|
The Swiss mezzo-soprano, Anouk Molendijk, obtained in 2012 her Master's degree in Modern French from the Université de Genève - her dissertation focused on the performativity of speech in the theatrical work of Olivier Py - followed by a Master's degree in in vocal interpretation in 2017 from the HEMU - Haute Ecole de Musique in Lausanne. She also trained in the interpretation of the contemporary repertoire with Luisa Castellani at the Lugano Conservatoire. During her studies, she also received advice and tuition from Mirella Freni, Jeanne-Michele Charbonnet, Malcolm Walker, and more recently Diana Damrau and Philippe Madrange.
Anouk Molendijk is as passionate about creating new forms of expression as she is about the traditional operatic repertoire. Her stage appearances include Jenny in Weill's Three-penny Opera (Théâtre du Galpon, 2013, conducted by Nicolas Farine and directed by Stefan Grögler), the Child in Ravel's L'Enfant et les sortilèges (Salle Métropole, 2014, conducted by Bernard Lévy), Grose in Benjamin Britten's The turn of the screw (2014, conducted by Aurélien Azan Zielinski and directed by Armand Deladoey), Erika Mann/Renée Schwarzenbach in Le Ruisseau noir (Grütli in 2015, conducted by Michael Wendeberg and directed by Elsa Rooke), Bianca in B. Britten's The rape of Lucretia (Grütli in 2017 conducted by G. Berney, directed by F. Polier) and Une compagne de l'Infante in Der Zwerg by Zemlinsky (Opéra de Lille/Rennes/Caen in 2017-2018, conducted by Franck Ollu and directed by D. Jeanneteau) with the Ensemble Ictus, and the title role in La Belle Hélène (conducted by Pierre Bleuse, directed by Olivia Seigne) in Sion (August-September 2018). In 2020 and 2021, she reprised the role of Mrs Grose in B. Britten's Turn of the Screw at the Theater Freiburg in Freiburg im Briesgau (July 2021). She sang the role of the Dritte Dame in W.A. Mozart's Die Zauberflöte in Sion (conducted by Pierre Bleuse, August-September 2022)), as well as that of the Dame de Cully and the Femme de l'Epilogue in Christian Favre's creation of Davel at the Opéra de Lausanne in 2023 (conducted by Daniel Kawka, August-September 2022)).
Her taste for vocal research has made her a sought-after performer and creator of contemporary and experimental music. She was invited by the Ensemble Contrechamps in 2014 to perform the role of Die Dunkle Dame in Reimann's Die Gespenstersonate, then in 2016 at the Festival Archipel as soloist in Vivier's Lonely Child and Wo bist du, Licht? (conducted by P.-A. Valade). In 2014 she sang Auf die ruhige Nacht-Zeit for Klaus Huber's 90th birthday (conductor W. Blank), and in 2016 she gave a contemporary programme on Espace 2 based on the notion of mystical transcendence. In 2015, she took part in Love Song by C. Bergvall in Geneva and Norway. In 2017, she performed Aperghis's Les 7 crimes de l'amour (2.21) and Arnold Schoenberg's Pierrot lunaire (conducted by W. Blank), and was invited to premiere works by young composers at Lavaux Classics under the supervision of H.-P. Kyburz. More recently, she has premiered Mlle V with Ensemble Vortex, In imagine turbatur with Ensemble Polygon, Erzulie by John Menoud with the Ensemble Contrechamps, and Rituel|le LEVANIÅ by Michaël Grébil Liberg in Brussels. She was invited with Nanook and the huskies, her experimental improvisation group, to perform at the AMR (Geneva), the Festival de Bourges, the Fifigrot in Toulouse, the Théâtre Transversal in Avignon... She toured with the NEC in La Chaux-de-Fonds and Pristina (Kosovo) and at the Jardins Musicaux de Cernier in 2023, then created the solo Cradle songs for Isadora at the AMR (Geneva) the same year.
Concert and oratorio appearances include Johannes Brahms' Alto-Rhapsody with the OCG in Geneva and Lausanne, and the J.S. Bach's Magnificat in D major BWV 243 / F. Schubert's Messe in Ab D678, conducted by M. Mostert and R. Mayor at Lausanne Cathedral, again the Alto-Rhapsody by J. Brahms with the OCG, Jan Dismas Zelenka's Officium defunctorum in Vevey and Lausanne under the direction of Céline Grandjean.
Her latest projects include Flora in Verdi's La Traviata at the Festival du Toûno, and the revival of her solo Cradle songs for Isadora, which was reprogrammed by Marina Viotti and Ophélie Gaillard as part of the Ponticello 2024 festival, she sang works by Antonio Vivaldi, Strozzi and one of her own compositions alongside Ophélie Gaillard and Julie Depardieu in a concert-reading of Le Grand Feu by Léonor de Recondo, the role of Gertrude in Fortunio by André Messager at the Opéra de Lausanne and Opinion Publique in Orphée aux Enfers by Offenbach in Opéra de Baugé. Future 2025-2026 projects include the role of Dritte Zofe in Der Zwerg by Zemlinsky and Giovanna in Rigoletto by Verdi in Opéra de Lausanne. |
