Waltraud Meier

Waltraud Meier's talent, perfectionism, charisma, unmatched stage presence, text studies and complete devotion to the art of singing has made her one of the greatest opera singers of our time. She is a great actress as well. She gave her final performance on 20 October 2023 at the Staatsoper Berlin.

Waltraud Meier

Waltraud Meier was born in Würzburg in 1956. She made her debut in 1976 at the Würzburg Opera as Lola in "Cavalleria rusticana". In 1980, she made her international début at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires as Fricka in "Die Walküre".

Waltraud Meier as Isolde

After the success as Kundry at the Bayreuth Festival in 1983 her career moved up to a new level. The following years she regularly appeared at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Metropolitan, La Scala, Opéra national de Paris, Wiener Staatsoper and Bayerische Staatsoper.

Waltraud Meier as Isolde

In 1993 she sang Isolde for the first time, in Heiner Müller's beautiful production in Bayreuth, a sensational debut despite her conflicts with the producer. This production is now one of the classic productions from the Bayreuth Festival, and recently issued on DVD.

Waltraud Meier as Waltraute

Waltraud Meier as Waltraute in Harry Kupfer's production of Der Ring des Nibelungen.

In 1995 she recorded Tristan und Isolde with Daniel Barenboim conducting. Her interpretations of Kundry, Isolde, Ortrud, Venus and Sieglinde in many productions around the world has made her one of the greatest Wagner singers of our time.

Waltraud Meier is Kammersängerin of the Bayerischen Staatsoper and Wiener Staatsoper. She is also Honorary Member of Wiener Staatsoper.

She gave her final performance on 20 October 2023 at the Berlin State Opera as Klytämnestra in Patrice Chéreau’s production of Richard Strauss' Elektra.

A selection of Waltraud Meier's Wagner productions on DVD

Tristan und Isolde (Isolde)
Peter Konwitschny, Zubin Mehta, Staatsoper München
Tristan und Isolde (Isolde)
Heiner Müller, Daniel Barenboim, Siegfried Jerusalem, Bayreuther Festspiele
Tannhäuser (Venus)
David Alden, Zubin Mehta, René Kollo, Staatsoper München
Götterdämmerung (Waltraute)
Harry Kupfer, Daniel Barenboim, Bayreuther Festspiele
Lohengrin (Ortrud)
Nikolaus Lehnhoff, Kent Nagano, Baden-Baden
Parsifal (Kundry)
Nikolaus Lehnhoff, Kent Nagano, Christopher Ventris, Baden-Baden
Parsifal (Kundry)
Otto Schenk, James Levine, Metropolitan

Waltraud Meier as Isolde, Bayreuth Festival

A selection of Waltraud Meier's Wagner productions on CD

Götterdämmerung (Waltraute)
Daniel Barenboim, Bayreuther Festspiele
Tristan und Isolde
Daniel Barenboim, Berliner Philharmoniker
Parsifal (Kundry)
Christian Thielemann, Placido Domingi, Falk Struckmann, Wiener Staatsoper
Tannhäuser (Venus, Altsolo)
Daniel Barenboim, Staatskapelle Berlin

Waltraud Meier

Waltraud Meier on Harry Kupfer's Ring production at Bayreuth

Denken Sie an Harry Kupfers grandiosen Bayreuther "Ring des Nibelungen". Bei diesen klugen und dabei emotional intensiven Bildern, bei denen stets ein Element des Gesamtkunstwerks ins andere greift, war ich ergriffen. Dagegen ist vieles heute nur noch banal, oberflächlich, läppisch und im Grunde moderner Kitsch. (Waltraud Meier ïnterviewed by Die Welt)