Curriculum Vitae – CV

Monika Abel is a German soprano and has made a name for herself both as a soloist and ensemble singer. With the pianist Kathrin Isabelle Klein she received a special price at the Deutscher Musikwettbewerb and holds a scholarship at Deutscher Musikrat for the running season. They performed at the renowned festival Sommerliche Musiktage Hitzacker as a member of the Lied academy and worked with Ian Bostridge, Anne Le Bozec, Jan Philip Schulze, Ulrich Eisenlohr and Charles Spencer. Their first album with songs by Strauss, Mahler, Messiaen and Webern will be published next year by Hänssler Classic.

Monika Abel was born in Munich, Germany. At early age she received violin lessons and attended the Münchner Dommusik, where she joined various choirs until 2009.

In 2011 the young soprano got accepted into the Bachelor-program at the University of Music Freiburg, where she studied until 2015. She then continued her studies with Ulrike Sonntag at the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart, and graduated with the Master of Arts. Monika Abel solved Postgraduate Studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz with Elena Pankratova and is currently studying at the Mozarteum Salzburg in the Lied class of Pauliina Tukiainen.

She attended masterclasses with Margreet Honig, Michèle Crider and Donatienne Michel-Dansac. During her studies she was a fellow at Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now Foundation.

In 2017 she had her debut at the Staatsoper Stuttgart in G. Antoni Derungs contemporary opera Benjamin. As a member of the Philharmonischer Chor München, she also appeared as a soloist with Kent Nagano conducting. Monika Abel sings with ensembles such as the Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks and the SWR Vokalensemble under the baton of Zubin Mehta, Simon Rattle, Pablo Heras-Casado, Andris Nelsons and Chistian Thielemann. She was part of Utopia choir at the Salzburger Festspiele, led by Teodor Currentzis.

The lyric soprano sang with members of the Munich Philharmonic orchestra in South-America and Australia. Her repertoire spans from early music, through art song and oratorio, to contemporary music.

Last modified: November 2023