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The Dutch lyric coloratura soprano, Elvire Beekhuizen, was 6 years old when she started with singing lessons. She knew at an early age she wanted to become a professional singer and in 2006 she was admitted to the Royal Conservatory in the Hague where she was selected to study with Sasja Hunnego. In 2007 she sang at the baptism of Princess Ariane, youngest daughter of now King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. She was 18 years old when she completed her high school education at the department of young talent and in 2012 she obtained obtained her Bachelor's degree at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. In 2012, she took part in the Princess Christina Concours competition where she obtained an overall 3rd prize. She then studied at HKU Utrechts Conservatorium (2013-2014). During her studies she sang in W.A. Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte, Die Zauberflöte Don Giovanni. She also performed in Purcell's The Fairy Queen, the G.F. Handel's Messiah and various cantatas by J.S. Bach. She has specialised in Lieder by Strauss, Johannes Brahms and Robert Schumann. In 2014, she was coached by the Dutch baritone Henk Neven. She semi-finalist in the Belvedere competition and finalist in the Gebrüder Graun Wettbewerb. In 2023 she won the golden medal in category "Baroque" in the Manhatten Music Competition, and a finalist in Zenith Opera Competition.
Since finishing her studies, Elvire Beekhuizen has been increasingly in demand in the opera and oratorio scene for the incomparable agility and flexibility of her voice and unique stage personality. Her operatic experience includes some of the most demanding roles such as Morgana in George Frideric Handel's Alcina (July 2021, Saluzzo Opera Academy in Italy), Pamina in W.A. Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, Amaranta in Haydn’s La Fedelta Premiata, Erasto in Antonio Lotti's Giove in Argo (September 2019-September 2020, Ars Augusta in Görlitz), Emmeline and Philidel in Purcell’s King Arthur and Princesse Fantasia in Offenbach’s Le Voyage dans La Lune. Other important roles are: Adele in Die Fledermaus (December 2023-March 2024, Theater Lübeck), and Marie in La Fille du Régiment (March-June 2024, Theater Lübeck). She also performed as Johanna Barker in Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd (October 2023-June 2024, Theater Lübeck), Taumännchen in Engelbert Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel (December 2023, Theater Lübeck), Mademoiselle Silberklang in W.A. Mozart's Der Schauspieldirektor, Serpina in Giovanni Battista Pergolesi's La Serva Padrona (June 2023, Ars Augusta in Bolesławieck, Poland), Belinda in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas.
Elvire Beekhuizen is regularly invited to perform with Baroque ensembles and opera companies in Europe such as Apollo Ensemble (Director: David Rabinovich; since March 2018), Bach Ensemble Amsterdam, Dutch National Opera, Opera2day, BarokOpera Amsterdam (since July 2018), Lausitzer Barockensemble and Ribattuta Musica. With the Apollo Ensemble she has recorded several well-known repertoire pieces, such as J.S. Bach's Johannes-Passion BWV 245, Matthäus-Passion BWV 244 and G.F. Handel's Messiah, but also lesser known pieces such as the different version of the Brockes-Passion, set on music by G.F. Handel and Georg Philipp Telemann amongst others. She has worked with some of the best conductors and stage directors such as José Darío Innella, David Rabinovich, Andreas Küppers, Nynke van den Bergh, Vaughan Schlepp, Frédérique Chauvet and Sybrand van der Werf.
Elvire has a big curiosity towards the people around her and she is enthusiastic about artistic and personal development in general. At the Handel Opera Academy she was around as a vocal coach, stage coach and a confidant if needed. She married the Polish stage director Szymon Komarnicki on May 28, 2022 and currently lives in The Hague, the Netherlands. She is a member of the opera studio of Theater Lübeck. From 2024-2025 season on she will be in the soloist ensemble of Theater Magdeburg. |
