Nadja Michael

Nadja Michael is a German opera singer known for her international career as a leading soprano. Born in 1969 near Leipzig in Wurzen, East Germany, she grew up singing German folksongs with her family while her mother played piano. Her parents were political prisoners who later escaped to West Germany, where Michael studied music in Stuttgart and later attended the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.

Michael began her career as a mezzo-soprano but transitioned to soprano roles in April 2005. She has performed at prestigious venues including La Scala, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Vienna State Opera, Arena di Verona, Glyndebourne, Salzburg, and Berlin State Opera, appearing in notable productions such as *Salome*, *Fidelio*, *Macbeth*, and *Wozzeck*. Her Metropolitan Opera debut was in 2012 as Lady Macbeth, and she returned in 2015 to sing Judith in Bluebeard's Castle.

In addition to her career, Michael resides in Berlin and founded the charity Stimme für die Menschlichkeit. She has been featured in numerous live recordings of operas, including *Carmen*, *Don Carlos*, *Tosca*, *Salome*, and *Médée* with prominent composers and directors.

Her work spans major opera houses worldwide, showcasing her versatility and mastery in both soprano and mezzo-soprano roles.