Our Artist in Residence, Vera-Lotte Boecker, hails from the Rhineland and studied singing in Berlin and Copenhagen. Following stints at the National Theatre in Mannheim and the Komische Oper, the versatile soprano was a member of the Vienna State Opera’s ensemble until 2022. Guest engagements have taken her to the Berlin State Opera and to Moscow, Beijing, Tokyo, New York, Paris, Hamburg, the Bavarian State Opera in Munich and the Salzburg Festival, where she has performed numerous classical and contemporary roles. The specialist magazine Opernwelt named her ‘Singer of the Year 2022’. The following year, she received the German Theatre Prize ‘Der Faust’.

Whilst studying philosophy and literature in Berlin, I began going to concerts, the theatre and the opera. So I didn’t really get to know classical music until relatively late in life, but once I did, it gripped me and never let go. I took singing lessons and passed the entrance exams for singing at both of Berlin’s music academies. I never could have imagined that it would become a career. In fact, even today I’m still surprised that I’m able to work professionally every day with music, lyrics, the voice, sound and expression.

First of all, it’s an honour (laughs)! I was absolutely delighted to be able to call this open-plan venue in the heart of the city my musical home for a season. The residency gives me the chance to have a say in the programme myself: I can sing pieces I’m passionate about, such as Britten’s wonderful *Les Illuminations*. I’ll be performing something by Unsuk Chin and, with my pianist, George Crumb’s magnificent, rarely heard song cycle “Apparition”. Being able to do something outside the opera context is a wonderful change of pace. In a concert setting, I have a completely different sense of autonomy as a singer.

Yes, and it’s the role in which I worked with Joana Mallwitz for the first time! In my opening concert, she will be conducting Alban Berg’s Lulu Suite, and I will be singing the ‘Song of Lulu’. It’s definitely one of my favourite operas and favourite roles. On the one hand, the piece is governed by the laws of twelve-tone music; on the other, it is highly emotional and, to my mind, heart-rendingly moving. The subject matter could hardly be more topical. I’m interested in pieces and characters that have something to say to us today, even though they speak to us from a different era.

Life in Berlin is buzzing, even in the underground scene – more so in the past than it is today. Individuality plays a major role. And every neighbourhood has its own character, resulting in a cityscape that is diverse in the best sense of the word. You often hear people say that Vienna is stuck in a bygone era. That’s actually true. The city is beautiful, elegant, and has flair and charm. Berlin has charm too, but of a rougher sort (laughs). After my many years in Berlin, Vienna is a wonderful contrast for me. But Berlin is also home in a way.