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About
Born: The Netherlands
The Dutch soprano, Johannette Zomer, began her studies at the Sweelinck Conservatory Amsterdam in 1990 with Charles van Tassel, after having worked as a microbiology analyst for several years. In June 1997 she was awarded her Performance Diploma.
Johannette Zomer's repertoire ranges from medieval music through all music of the Baroque and Classical eras, including opera, but also Lieder, French Romanticism and Contemporary music. The prestigious Gramophone magazine said of her: “A new voice to watch”
Johannette Zomer's concert appearances are also many and various. She has worked with Baroque specialists such as Frans Brüggen, Reinhard Goebel, Philippe Herreweghe, René Jacobs, Ton Koopman, Sigiswald Kuijken, Paul McCreesh and Jos van Veldhoven, but has also worked with conductors including Kent Nagano, Iván Fischer, Marcus Creed, Daniel Harding, Valery Gergiev, Reinbert de Leeuw and Péter Eötvös. Further she regularly gives recitals with pianist Bart van de Roer, the forte-piano specialist Arthur Schoonderwoerd and the theorbo player Fred Jacobs and is also a member of several Early Music groups; a.o. Compania Vocale, with whom she sang at the Ambraser Schlosskonzerte in Innsbruck and at the "Oude Muziek Festival Utrecht" during the summer of 1997.
In October 1996 Johannette Zomer made her opera debut as the page Tebaldo in Verdi's Don Carlo with the Nationale Reis Opera, the Dutch Travel Opera Company. Since then she appeareded in Strauss’ Salomé (conducted by Valery Gergiev), and as Amanda in Ligeti’s Le Grand Macabre (under Reinbert de Leeuw). Following that she sang her first Pamina in W.A. Mozart's Zauberflöte (under Ton Koopman) and performed twice as Euridice; in Haydn’s as well as Monteverdi’s Orpheo. Recent performances also include Belinda in Dido and Aneas by Purcell. With Cantus Cölln she appeared in a staged performance of Monteverdi Madrigals. She has also made regular appearances in roles including La Musica, Euridice, Dalinda and Ilia, as well as Mélisande in Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande.
Regularly Johannette Zomer contributes to CD-recording projects. A few of her recent releases - all very well received in both press and radio - are: J.S. Bach's Mass in B minor (BWV 232) with the Collegium Vocale Gent under Phillippe Herreweghe (Harmonia Mundi), Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem under Philippe Herreweghe (Harmonia Mundi) , François Couperin’s Leçons des Ténèbres (Channel Classics) and Bach Cantates under Ton Koopman (Channel Classics) . She has also recorded some recitals with theorbist Fred Jacobs, such as Caccini’s Nuove Musiche (Channel Classics) and Schubert Songs with Arthur Schoonderwoerd on piano forte (Kennst du das Land, Alpha). In february 2007 a CD was released with J.S. Bach's Mass in B minor (BWV 232) (Nederlandse Bachvereniging). She has recently recorded a French song recital with Fred Jacobs, named ‘Forêts solitaires et sombres’.