The young mezzosoprano Marlene Lichtenberg was discovered in 2001 by the conductor Fritz Weisse - foundator of the National Singing Competition - in her home town in South Tyrol (Austria). Subsequently she studied singing at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and the renowned Janacek Music Academy in Brno (Czech Republic).She took master classes with KS Hilde Zadek and Sena Jurinac. Recently she has been taking private singing lessons with KS Gabriele Schnaut. Marlene Lichtenberg was musically formed by her first teacher, the successful Czech bass-baritone Richard Novak, by Janina Baechle and Vito Maria Brunetti.
In summer 2007, the attractive singer, whose mezzosoprano voice shows a beautiful profound depth, had her opera debut at the Festival d‘Opéra Avenches. With her interpretation of Maddalena (in Rigoletto) at the Teatro Regio di Torino she earned much acclaim. Besides, the soprano was very successful in the title role of Philippe Boesman’ s Julie at the Teatro Comunale Bolzano, as Ulrica at the Kosice State Theatre and in Brixen.
In spring 2010 she was invited to sing Carmen at the Liberec Opera. At the Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania she portrayed the First Maid ( in Strauss’ Elektra) and the Princess (in ‘Suor Angelica’) she sang a.o. in Sirmione. In summer 2010 she again performed Ulrica, this time at the Teatro Malatesta di Montefiore Conca and Fenena at the Opera Festival Bad Hersfeld. For this last performance she was awarded the Opera Prize for the best singer of the 2010 Festival.
Marlene Lichtenberg portrayed Gertrude (in Gounod’s ‘Roméo et Juliette’) in September 2010 at the Teatro di Pisa and in January 2011 at the Teatro Alighieri di Ravenna. In the upcoming season 2012/13 she will sing Waltraute and the First Norn (in ‘Götterdämmerung’) at the Cottbus State Theatre and make her debut here as Erda and Flosshilde (in ‘Das Rheingold’).
Apart from her numerous opera performances, Marlene Lichtenberg is also a very much sought-after concert soloist. She already performed in Berlin with the Thomas Boys Choir Leipzig, sang Mozart’s Requiem in Bremen and Bach’s Mass in B-minor at the Beethoven Hall in Bonn. Recently, she inspired the Brandenburg Summer Concert’s audience with Mahler’s 3rd symphony.
In addition to her ‘native languages’ German and Italian Marlene Lichtenberg is fluent in French and Czech. Her vast repertoire includes not only alto parts like Ulrica, Erda and Eboli, but also Amneris and her favourite role Carmen.
Lately, the artist celebrated great successes in the Cottbus State Theatre as Erda (in Siegfried), as Amneris (in Aida), Jezibaba (in Rusalka) and as Niklas (The Tales of Hoffmann).