Christiane Kohl was born in
Frankfurt and grew up in
Idstein. After her
Abitur at the Pestalozzi-Gymnasium, she studied at the
Mozarteum in Salzburg with
Lilian Sukis and Elisabeth Wilke. She received her diploma with distinction in 2003. In 2000, she made her debut at the
Salzburg Festival as First Priestess in Gluck's
Iphigénie en Tauride. In 2001, she appeared at the
Wiener Kammeroper for the 90th birthday of
Gian Carlo Menotti in his presence as Laetitia in his opera
Die alte Jungfer und der Dieb. She was a member of the
Zurich Opera from 2002 to 2009, performing such roles as Angèle Didier in
Der Graf von Luxemburg, Elvira in Rossini's ''
L'italiana in Algeri'', the First Lady in Mozart's
Die Zauberflöte, Gretel in Humperdinck's
Hänsel und Gretel, Helmwige in
Die Walküre, Iris in
Semele, Lisa in Bellini's
La sonnambula, and Musetta in Puccini's
La bohème. In 2008, she performed the role of Christine in
Intermezzo of Richard Strauss, conducted by
Peter Schneider and staged by
Jens-Daniel Herzog. A review in the
FAZ by Holger Noltze translates to: With clear articulation, great eloquence and the necessary resources Christiane Kohl met the demands of the role, continually switching through all the shades between parlando and singing, and between a well-judged bitchy tone and finely shaped lines. In 2008, Kohl recorded in the
Frauenkirche Dresden the
Christmas oratorio of
Gottfried August Homilius, with
Annette Markert,
Marcus Ullmann,
Tobias Berndt, Sächsisches Vocalensemble and
Virtuosi Saxoniae, conducted by
Ludwig Güttler. With the choir
Der Gemischte Chor Zürich she performed in 2008 Mozart's
Requiem and Bach's
Oster-Oratorium with the
Tonhalle Orchester Zürich, and in 2010 Bruckner's
Mass in F minor. She has worked as a free-lance singer since 2009. In February 2011, she performed in her hometown's
Unionskirche the first soprano part of Mendelssohn's
Lobgesang. In 2011, she performed the part of the Countess in Mozart's
Le nozze di Figaro in Klagenfurt. She sang the title role of Mařenka in
The Bartered Bride at the
Komische Oper Berlin. From the 2011/12 season, she was a member of the
Opernhaus Dortmund and appeared in the first production of director Jens-Daniel Herzog, as Senta in Wagner's
Der fliegende Holländer, conducted by
Jac van Steen, with
Andreas Macco in the title role. == References ==