Opera Singer. A mezzo soprano who also performed a number of soprano roles, she is remembered for her long career as a principal artist of the Vienna State Opera (VSO). Raised in Salzburg, she studied at the Salzburg Mozarteum as well as at the Vienna Academy of Music prior to her October 18, 1979 VSO debut as Barbarina from Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro". Gabriele became a company member of the VSO in 1982 and remained there thru 1999, along the way singing 599 performances of 57 roles, in addition to her frequent well-received appearances with the Zurich Opera, the Salzburg Festival, the Hamburg Opera, and the Berlin State Opera. Her assignments included roles large and small, among them Octavian from Richard Strauss' "Der Rosenkavalier", a Fortune Teller in the same composer's "Arabella", Idamante from Mozart's Idomeneo", both Berta and the lead role of Rosina in Rossini's "The Barber of Saville", Papagena of Mozart's "The Magic Flute", Esmerelda in Bedric Smetana's "The Bartered Bride", Zerlina from Mozart's "Don Giovanni", Zenia of Mussorgsky's "Boris Godunov", Annio in Mozart's "La Clemenza di Tito", Gianetta from Donizetti's "L'Elisir d'Amore", the poet's muse Nicklausse in Jacques Offenbach's "The Tales of Hoffmann", Violetta's maid Flora of Verdi's "La Traviata", Siebel in Gounod's "Faust", as well as roles in a number of lesser known works. Gabriele was designated Kammersangerin which entitled her to use the initials KS in front of her name in 1996, essentially retired after 1999, and in 2003 was appointed Professor at the Vienna Academy of Music and Art, a position she held until her death. At her demise, she could be heard on movie preservations of "The Marriage of Figaro", "Faust", and Richard Strauss' "Elektra", as well as on many live 'pirate' recordings.
Opera Singer. A mezzo soprano who also performed a number of soprano roles, she is remembered for her long career as a principal artist of the Vienna State Opera (VSO). Raised in Salzburg, she studied at the Salzburg Mozarteum as well as at the Vienna Academy of Music prior to her October 18, 1979 VSO debut as Barbarina from Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro". Gabriele became a company member of the VSO in 1982 and remained there thru 1999, along the way singing 599 performances of 57 roles, in addition to her frequent well-received appearances with the Zurich Opera, the Salzburg Festival, the Hamburg Opera, and the Berlin State Opera. Her assignments included roles large and small, among them Octavian from Richard Strauss' "Der Rosenkavalier", a Fortune Teller in the same composer's "Arabella", Idamante from Mozart's Idomeneo", both Berta and the lead role of Rosina in Rossini's "The Barber of Saville", Papagena of Mozart's "The Magic Flute", Esmerelda in Bedric Smetana's "The Bartered Bride", Zerlina from Mozart's "Don Giovanni", Zenia of Mussorgsky's "Boris Godunov", Annio in Mozart's "La Clemenza di Tito", Gianetta from Donizetti's "L'Elisir d'Amore", the poet's muse Nicklausse in Jacques Offenbach's "The Tales of Hoffmann", Violetta's maid Flora of Verdi's "La Traviata", Siebel in Gounod's "Faust", as well as roles in a number of lesser known works. Gabriele was designated Kammersangerin which entitled her to use the initials KS in front of her name in 1996, essentially retired after 1999, and in 2003 was appointed Professor at the Vienna Academy of Music and Art, a position she held until her death. At her demise, she could be heard on movie preservations of "The Marriage of Figaro", "Faust", and Richard Strauss' "Elektra", as well as on many live 'pirate' recordings.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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