Stefanie Schaefer

Stefanie Schaefer was born in Frankfurt am Main. At the age of nine years, she started to sing at the childrens choir of the Hessischer Rundfunk. While still in High School, she absolved an apprenticement as church musician.  She studied in Frankfurt am Main at Dr. Hoch’s Conservatory with Karin Geber-Brandt and absolved master classes with Brigitte Fassbaender. In 1995, she got a scholarship by the Richard-Wagner-Verband.

In 2000/01 she was engaged to the opera studio of the Staatstheater Wiesbaden and gave her debut in December 2000 as Hata in the Bartered Bride. After this, she got a guest contract for 2001 in Wiesbaden.

Stefanie Schaefer guested at the Staatstheater Schwerin, Theater Hagen, in Ingolstadt, at the Schwetzinger Schloßfestspiele, at the Oper Frankfurt as well as at the Städtische Bühnen Osnabrück (with Prinz Orlowsky in Die Fledermaus). Specially, her interpretation of the title role in La Cenerentola was awarded with success.

In the summer of 2002, Stefanie Schaefer sang in the world-premiere-of-the-year awarded (by Opernwelt) opera Macbeth by Salvatore Sciarrino, a co-production of the Frankfurt Opera and the Schwetzinger Festspiele, directed by Achim Freyer.

Since 2002/2003, Stefanie Schaefer was engaged to the Oper Wuppertal. She sang, among others, Dorabella (Così fan tutte), Olga (Eugene Onegin) and Suzuki (Madame Butterfly). Also the part of Eliza (My fair Lady) was a big success for her. In November 2003, she sang Aristeo in the new produced opera Orfeo by Luigi Rossi. Parts followed as Maddalena (Rigoletto), again Orlofsky, Terrorist Omar in John Adams opera The Death of Klinghoffer and Charlotte (Werther). In 2005/2006, Stefanie Schaefer sang Flora (La Traviata), Hänsel (Hänsel und Gretel) and  Nicklausse / Muse (Hoffmanns Erzählungen). She guested at the Staatstheater Braunschweig as Nero in Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione di Poppea..

In 2007, Stefanie Schaefer gave her debut as Carmen in Wuppertal. In the season 2007/2008 Stefanie Schaefer was engaged to the Staatstheater Darmstadt. In March 2008, she guested as Elisette in Paul Dukas’ Ariane et Barbe Bleu at the Oper Frankfurt. In September 2008, she guested as Muse/Nicklausse (Les Contes d’Hoffmann) at the Theater Erfurt. She could be heard at the Eutiner Festspielen interpreting Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia and the title role in Offenbach’s operetta Die Großherzogin von Gerolstein. Stefanie Schaefer sang Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro), Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Polina (Pique Dame) and Mrs. Reich (The Merry Wives of Windsor) at the Theater Erfurt during the 2009/2010 season.

She returned as Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia) Staatspüer Stuttgart. In January 2011 she sang Idamante (Idomeneo) with Theater Erfurt.

Then she guested as Varvara (Katya Kabanova) at Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe. She joined the ensemble of Karlsruhe for the season 2011/12.

Stefanie Schaefer has a broad concert repertory. She sang in the Wuppertal city hall, among others, Mahler’s 2nd symphony, Bach’s Weihnachtssoratorium, the Mozart-Requiem as well as the Dvorak-Requiem and Bernstein’s Jeremiah Sinfonie Nr1.; in the Cologne Philharmonie, she sang Bach’s Matthäus-Passion conducted by Christoph Spering.