Janine Kitzen (born 1 March 1978 in Kerkrade, The Netherlands) is a

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

singer in

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

and

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

. Although she was born in a family with no real musical background, Kitzen knew from an early age she wanted to build a career in singing. At the age of ten, she sang her first public solo guided by

André Rieu André Léon Marie Nicolas Rieu (; is a Dutch violinist and conductor best known for creating the waltz-playing Johann Strauss Orchestra. Rieu and his orchestra have turned classical and waltz music into a worldwide concert touring act. He r ...

. Kitzen studied solo singing at the

Maastricht Academy of Music The Maastricht Academy of Music, Dutch: ''Conservatorium Maastricht'', located in the city of Maastricht, is one of nine music academies in the Netherlands. The academy is a faculty of the Zuyd University of Applied Sciences (Hogeschool Zuyd in D ...

. After finishing this study successfully in 2001, she continued with a one-year program of musical theatre at the Fontys University of Applied Sciences in Tilburg. During her study, the soprano performed in leading roles in operas, operettas and musicals. For example, she played Bastienne in

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...

's opera ''

Bastien und Bastienne ' (''Bastien and Bastienne''), K. 50 (revised in 1964 to K. 46b) is a one-act singspiel, a comic opera, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. ' was one of Mozart's earliest operas, written in 1768 when he was only twelve years old. It was allegedly commis ...

''. In 1998 she won the first prize at the television contest '. After her studies, Kitzen continued performing and played in numerous productions including her role as leading character Christine in

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948), is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 21 musicals, ...

's '' The Phantom of the Opera'' and, more recently, during the 2010 Monschau Klassik festival as Zerlina in Mozart's ''

Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; Vienna (1788) title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanis ...

''."Monschau-Klassik: Für Janine Kitzen wird ein Traum war"
by P. St, '' Aachener Zeitung'', 27 April 2010

Recordings

Kitzen has made several recordings. Following the television show ''Una Voce Particolare'', she recorded a CD as part of the quartet Luxus. She introduced her first single "Only Love" and has created a solo CD ''My Musical Diary'' with combinations of sounds from musicals and pop-music.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kitzen, Janine 1978 births Living people People from Kerkrade Dutch opera singers Dutch musical theatre actresses Dutch sopranos