After completing her vocal studies at Conservatorium Maastricht, Dutch mezzo-soprano Yvonne Schiffelers was immediately engaged as a member of the Opera Studio in Cologne. After these two years she began her illustrious career at the National Theater in Mannheim (Germany). Here she extended her repertoire to around 50 roles, including Dorabella (Cosi fan Tutte), Octavian (Der Rosenkavalier), Composer (Ariadne auf Naxos), Charlotte (Werther), Waltraute, Fricka. She also worked as a freelance singer and guested in several opera houses in Germany and Europe such as: Hamburg, Berlin, Amsterdam, Munich, Antwerp, Brussels, Liege, Basel and Helsinki. Among the countless conductors and directors with whom she has worked are Edo de Waart (Amsterdam), Hans Vonk (Amsterdam), Adam Fisher (Hannover, Mannheim), Bertrand de Billy (Antwerp), Jun Märkl (Munich, Berlin, Mannheim), Hartmuth Haenchen (Amsterdam), Harry Kupfer (Cologne), Christine Mielitz (Mannheim, Berlin), Willy Decker (Amsterdam), Claus Guth (Mannheim), Andreas Homoki (Leipzig).
A very versatile and well-rounded singer, Schiffelers has travelled worldwide as a soloist in many concerts and oratorios. Her vast repertoire ranges from Bach to Berio. Her chamber music and especially her solo recitals have been very well received by the press. She was also highly praised as an interpreter of the Mahler song cycles.
She was invited to several festivals, including in Amsterdam (Holland Festival), Mexico (Cervantes Festival), St. Malo (Religious Festival), Nagoya (Mozart Festival) and Beirut (Garden Festival). For many years now, she has been sharing her experiences with the young generation by teaching at Conservatorium Maastricht and giving masterclasses all over the world, including Brazil (Rio de Janeiro), Syria (Damascus), Spain (Castellon) and Germany (Weikersheim). Since the summer of 2015 there has been a collaboration with the North West University in Potchefstroom (South-Africa), where she was invited to give workshops in the Vocal department.
At Conservatorium Maastricht she teaches Classical Voice and Opera and is a research coach.
Classical Singing / Opera