Dutch soprano Judith van Wanroij is “renowned for her intensely dramatical interpretations of rediscovered and less-known operas.” She is praised for conveying poetry and its colours in an astonishing way. Since her debut at Opéra de Lyon as Virtù en Drusilla in Monteverdi’s L’Incoronzione di Poppea, she has performed numerous roles at leading opera houses such as Teatro Real Madrid, Dutch National Opera, La Monnaie Lincoln Center New York, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Opéra national du Rhin, Opéra Royal de Versailles, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Théâtre des Champs Elysées, Theater Basel and the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence.
Judith van Wanroij studied with Margreet Honig at the Conservatory of Amsterdam and De Nederlandse Opera Academie. She was a first prize winner at the 2003 Erna Spoorenberg Vocalisten Presentation and took part in the Jardin des Voix 2005, the vocal academy of Les Arts Florissants and William Christie.
The core of her repertoire consists of, but is not limited to, French and Italian baroque music, French romantic repertoire and Mozart’s vocal works. A selection of her main roles includes Contessa in Le Nozze di Figaro, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Ilia in Idomeneo and the title roles in Rossi’s Orfeo and Lemoyne’s Phèdre.
Highlights of the 2023/24 season include the role of Rozenn in Lalo’s Le Roi d’Ys at Müpa Budapest and at the Concertgebouw, with the Orchestra of the National Opera of Hungary led by György Vashegyi, the role of Cybèle in Lully’s Atys at the Royal Opera of Versailles with Les Talens Lyriques led by Christophe Rousset, Dritte Dame in Die Zauberflöte at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in a new production by Cédric Klapisch led by François-Xavier Roth, and a recital of arias from the time of Napoleon at the Hôtel National des Invalides in Paris.
Highlights of the 2021/22 season include the title role in Ariane et Bacchus (Marin Marais) with Le Concert Spirituel at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Swanhilde in César Francks Hulda with the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, and a revival of Die Zauberflöte at Theater Basel, in which Van Wanroij sings Erste Dame.
Recent highlights include concerts and recordings of César Franck’s Hulda (role: Swannhilde) with the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège led by Gergely Madaras, Télaïre in Rameau’s Castor et Pollux with the Orfeo Orchestra and Purcell Choir at the Concertgebouw, the soprano solos in Händel’s Messiah at the Concertgebouw, and in Bach’s St Matthew Passion with philharmonie zuidnederland, the role of Créuse in Charpentier’s Médée as well as the title role in Ariane et Bacchus (Marin Marais) with Le Concert Spirituel led by Hervé Niquet at the Théâtre du Champs-Elysées, Zirphile in Rameau’s Archante et Céphise under the baton of Alexis Kossenko, Léna in La princesse jaune with the l’Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse and Ilia (Idomeneo) with Les Talens Lyriques at the Mozartfest Würzburg.
She received much critical acclaim for her performances of the title role of Lemoyne’s Phèdre with the Orfeo Orchestra, released on CD by Palazzetto Bru Zane. The press wrote that “she leaves aside the ‘nice girls’ to whom the beauty of her timbre seems to be destined, she knows how to chisel her text in the tragic language, translating the heroine's suffering into her body.” In 2018, she had another recording success in the title role of Alceste by Lully with Christophe Rousset and Les Talens Lyriques, produced by Maximilien Ciup for the label Aparté. The disc was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category ‘Best Opera Recording’.
Her ever-expanding discography includes many lesser-known operas, such as Saint-Saëns La princesse Jaune with the Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse, Monteclair’s Jephté and Rameau’s Dardanus, with the Orfeo Orchestra and Purcell Choir for the label Glossa, Salieri’s Tarare, Les Horaces and Les Danaïdes all with Les Talens Lyriques for Aparté, Gounod’s Le Tribut de Zamora with the Münchner Rundfunkorchester for Palazzetto Bru Zane. She also recorded Gounod’s Cantatas and Sacred music with the Brussels Philharmonic and Flemish Radio Choir also for Palazzetto Bru Zane and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with the Camerata RCO for Gutman Records.