Today we’d like to introduce you to Anne Wieben.
Hi Anne, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My name is Anne Wieben. I am a professional opera singer based in Vienna, Austria. I’m also the founder and creative director of Opera on the Lake, a non-profit performing arts company based in Saint Paul, MN.
Here’s a little background for you! I grew up in Bismark, North Dakota. I started playing the violin when I was 9, which opened the door to classical music. I was fortunate enough to play with the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra while I was in high school, so I was exposed to much fantastic classical music. However, I loved the music, but playing in the orchestra was not enough; I wanted to be on stage! I wanted to sing!
I was also active in choirs and theater in junior high and high school, but neither choir singing nor musical theater singing did it for me (or utilized my voice to its best degree). I decided to study voice at the U of M, unsure where it would take me. I then saw my first Opera – Bellini’s I Capuletti e I Montecchi at Minnesota Opera – and BAM! I knew I wanted to be an opera singer. It combined everything I loved most: acting, singing, and classical music. Once I made that decision, the rest fell into place.
While at the U, I decided to study abroad in Vienna, Austria. Well, that year, one year of study abroad turned into my new home! I was fortunate enough to be offered a job at the study abroad office, then was accepted to the Vienna Conservatory of Music to do my master’s. I’ve been based in Vienna for just over 15 years now, and I love it!
In my years as a performer, I’ve been lucky enough to perform on some of Europe’s biggest stages. Yet some of the most exciting productions I’ve ever participated in were in the most unexpected places: Mozart in a nightclub, a newly composed opera in an old canning factory, and an operetta at a swimming pool. I realized firsthand that Opera could happen anywhere, Literally! And it was this idea that I wanted to bring back home to Minnesota in the most Minnesotan way possible; enter Opera on the Lake!
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The pandemic threw a huge wrench in the plans. The performing arts were hit so hard. It wasn’t just a decrease in performances and revenue; it was a complete and total stop. I went from having a full schedule of concerts and operas to absolutely nothing. It was tough on every level: financially, personally, and artistically whew. Things are slowly and cautiously opening up, but the cancellations are still happening. It’s going to take a while for things to get back to good, but I’m optimistic. As for Opera on the Lake, we had our first season in the summer of 2019. I had a big fundraiser gala, concerts, and a production planned for 2020 but had to cancel it. Summer of 2021, I was able to do a series of concerts. They went very well, but numbers were low due to (justified!) concerns regarding Covid. This summer, though, we are back in full force with a 3 show run of “Die Lustige Witwe/The Merry Widow” at the Como Lakeside Pavilion in Saint Paul. It is SUCH a great show, and I can’t wait to bring it to the Twin Cities!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As I mentioned before, I live in Vienna, Austria. I studied voice at the University of Minnesota and decided to do a year abroad. That year has turned into, well, my life! I was accepted to the Vienna Conservatory of Music and did my master’s there, then began working all around Europe. I love living in Vienna! Opera is part of the cultural fabric. I started being cast in many operettas and realized that this particular genre, extremely popular in Austria and Germany, is not very well known here in the USA. Operetta is like opera “light” and the grandfather of musical theater. The plots are usually lighthearted, and there is spoken dialogue alongside full-throated opera singing. It is an extremely FUN art form! It’s also traditional in Europe to have outdoor summer opera festivals. I thought, hey, why not do that in Minnesota? Minnesotans love to do everything on the Lake, so why not have Opera on the Lake? I’m also committed to the idea that Opera can happen anywhere. It is a completely acoustic art form, meaning we don’t need any special gear– just trained singers and an orchestra!
Aside from running Opera on the Lake, I’m also an active performer, specializing more and more in modern Opera. I love to work with living composers and get a real thrill out of bringing new works to life. I’m also the executive director of Really Spicy Opera, another Minnesota-based arts organization. With RSO, I co-direct an Aria Workshop. This was born out of the pandemic. We virtually bring librettists and composers together, giving them a prompt and one week to write an aria. We co-directors give feedback during that week and then have a live reading of the new works at the end of the week. It is thrilling to hear what these incredible artists come up with in such a short time!
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting?
Making a career in the performing arts is hard. I don’t know that a lot of people realize this! Many think, “oh, you just have to sing pretty.” or “it’s all just glitz and glamour” Well, yes, but it takes years and years of training on top of an incredible amount of practice to be able to sing opera. The business is extremely competitive and, honestly, not very well paid, even at the highest level. Add to that the fact that you have to more or less be your manager, accountant, or secretary again. It’s hard! To make it in the opera world, you’ve got to be on top of your game and 100% committed to it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.annewieben.com
- Instagram: SopranoWieben / opera_on_the_lake
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/annewieben
- Other: www.operaonthelake.com
Image Credits
Katja Rivas-Liebmann Barbara Palffy Oelinger-Rainer Gregor Hofbauer
