Ragnhild Heiland Sorensen

Ragnhild Heiland Sørensen was educated at the Conservatory in Bergen, The Academy of Music and at the Operahøgskolen in Oslo, Norway. In 1991, she was engaged with the Norwegian Opera as a trainee and did a remarkable debut as Mimi in La Bohème. In the following years she performed Welgunde in Das Rheingold, Hellwige in Die Walküre, Micaela in Carmen, Pamina in The Magic Flute, Violetta in La traviata as well as Dagny Kielland in Mysteries. In 1993 Ragnhild Heiland Sørensen became a soloist at The Norwegian Opera. In the season of 1995–1996 she was engaged in performing: Countess Almaviva in The Wedding of Figaro, Liu in Turandot, Dagny Kielland in Mysteries, Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly, Wellgunde in Das Rheingold, Helmwige in Die Walküre, and 3. Norne in Götterdämmerung. Micaela in Carmen, Grofin Bronislava in The Beggar Student and Desdemona in Stein Winge’s Otello. Ragnhild Heiland Sørensen is much in demand as a performer of concerts. Among her repertoire is also Brahm’s Ein deutsches Requiem, Bach’s Solocantatas, H. Villa-Lobos Bachianas Brassilleras nr. 5 as well as Mozarts’ Exultate Jubilate. She has also performed at The Oslo Chamber Music Festival lead by Arve Tellefsen and Risør Chamber Music Festival, Norway. Ragnhild Heiland Sørensen has also been an active performer of contemporary music and has attended several festivals, e. g. Festspillene i Bergen and others in the Nordic countries. During The XVII Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer, Ragnhild Heiland Sørensen had the honour of performing Halgrimsson’s work Rima together with The Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, for the first time. She has later guested with the Reykjavik Chamber Orchestra on Island with Halgrimsson’s Rima. The Norwegian composer Johan Kvandahl has composed music especially for Ragnhild Heiland Sørensen. She performed these songs, based on texts by Shakespeare, for the first time with Trondheimsolistene, Norway, in March 1995. She is a Finalist of the International song contest of Hertogenbosch, Holland, Operaens Venners Talentpris 1991, Flagstadprisen 1993, Hagegården Scholarship 1995. This season is mostly a Puccini-season for Ranghild. She sings Mimi, Madama Butterfly and Suor Angelica. She will also perform in Verdi’s Requiem.