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Elsberg, Nicolai - Bass

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Elsberg, NicolaiBass
Elsberg, NicolaiBass
Elsberg, NicolaiBass

Biography

Danish bass Nicolai Elsberg (b. 1989) holds a Bachelor in contemporary music from The Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen (2014). Back then he was lead singer of the critically acclaimed Danish band, Spillemændene, and collaborated with the world famous indie group, Efterklang. Always pushing the limits for genres and experimenting with performing - and with the feeling that the microphone was limiting his voice, Elsberg slowly moved from rhythmic music into the world of classical singing and opera.
 
From 2016 Elsberg studied classical singing at The Royal Danish Academy of Music with the renowned Susanna Eken as voice teacher.
 
In 2019 he was invited for the Vocal Residency at Festival d’Aix-en-Provence led by Edith Wiens, and later that summer sang the role of Il Commendatore in a new interpretation of Mozart's Don Giovanni at The Copenhagen Opera Festival, where he also sang Colline in Puccini's La Bohème.
 
Nicolai Elsberg graduated in the summer of 2020 to join the soloist ensemble at The Royal Danish Opera (RDO). Despite the pandemic, Elsberg has in 2020 been fortunate to do three productions at RDO: Plutone in Monteverdi's L’Orfeo, Sarastro in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and Watchman & Masquerade Master in the Carl Nielsen-opera, Masquerade.
 
In 2020 Elsberg received three talent prizes from his home country: The Copenhagen Opera Festival Talent Prize, The Léonie Sonning Talent Prize and The Queen Ingrid Honorary Grant.
 
In June 2021 Elsberg has participated in the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition representing Denmark as one of the 16 singers chosen from a record high number of applicants.
 
In the season 2021-2022 Nicolai will sing Colline and Il Commendatore at RDO as well as multiple roles in The Nose by Shostakovich and the bass soloist in Mozart’s Requiem.
 
In december 2022 he will sing his first Sarastro abroad at Opéra National du Rhin.
 
Elsberg‘s rich sonorous voice has also caught the attention of contemporary composers such as Karsten Fundal and Rasmus Zwicki, who has written respectively an opera and an oratorio specifically for Elsbergs rare Lyricher/Dramaticher Seriöser Bass.