Ursula Hesse von den Steinen
The Cologne-based mezzo-soprano Ursula Hesse von den Steinen impresses with her compelling interpretations of dramatic female characters in the German and Italian repertoire, combining a clear vocal presence with great dramatic intensity and a pronounced stylistic versatility. Her career took her to Semperoper Dresden, where she developed an exceptionally wide-ranging repertoire under conductors including Antonio Pappano, Semyon Bychkov, Riccardo Chailly, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Pinchas Steinberg and Michael Boder. Key stages in her operatic career include engagements at numerous major opera houses throughout Europe, including in Amsterdam, Munich, Berlin, Vienna, Brussels, Barcelona, Toulouse, Glyndebourne and Paris.
In the 2026/27 season, Ursula Hesse von den Steinen takes on the role of Annina (Der Rosenkavalier) under the musical direction of Vladimir Jurowski at the Bayerische Staatsoper.
Following her highly acclaimed debut as Fricka (Das Rheingold) in Karlsruhe, the role developed into one of her signature Wagner roles, with engagements at Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, at the Latvian National Opera Riga in a production directed by Stefan Herheim, at Aalto-Theater Essen in a production directed by Dietrich Hilsdorf, at Staatstheater Nürnberg and at Theater Dortmund. Other central roles in her Wagner repertoire include Venus (Tannhäuser), Adriano (Rienzi) and Ortrud (Lohengrin). In the dramatic character repertoire, her engagements have included Herodias (Salome) in Klagenfurt, Hannover and at Staatstheater Braunschweig, Klytämnestra (Elektra) at Theater Basel and in a new production at Theater Erfurt, as well as Margret (Wozzeck) at De Nationale Opera Amsterdam. At Komische Oper Berlin, she appeared as the Foreign Princess (Rusalka), Mother Goose (The Rake’s Progress), Pelagea Grigorjewna Podtochina (Die Nase) and as the Queen in the world premiere of Jaromír Weinberger’s Schwanda der Dudelsackspieler. Further engagements took her as Irene (Theodora) to Potsdamer Winteroper, as Matilde (Lotario) to Bern and the International Händel Festival Göttingen, and as Annina (Der Rosenkavalier), La suora zelatrice (Suor Angelica) and Sister Claire (Die Teufel von Loudun) to Bayerische Staatsoper. In Bari, she made her debut as Leokadja Begbick (Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny). Most recently, she appeared as Nell (Fin de Partie) at Theater Basel.
In the concert field, she has worked with renowned orchestras including the Berliner Philharmoniker, London Symphony Orchestra, Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, Orchestre National de France, Concerto Köln and Ensemble Intercontemporain, under conductors such as Pierre Boulez, Riccardo Chailly, Michael Gielen, Eliahu Inbal and Vladimir Jurowski. Her outstanding concert projects include Detlev Glanert’s Requiem for Hieronymus Bosch with the orchestra of Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam and the Hamburger Symphoniker at the Elbphilharmonie under Markus Stenz, as well as Waltraute (Die Walküre) in a concert performance with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at London’s Royal Festival Hall under Vladimir Jurowski.
Her significant CD recordings include songs by Aribert Reimann, Wolfgang Rihm, Anton Webern and Jörg Widmann, as well as the ECHO-winning recording of Hindemith’s Das lange Weihnachtsmahl under Marek Janowski. A CD recording of Glanert’s Requiem for Hieronymus Bosch is also part of her discography.
During her studies at the Universität der Künste Berlin, she was a scholarship holder and attended masterclasses with Brigitte Fassbaender, Christa Ludwig and Aribert Reimann.