Anne Sofie von Otter is considered to be one of the finest singers of her generation and is sought after by many of the major conductors, orchestras, opera and recording companies of the world. Born in Sweden, her studies began in Stockholm and continued with Vera Rozsa at London’s Guildhall. She commenced her professional career as a principal member of the Basel Opera before she was launched on an international career that has now spanned more than two decades. Particularly renowned for her interpretation of Oktavian in Der Rosenkavalier, this is a role she has not only recorded for EMI with Bernard Haitink, but also performed in Stockholm, Munich, Chicago, Covent Garden and at the Paris Bastille, as well as in Vienna, at the Met and in Japan with Carlos Kleiber (the latter available on DVD).

Anne Sofie von Otter has scored many personal successes on the main operatic stages of Europe: Gluck’s Orfeo in Geneva was followed by his Alceste at the Chatelet, in a highly-acclaimed staging by Bob Wilson, conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner (recorded for both CD and DVD); Paris’ Palais Garnier played host to portrayals of Handel’s Ariodante as well as Sesto in both Clemenza di Tito and Giulio Cesare and most recently Clairon in the new production of Strauss’ Capriccio by Robert Carsen. In addition to Oktavian at Vienna’s State Opera came the Composer in Ariadne auf Naxos; Nerone in Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione di Poppea was heard at the Aix-en-Provence Festival, and Ottavia in the same piece at the Theatre des Champs-Elysees in Paris, the same venue as for her debut as Handel’s Xerxes (also recorded by EMI Classics). Another Handel role, Ruggerio in Alcina, marked her return to Stockholm’s famous Drottningholm Festival and Glyndebourne Festival was the venue for her stage debut as Carmen in a new production by David McVicar, conducted by Philippe Jordan.

Anne Sofie also enjoys an ongoing relationship with New York’s Metropolitan Opera and James Levine where she has over the years performed numerous performances of Rosenkavalier, Clemenza di Tito and Idomeneo as well as Debussy’s Pelleas et Melisande, marking her stage debut in the role.

A frequent performer of opera in concert, Anne Sofie has recorded live Debussy’s Melisande (ON de France/Haitink for Naive); Judith/Bluebeard’s Castle (BPO/Haitink for EMI); Charlotte/Werther (Opéra de Lyon/Nagano for Erato); Ariodante, Hercules, Sesto/Giulio Cesare (Musiciens du Louvre/Minkowski) and Baba the Turk/Rake’s Progress (LSO/Gardiner) all for DG Archiv.

An equally busy concert career has brought Anne Sofie von Otter regularly to the major halls of Europe and North America and she enjoys a regular partnership with some of the world's pre-eminent conductors. She is also an acclaimed recitalist and appears regularly around the globe with her long-time accompanist, Bengt Forsberg.

An exclusive solo recording artist with Deutsche Grammophon for many years, Anne Sofie von Otter boasts an extensive personal discography: together with Bengt Forsberg, she has made a number of award-winning recital and chamber music discs; with orchestra she has recorded Weill and Zemlinsky (Gardiner), Berlioz and Brahms (Levine), Mozart (Pinnock), Berg, Schubert and Mahler (Abbado), Ravel and Mahler (Boulez) and Offenbach (Minkowski). Her opera catalogue includes Dorabella with Solti, Monteverdi’s Ottavia, Glück’s Orfeo as well as Sesto and Idamantes with Gardiner, Marguérite with Chung and R Strauss’ Composer with Sinopoli.

Recent releases include For the Stars, a collaboration with the songwriter, arranger and producer, Elvis Costello; the Grammy-nominated Mots d’amour, a complete disc dedicated to the music of Cécile Chaminade; the award-winning Orchestrated Schubert Lieder with Abbado and Watercolours, a collection of Scandinavian song following the successful earlier release, Wings in the Night.

Future opera engagements include Sesto at the Met (Levine), L’Heure Espagnol for the Royal Swedish Opera, Gluck’s Orphee in Munich (Bolton), Carmen at the Santa Fe Festival (Gilbert), Melisande in Copenhagen, Les Troyens in Geneva (Nelson).