About
Australian soprano Nicole Car has established herself as one of the leading sopranos of her generation and has become a fixture at many of the top houses around the world. Often praised for her beautiful, rich timbre and her unique musicality, Nicole was recently made a Chevalier de l’ordre des arts et des lettres de la République française.
Nicole begins her 26/27 season with a new production of Verdi's Un ballo in maschera at Semper Oper Dresden, under the baton of Daniele Gatti. This season also brings three significant role debuts including Elisabeth de Valois in Verdi's Don Carlos at Wiener Staatsoper, Die Marschallin in Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier at Bayerische Staatsoper as well as the title role in Puccini's Tosca at Teatro Massimo Palermo. She also returns to the role of Desdemona in Otello at Wiener Staatsoper as well as Micaëla in Carmen at Bayerische Staatsoper. On the concert stage she joins Orchestre National de France at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées for Beethoven's Symphony no 9 and selections from the Missa Solemnis, under the baton of Philippe Jordan.
Last season, Nicole debuted the title role in Dvořák’s Rusalka at Opéra National de Paris, Wiener Staatsoper and Opera Australia, as well as all three heroines in Puccini’s Il Trittico at Wiener Staatsoper. Further career highlights on the operatic stage include Ellen Orford in Peter Grimes for her debut at Teatro alla Scala, Amelia in Simon Boccanegra, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni and Elisabetta in Don Carlo at Opéra National de Paris, Desdemona in Otello, Elisabetta in Don Carlo, Antonia in Les Contes d’Hoffman, Blanche in Dialogue des Carmélites and Marguerite in Faust at Wiener Staatsoper, Fiordiligi in Così fan Tutte, Mimì in La bohème and Ellen Orford in Peter Grimes at The Metropolitan Opera, Contessa Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro & Elisabetta in Don Carlo at Dallas Opera, Tatyana in Eugene Onegin and Mimì in La bohème at both Royal Opera House Covent Garden and Bayerische Staatsoper, Amelia in Un ballo in maschera at the Bayerische Staatsoper, Elisabetta in Don Carlo, Amelia in Simon Boccanegra & Salomé in Hérodiade at Deutsche Oper Berlin, as well as Contessa Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro and the title role in Luisa Miller at Opera Australia. Concert highlights include Fauré’s La bonne chanson and Chausson’s Chanson perpétuelle with Ensemble Wien at the Musikverein, Matréna in Grandval's Mazeppa with Münchner Rundfunk Orchester, Chausson’s Poème de l'amour et de la mer with Wiener Philharmoniker conducted by Philippe Jordan, Ellen Orford in Peter Grimes at Het Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Berlioz's Les Nuits d'été with The Finnish National Opera Orchestra. and Mimì in La bohème in concert with The Philadelphia Orchestra and The Bravo! Vail Music Festival under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin. In her home country of Australia, her concert appearances have included Mozart’s Requiem, Beethoven’s Ah! Perfido, Brahms’s Ein deutsches Requiem, Mahler’s Das klagende Lied and works by Strauss with the Melbourne, Sydney and Queensland Symphony Orchestras as well as to Opera Australia for a Puccini Gala Concert and a Verdi Gala Concert with the Orchestra Victoria in Melbourne.
Nicole’s discography includes two solo albums The Kiss (ABC Classics) with The Australian Opera & Ballet Orchestra and Heroines (ABC Classics) with the Australian Chamber Orchestra. She has also recorded Clémence de Grandval's Mazeppa,
André Messager’s Passionnément, Massenet: Songs with Orchestra (all three with the Palazzetto Bru Zane label) and Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem (ABC Classics).
Nicole was the first prize recipient of the 2013 Neue Stimmen Competition and the 2012 Australia Opera Awards and was nominated for Best Young Singer at the 2015 International Opera Awards. She won the Best Female Performer in an Opera category at the 2018 Helpmann Awards.