras", published in The New York Times.
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(Translated to English) Sunnhordland - September 5, 2007
"Musicians with exciting Chinese instruments, created a magic and enjoyable atmosphere..."
"The Norwegian soprano Bodil Arnesen was one of the "true Norwegian" elements during the show. Her singing was so ingenuous and pure - as she played along the caracter of Solveig from Peer Gynt. Her lyrical soprano really suited the music of Grieg, and was performed in a graceful manner. The interaction between the Chinese musicians and Arnesen also worked out well"...
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Crossover Magazine, March 1993
"She has a most genuine voice... likely to become a superstar..."
Bodil Arnesen on tour with Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Mariss Janson.
Live Performance at Hong Kong Arts Festival: February 26th - March 04th 1993.
"She caught everybody’s attention the minute she stepped onto the stage... Her music had the texture of silk and willow, loose and unstrained, and her emotions appeared most genuine. Bodil Arnesen is likely to become a superstar in the world of lyrical sopranos…"

(Reviewed by the Norwegian newspaper) VG - February 27, 1994
"Arnesen gave a brilliant and nuanced account of Norina’s aria…”
Bodil Arnesen performing as Norina, in the play “Don Pasquale”, by G. Donizetti.
Opera Gala - with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, conducted by John Nelson.
(Reviewed by the Norwegian newspaper) VG - May 25, 1994
"Charming Bodil Arnesen... drew a witty portrait of Bertha..."
Bodil Arnesen performing as Bertha, in the play “The Barber of Seville”, by G. Rossini.
International Festival in Bergen (Norway), 1994. Conductor: Alberto Zedda.
"One would not associate charming Bodil Arnesen with a peevish housekeeper, but she drew a witty portrait of old Bertha…”

(Reviewed by the Norwegian newspaper) Arbeiderbladet - February 11, 1994
"Her fresh voice, spontaneous joy …beautifully nuanced expressions..."
Bodil Arnesen performing at the Oslo Olympic Culture Festival (1994) - with pianist Roger Vignoles (Lieder repertoire).
"A most exceptional lieder-experience... Arnesen is one of our very finest artists. Her fresh and silvery voice combines a rare musical accuracy with spontaneous joy of singing, beautifully nuanced expressions and a distinguished text pronounciation..."