Irina Simmes

Soprano Irina Simmes completed her vocal training at the Folkwang Universiät der Künste in Essen and was a member of the opera studio at the Musiktheater im Revier Gelsenkirchen in the 2011/12 season. This was followed by a six-year permanent engagement at the Theater und Orchester Heidelberg, where she was successful in the Mozart roles of Pamina, Countess Almaviva, Fiordiligi and Donna Anna, among others. In 2015, the professional journal »Die Deutsche Bühne« dedicated a cover article to her in its February issue. In addition to roles such as Violetta Valéry in »La traviata«, Laura in »Der Ring des Polykrates«, Musetta in »La bohème«, Rosalinde in »Die Fledermaus« and Micaëla in »Carmen«, her repertoire also includes baroque rarities such as Pilade in Tommaso Traetta's »Ifigenia in Tauride« as well as works of contemporary musical theater, including Christian Jost's »Rumor« and Johannes Harneit's »Abends am Fluss«. In 2017-2019, guest engagements took her to the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, where she appeared on stage as Isolde in Avner Dorman's »Wahnfried« and Lucio Cinna in »Lucio Silla«, and to the Frankfurt Opera, where she debuted as Konstanze in »Die Entführung aus dem Serail« (ML: Sebastian Weigle, R: Christof Loy) and was heard as Gerhilde in »Die Walkür«. In the 2018/19 season Irina Simmes joined the ensemble of Oper Dortmund and made her debut with Lisa in »Das Land des Lächelns« and Max in Oliver Knussen's »Wo die wilden Kerle wohnen«. In the same season she made her debut as the Queen of the Night in »Die Zauberflöte« at the Theater Bielefeld, where she also performed the role of Violetta Valery in a new production of »La traviata«. Most recently she interpreted Josepha Vogelhuber in the operetta »Im weißen Rössl« as well as Elsa in the world premiere of »Neverland« at Oper Dortmund. In 2020/21 she appeared there as Konstanze in »Die Entführung aus dem Serai«. She celebrated a major success with her Sieglinde debut (Richard Wagner, »Die Walküre«) at the Tyrolean Festival Erl in July 2022.