Lise davidsen

Music that changed me

Described as a ‘one-in-a-million voice’ by conductor Antonio Pappano, Lise Davidsen came to international attention in 2015 when she won the Operalia, Queen Sonja and Hans Gabor Belvedere competitions. The Norwegian lyric-dramatic soprano has since made her name in the world’s major opera houses, particularly in Wagner, Richard Strauss and, most recently, Verdi. She has recorded three solo albums for Decca, and this year releases Christmas from Norway on the label.

I grew up in Stokke, a tiny little town in the countryside in the south of Norway. I didn’t have a typically musical family. There wasn’t music all around. But I do remember Christmas being a big thing. We went to the church, and everyone would sing in the nativity play, and my sister and I were part of it. One year they gave me the solo of ‘Nå er den hellige time’ (Now is the holy hour) – and that was the biggest moment of my life. It’s a poppy, gospel song. My mum has told me several times that she remembers me standing in the living room practising and practising. I loved it so much. We were all dressed in white robes with candles in our hands. It was a very grown-up feeling, being responsible for having a solo.

After the nativity play, as part of the prelude for the church service on Christmas Eve, there would be O Helga Natt, the Swedish version of ADAM’s O Holy Night. I was asked to sing it – and that was the next important thing for me. I was still in high school at the time, so it was a long time before I became an opera singer. It’s a popular song in Norway, there are many versions of it and everyone has their favourite. That’s why I love it.

I didn’t have singing lessons until I was 16, when I started playing the guitar a bit and wanted to be a singer-songwriter. It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed singing without knowing where it would take me. Bach was my way into classical music. I started properly studying the mezzo-soprano repertoire and Baroque music at the Grieg Academy of Music in Bergen. VIVALDI’s ‘ Laudamus te’ from the Gloria was a piece from when I was in the girls’ choir as a student, which I learnt so much from.

I came from a team sports background, so I absolutely went into choral singing with the group mentality. I don’t think I would be here without the choir. It gave me confidence. A couple of years after doing the Vivaldi, which I remember so well because it was such a big thing, I went to the Opera Academy at t