Åsa Jäger, soprano

Biography

Åsa Jäger is an up and coming dramatic soprano, currently residing in Väderstad, midway between Stockholm and Gothenburg in Sweden, but born and raised in Holmsund outside Umeå in the northern part of Sweden. She studied at the University College of Opera in Stockholm and graduated with honors in June 2015.

In April 2022, after a two times postponed premiere due to covid-19, Åsa made her german- Wagner- and role debut at Landestheater Coburg, portraying the role of Brünnhilde i Wagner’s Die Walküre. Her performance was greeted by a unanimous chorus of critics who all praised her clear tone, infectious zest and honest portrayal of Brünnhilde. She even ended up on Alex Ross‘s short list of notable performances during 2022 in The New Yorker.

In the 23/24 season Åsa is continuing the Ring-cycle in Coburg and she made her debut as Brünnhilde in Siegfried in March of 2023. Also this debut was a successful one, according to the critics who were all impressed by her phenomenal voice and stage presence. The season continues and in February 2024, Åsa will sing Senta in The Flying Dutchman at the Gothenburg Opera, making not only her house debut in Gothenburg, but also her role – and Wagner debut in Sweden.

Åsa has worked with conductors such as Daniel Carter, Anja Bihlmaier, Tabita Berglund, Ola Rudner and Patrik Ringborg and she has performed with orchestras such as The Royal Swedish Orchestra, the Norrlandsoperan Symphony Orchestra, the Gävle Symphony Orchestra, the Swedish Wind Ensemble, KammarensembleN, the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra and the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra. In addition to the traditional opera repertoire, Åsa, also sings contemporary music. In the last couple of years she has made no less than three first performances of short operas, including Om människan/On Humanity together with KammarensembleN at Folkoperan in Stockholm, Sweden.

During the years Åsa has received a number of prestigious awards, including the Anders Wall’s Giresta scholarship and the Swedish Wagner society’s Bayreuth scholarship in 2015 as well as the Danish Wagner society’s Bayreuth scholarship in 2022. She was also a recipient of the Royal Academy of Musics national scholarschip for five years in a row 2012-2017.

Nordic Art Songs and German Lieder lies close to Åsa’s heart, and she has a large repertoire. She performs regularly and in close collaboration with different pianists. Åsa’s voice has a dark timbre, a strong mid range and a shimmering height that takes a room in possession. Characteristic for Åsa’s stage persona is her desire for total honesty in her expression. The underlying relationship between character, performer, music and psychology is what motivates Åsa in her daily work and she is always keen in exploring these perspectives further.

Calendar
Repertoire
Opera roles

Benjamin Britten

ALBERT HERRING/Lady Billows

Petter Ekman

PURER AIR THAT MORTALS/ George Mallory

Andreas Hallén

WALDEMARSKATTEN/ Ava

Engelbert Humperdinck

HÄNSEL UND GRETEL/Mother

Richard Wagner

SIEGFRIED/Brünnhilde
DIE WALKÜRE/ Sieglinde
DIE WALKÜRE/ Brünnhilde
Concert/Oratotio

Felix Mendelssohn

Symphony no. 2 'Lobgesang'

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Requiem KV 626

Gioacchino Rossini

Petite Messe Solenelle
Review
Siegfried, Landestheater Coburg, 2023
Bachtrack
Wed, 2023-03-01
”Here again, Åsa Jäger sang a robust, radiant Brünnhilde, whose seemingly inexhaustible vocal capacities were once again breathtaking”.
Siegfried, Landestheater Coburg, 2023
Neue Musikzeitung
Wed, 2023-03-01
”This fired up both Åsa Jäger’s energetic as well as luminous Brünnhilde and the general music director Daniel Carter, whose performance in the revival scene with the Philharmonic Orchestra was increasingly lush and indulgent”.
Siegfried, Landestheater Coburg, 2023
Der Opernfreund
Wed, 2023-03-01
"Åsa Jäger’s Brünnhilde legitimises all possible scenic nonchalance. In “Die Walküre” she overwhelmed the audience by her pure vocal presence in the dramatic as well as in the heartfelt phrases, in “Siegfried” she repeats exactly this in “her” scene (…)The expectations for Coburg’s “Götterdämmerung” are already enormously high for this reason”.
Siegfried, Landestheater Coburg, 2023
Neue Presse
Wed, 2023-03-01
”The Siegfried-Brünnhilde is probably the most difficult of the three Brünnhilde in “Der Ring des Nibelungen”: she has no warm-up phase, must be fully present right away in a challenging vocal range. Åsa Jäger, who already thrilled the Coburg audience as Walküre, shone again this time with her sovereign mastery of this short but difficult role. In addition to the glistening, explosive high notes, the soprano found a dramatically blossoming tone with depth of soul in the lyrical moments”.
Siegfried, Landestheater Coburg, 2023
BR Klassik
Wed, 2023-03-01
”With the Swedish Åsa Jäger, a Brünnhilde with a phenomenal voice was on stage in Coburg”.
Die Walküre, Landestheater Coburg, 2022
Fränkischer Tag Kritik von Jochen Berger
Tue, 2022-03-01
The cast of soloists is very well balanced with a mixture of in-house forces and a number of guests at a high level with many role debuts. Åsa Jäger as Brünnhilde impresses the premiere audience just as much with her assertive soprano and haunting interpretation as Jessica Stavros as Sieglinde.
Die Walküre, Landestheater Coburg, 2022
Neue Presse
Tue, 2022-03-01
First and foremost, we should mention the young Swedish soprano Åsa Jäger, who lets her luminous voice resound powerfully and expansively as the wild Valkyrie, only to let soft, lyrical tones be heard in the final touching dialogue with the father.
Die Walküre, Landestheater Coburg, 2022
Bamberg Richard Wagner Verband
Among the guest soloists, one in particular stood out at the premiere: Åsa Jäger as Brünnhilde. The young Swede not only mastered the role (apart from two minor lapses on this evening) with remarkable verbal comprehensibility, but also sang her very first Hojotoho with such a lively lightness, confidence in the high notes and penetrating power that it was a real joy. She also succeeds in portraying a compelling role that requires concentration, strength, talent and courage. Bravura, a stroke of luck from a Wotan child!
Press Service

Photo: Stewen Quigley

Photo: Stewen Quigley

Media
1. G. Puccini - Vissi d'arte (Tosca) 2. J. Sibelius - Demanten på marssnön 3. J. Sibelius - Svarta rosor 4. R. Wagner - Dich teure halle (Tannhäuser)
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Representation:
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