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The Austrian mezzo-soprano, Michaela Riener, received her Bachelors Degree in Classical Singing (2008) and her Master’s Degree in Early Music Singing (2010) from the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, studying with Gerda van Zelm, Lenie van den Heuvel, Jill Feldman, Michael Chance, and Peter Kooy. She was trained from an early age as a pianist and flutist. Recipient of a prestigious scholarship from the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, she received her Master’s Degree in pedagogy in 2004.
Michaela Riener focuses on Historical Performance Practice and Contemporary Music. A versatile artist, she is constantly expanding her vocabulary and technique. With her own groups she concentrates on searching for new repertoire as well as new ways of performance. Her passion for chamber music has led to her involvement in several unique ensembles, including the Austrian Early Music group Calamus Consort, - with whom she won first price in the International Biber competition in 2009. Coached by Sigrid t’Hooft she specializes in Baroque Gesture - the acting technique of the 17th & 18th century. She regularly performs with the Huelgas Ensemble, Egidius College, Nederlandse Bachvereniging (Director: Jos van Veldhoven) and Cappella Amsterdam (Director: Daniel Reuss).
Michaela Riener is a dedicated advocate of contemporary music and works closely with composers. She is the singer of ELECTRA, a virtuoso four-member ensemble, and the contemporary music band Hexnut. Since 2012 she also is a member of the music theatre collective Silbersee (ex VocaalLAB).
Recent solo engagements include performances of works by Steve Reich and Hanns Eisler with the Asko|Schönberg Ensemble and Louis Andriessen’s La Passione at Prague Spring Festival 2008, the Birmingham Frontiers Festival 2010 as well as in Moscow and St. Petersburg in 2013. With Ensemble Klang, she performed Martijn Padding’s work Speculum inversum at festivals in the Czech Republic and in The Netherlands. Under the direction of David Robertson, Riener soloed in Louis Andriessen’s work TAO, together with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
In 2009-2010 Michaela Riener was collaborating with New York-based composer Michael Gordon and the dance company EmioGreco|PC in Popopera, with performances in the Holland Festival and worldwide. She currently lives in The Hague, the Netherlands. |
