Nordic Singers is a group of four professional opera singers from the Royal Danish Theatre, accompanied by pianist Knud Rasmussen. Their lively and entertaining concerts combine world-famous opera arias with operetta, musicals, Nordic songs, and pop/rock hits by ABBA and Queen.
With outstanding vocals, humour, and a relaxed style, they create a unique concert experience where audiences can laugh, cry, and sing along.
The singers are Randi Gislason and Cecilia Hjortsberg (sopranos), Magnus Gislason (tenor), and Hans Lawaetz (baritone).
The Nordic Singers have sang together for 10 years and with their sought after concerts they have been touring the USA and Canada, Denmark and Sweden.
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The Nordic Singers
Cecilia Hjortsberg
Cecilia Hjortsberg studied at The Royal Music Academy of Stockholm, Chamber music program and at The Opera Studio at the Gothenburg Opera, She has performed starring roles as the Witch in Hansel and Gretel; lsis in Naumann's Osiris production by the Malmo Lyrical Ensemble; Donna Anna in Mozart's Don Giovanni, production by the Opera of Skane Georgetta; in Puccini's Il Tabarro, production by the Opera i Provinsen; Desdemona in Verdi's Othello, production by the Opera i Provinsen. She performed at Takkeloftet at the Royal Danish Opera.
Soprano
Magnus Gislason
Gislason was trained at the Music Conservatoire in Reykjavik, Iceland, and received further training in Milan under Prof. G. Ostini and masterclasses with Julia Hamari and Placido Domingo. He was permanently engaged at the Danish Royal Opera in 1991, and has since sung a series of concerts abroad and all around Denmark such as Verdi Requiem and Messe solennelle in Denmark and in Dresden, Frankfurt and Prague last year. In the summer of 2000, he sang Don Jose in Bizet's Carmen in Hamburg in connection with the "Carmen 2000" project under the leadership of the conductor Cord Garben; in October, 2005-06, the production was performed in Tokyo, Japan. In 2006-07 he sang with the Royal Norwegian Opera in the premier of the opera "Aurora" by Tryggve Madsen. Magnus frequently sings concerts in Denmark and Germany.
Tenor
Randi Gislason studied at the Opera Academy in Copenhagen. She made her debut in the vocally-demanding role of Lady Billows in Britten's Albert Herring in Arhus, Denmark. She has since then sung a number of leading roles such as Lady Macbeth in Verdi's Macbeth; Giorgetta in Puccini's II Tabarro; Donna Elvira in Mozart's Don Giovanni; and has appeared in operettas such as Rosalinde in The Bat. In addition to opera roles Gislason has given many recitals in lieder-oratorio and opera/operetta, such as Verdi's Requiem. Among other awards, she received The Danish Wagner Society's Scholarship to Bayreuth, Germany
SopranoRandi Gislason
Knud Rasmussen
PianistRasmussen was trained at the Fynen Music Conservatory in Odense, with further studies at the Danish Royal Music Conservatory in Copenhagen. He has diplomas in piano, organ, and guitar performance, and has accompanied singers in all branches of music, classical and modern. He is the founder of the much acclaimed Joyful Noise Gospel Choir, which has performed all over Denmark as well as in the U.S.A. He is also the organist at the Gammel Holte Kirke in Denmark
Graduated with a diploma from the Jutland Academy of Music in 1986. His teachers included Ulrik Cold and Peer Birch, and he continued his studies in Rome, Amsterdam, and New York.
From 1981 to 1983, he was engaged with the Jutland Opera as a chorus member and soloist in productions including Madama Butterfly, Fidelio, Tristan und Isolde, and Rigoletto.
Since 1993, he has been a member of the Royal Danish Opera Chorus, performing solo roles in numerous productions, including The Barber of Seville, Tosca, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Das Rheingold, Rigoletto, Il viaggio a Reims, The Love for Three Oranges, Rusalka, La Traviata, Kafka by Poul Ruders, Madama Butterfly, and Romeo and Juliet.
His engagements have also included The Second Opera, GuidOpera, ØresundsOpera, Galaxen, and The New Opera, with roles such as Belcore in The Elixir of Love, Frank in Die Fledermaus, and Donner in Das Rheingold. He also appears as Donner on the DVD recording of The Copenhagen Ring.
As an oratorio soloist, Hans Lawaetz has performed an extensive repertoire, including Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, St Matthew Passion and St John Passion, Fauré’s Requiem, Brahms’s Requiem, as well as Fynsk Forår and Elverskud. He has appeared as a soloist with all of Denmark’s regional orchestras.
Hans Lawaetz is a member of Nordic Singers, combining opera with lighter, entertaining musical performances. Since August 2016, he has also been a member of the Danish National Concert Choir (DR Koncertkoret).
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