Annette Schönmüller
Born in Munich and trained at Vienna’s University of Music and the Performing Arts (organ, conducting, musicology, singing) mezzo-soprano Annette Schönmüller gained rapidly increasing attention for her impressive stage presence and vocal intensity and received rave reviews for her performances of music theater works, especially from the late 20th and 21st century. Schönmüller’s artistic career has led her to guest engagements as a soloist in internationally acclaimed houses and festivals including principal roles at the Theater an der Wien (mono-opera The Medium by Peter Maxwell Davies), Oper Frankfurt, State Opera Stuttgart, Opera House Zurich (e.g. the world premiere of Heinz Holliger’s opera LUNEA), Staatstheater Darmstadt (Luigi Nono’s Prometeo), Munich Biennale, Salzburg Biennale (Salvatore Sciarrino’s Infinito nero), Konzerthaus Berlin (Adriana Hölszky’s Bremer Freiheit) to name a few. Artistic collaborations with Peter Eötvös, Aribert Reimann, Pierluigi Billone, Chaya Czernowin, Fabián Panisello, Andreas Homoki, Johannes Erath, Cornelius Meister, Emilio Pomàrico, Jonathan Stockhammer, Johannes Kalitzke, Titus Engel. Peter Eötvös wrote the main female part of his opera Paradise reloaded (Lilith) for her voice which had its world premiere at Neue Oper Wien. Last season she made her highly acclaimed debut as Ophelia in Wolfgang Rihm’s Hamletmaschine at Staatstheater Kassel. The season 2024/2025 includes e.g. performances at Oper Frankfurt (Hans Werner Henze’s Prinz von Homburg) and further debuts at Wiener Musikverein with the RSO Vienna, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden with Pierre Boulez’s Le Marteau sans maître with ensemble recherche, festival Wien Modern, and Festival de Granada (Luciano Berio’s Folk Songs).
