Simone Schneider
Soprano
The coloratura soprano Simone Schneider from Hagen, studied at the Staatlichen Hochschule für Musik in Munich, where she received her degree in 1965.  She further developed her voice under the training of her father Dietrich Schneider, who continues to coach her.

During her last year of study, she was already a member of the opera studio of the Bavarian State Opera.  Here she could be seen in numerous productions and concerts in roles such as Norina in Don Pasquale, Adele in Die Fledermaus, and Olympia in Hoffmanns Erzählungen, to name a few.  

At the Bavarian State Opera, she was especially successful in the modern sphere. In the premier of Henze's Venus and Adonis under the direction of Markus Stenz she was the first Madrigalistin. And in Bose's Schlachthof 5, she was Barbara and Valencia at the Opernfestspiel in 1996.  Furthermore, she sang the Taumännchen in Hänsel and Gretel, the First Unborn in Frau ohne Schatten, the Modisten in Der Rosenkavalier, and the Cousin in Madame Butterfly.

In the course of the Munich Biennale in 1997, she performed in the Prinzregententheater as Die Sängerin in the premier of Moritz Eggerts' Helle Nächte.

Further guest appearances were performed at the Teatro Felice in Genoa, at the Prinzregententheater in Munich, where she debuted in 1999 as Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos, at the Münchner Gärtnerplatztheater in the 1995-6 Season, at the Oper Leipzig, at the Mainfrankentheater Würzburg, at the Theater Chemnitz, at the Staatsoper Hannover and at the Staatsoper Stuttgart respectively as Königin Der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte.

She has been a permanent member of the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz since the 1997-8 season, as coloratura soprano. Here she could be heard as Königin Der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte, Konstanze in Entführung aus dem Serail, Elettra in Idomeneo, Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos, Olympia in Hoffmanns Erzählungen, Minette in Die Englische Katze, Ital. Sängerin in Capriccio, Philine in Mignon, and Norina in Don Pasquale, among other roles.

In Barock-Pasticcio's "Ein Theater nach der Mode" she embodied the coloratura wonder Livia Livingston.

In October 2003 in the course of "350 Jahre Oper in München" and for the 250th anniversary of the Opening of the Münchner Residenztheaters, she sang the role of Marzia in the highly acclaimed premiere of Giovanni B. Ferrandinis' Opera Catone in Utica after the libretto of Metastasio.  Under the direction of the Barock specialist Christoph Hammer and the Barock ensemble "Neue Hofkapelle München", a CD was produced.

In June 2005, she performed the title role in Handel's Alcina at the Staatstheater Hannover. There she was also heard in January 2006 as Giunia in Mozart's Lucio Silla.                 

In March 2006, she celebrated a successful debut at the Semperoper Dresden in the role of Konstanze in Entführung aus dem Serail.

Since the 2006-7 Season, she has been an ensemble member of the Staatsoper Stuttgart. There she has been heard in roles such as Konstanze in Entführung aus dem Serail, Giunia in Lucio Silla and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni to name a few.  In the new production of Idomeneo, she has been performing the role of Elettra since the 2007-8 Season.

As of 1995, Simone Schneider has been performing in concerts both at home and abroad. Among these are various engagements with the Chor Und Orchester Des Bayerischen Rundfunks in live performances and CD live recordings. In cooperation during the concert series Paradisi Glorie, 2001 in Zoltan Kodálys Missa Breve under the musical direction of Marcello Viotti, in the premiere of Wilfried Hiller's Eduard auf dem Seil in the Münchner Herkulessaal under the direction of Werner Seitzer and in Fanny Hensel's  Faust in the Herkulessaal under the direction of Prof. Michael Gläser, to name a few.

She performed Carmina Burana among other roles in Budapest and in Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 2 among other roles at the Philharmonie München.  Additional tours with Gala concerts took her to Frankfurt, Dresden, New York and Chicago.  She sang several times at the Internationalen Bachakademie and the Gächinger Kantorei under the direction of Helmuth Rilling, as the soprano role in Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, as well as the f-Moll Messe from Anton Bruckner, Reger's Requiem, and Dvorak's Stabat Mater at the European Music festival in Stuttgart. She sang Verdi's Requiem multiple times with great success at the Festival Europäischer Kirchenmusik Schwäbisch Gmünd among other places.

In the autumn of 2007, she embodied the role of Alceste from Wieland's Schweizer under the musical direction of Michael Hofstetter for the opening of the new Staatsbibliothek Weimar. A CD and DVD recording have been produced of this concert.