Biography

Concert & Art Song:

Throughout her operatic career, Ms. Waller has intentionally devoted equal amounts of time to orchestral concert and recital endeavors in leading European and American concert venues. Orchestral concert appearances include Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Nationaltheater Mannheim; Mahler’s Das Klagende Lied with Hartmut Haenchen; Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at Düsseldorf’s Tonhalle; the televised gala dedication concert of the Jõhvi (Estonia) Concert Hall; Exultate, Jubilate in Tallinn with the Estonian National Symphony; Dvorák’s Te Deum with the Staatskapelle Weimar; Mozart’s Requiem, Bach’s Jagdkantate and Leonard Bernstein’s Kaddish, in a project with the Franz Liszt Hochschule in Weimar. In 2015 the Staatskanzelei of Thüringen chose the recording of this project to issue as a CD to promote its cultural image and the Young Philharmonic Orchestra Weimar Jerusalem initiative in Israel. Her creative programming of repertoire spanning from Bach to modern composers across cultures and languages continues to enrich the recitals and novel presentation formats of her international career.

Ms. Waller has long had a passion for art song, particularly the oeuvre of Franz Liszt. Released in 2009, Ms. Waller’s first solo CD project, “Génie Oblige!—Franz Liszt: Origin, Oeuvre and Legacy in Song” on which the soprano and her collaborative artist, pianist Margaret Singer, interpret the art songs of Franz Liszt — was awarded that year’s only Diplôme d´Honneur by the Franz Liszt Society of Budapest in its 34th Franz Liszt International Grand Prix du Disque competition. She was selected to portray the art song composition of Franz Liszt in a television documentary produced by ARTE-France to honor the hungarian composer’s bicentennial.

Recordings/ Special Projects:

In addition to her solo CD, she is the soprano soloist in the 2003 Weimar Staatskapelle premiere recording of Christian Jost’s Phoenix Resurrexit on OEHMS KLASSIK and and is heard in the role of La Reine in the full opera recording of Les Nègres with the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande Sisyphe Records. In 2012, she was the soprano soloist in the CD release of Handel’s “Der Messias” recorded live in Halle, Germany. The Staatskanzelei Thüringen chose her recording of Bernstein’s Kaddish Symphony No. 2 to issue a CD representing the Ministry of Culture for international outreach.

An avid researcher, Ms. Waller continues to creates recitals and theatrical works performed worldwide that range in multi-lingual repertoire from rarely performed works such as a 19th concert aria by Carl Maria v. Weber to Siegfried Matthus’ or William Grant Still’s moving pictures of 20th century life. Offstage her abiding passion is to inspire the next generation of classical vocal artists in master classes at universities, intensive seminars and such institutions as the Metropolitan Opera Guild.

Opera:

Wendy Waller’s exceptional vocal art lies in the extremely rare palette of vocal colors over a three-octave range. A reviewer from “Das Orkester” said “Wendy Waller articulated with her phenomenal soprano range the deepest depths and highest heights with astonishing polish, and when she produces the voice with narrow focus she makes the listener freeze...” The synergy of these elements has offered Ms. Waller the opportunity to portray a broad variety of roles from the traditional Bel Canto and French grand opera eras, to the most challenging Mozartean dramatic coloratura and jugendlich-dramatische heroines. Successful appearances as Hanna in The Merry Widow or Elle in Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine led to her decision to expand her repertoire to the operas of Richard Strauss, Verdi, Puccini, the Verismo masters and such French dramatic roles as Thaïs. Her portrayal of the Countess in Strauss’ “Capriccio” in Washington in 2016 was very well received.

The now internationally established soprano made her European stage debut at the Deutsches Nationaltheater Weimar, as the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte.” This role soon became her signature role. As a freelance artist, since 2004, among her opera and concert venues were the Opéra National de Lyon, Grand Théâtre du Genève, Nationaltheater Mannheim, Vanemuine Theatre (Estonia), International Operafestival Miskolç (Hungary), the Tubin Festival weeks in Talinn, the Newport Music Festival and the Klassik Open Air concert in Nurnberg.