The Austrian mezzosoprano Manuela Leonhartsberger was a member of the ensemble of Volksoper Vienna from 2011 to 2022 where she performed numerous roles including Dorabella (Cosi fan tutte), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Hansel (Hansel and Gretel), Muse/Niklausse (Tales of Hoffmann) and of course Prince Orlofsky in the famous operetta "The Bat".
With the 2022/23 season she joined the Ensemble of Landestheater Linz adding new roles by Verdi, Wagner and Korngold to her repertoire. In her first season she premiered as Magdalene in Wagner's "Mastersingers of Nürnberg", Brigitta in Korngold´s "The dead city" - both under the baton of chief conductor Markus Poschner - and Preziosilla in Verdi's "Forza del destino" staged by Peter Konwitschny . The current season includes a major role debut with Manuela Leonhartsberger singing her first Santuzza in Mascagni's "Cavalleria rusticana", a new production and tv broadcast of "The Bat" and the two world premieres "Benjamin Button" and "The Foundling".
Manuela Leonhartsberger studied at the „Konservatorium Wien“ and the „University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna“. She vocally trained with Julia Conwell, Helena Lazarska as well as Gerhard Kahry, Linda Watson, Silvana Dussmann and Paulette Herbich. She participated in masterclasses with Angelika Kirchschlager, Roger Vignoles, Bernarda Fink, Edda Moser, Michael Schade, Peter Schreier and Helmut Deutsch. As a young singer she was a winner of various international competitions and prestigious scholarships: Chamber Opera Rheinsberg Competition (Deutsche Oper Berlin 2009), Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme (Aldeburgh Festival, England) e.g.
She started her career as a soloist at Neue Oper Wien ("Mass", "Gramma", "Baal") in 2011 while still being enrolled as a student. In the same year she also debuted at Volksoper Wien as Mercedes in "Carmen" and was invited to sing at Osterklang Wien Festival.
The versatile artist has since then performed internationally at various opera houses and renowned festivals like New National Theatre Tokio, Staatstheater Nürnberg, Staatstheater Braunschweig, Kammeroper Wien, Theater an der Wien (Wiener Festwochen), St. Margarethen Opera Festival, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Tokio Bunka Kaikan, Erkel Theatre Budapest, Bratislava National Theatre; Schleswig Holstein Festival, Polish Music Festival Krakow, Berliner Festspiele and Savonlinna Opera Festival.
The singer has worked with numerous conductors including: Simone Young, Philippe Jordan, Markus Poschner, Alfred Eschwé, Anja Bihlmaier, Julia Jones, Kristiina Poska, Eun-sun Kim, Enrico Calesso, Walter Kobera, Andreas Schüller, Christof Prick, Gerrit Prießnitz, Jac van Steen, Nicholas Milton, Ingmar Beck, Claudio Novati...
and with numerous stage directors including: David McVicar, Nicolas Lehnhoff, Peter Konwitschny, Dietrich Hilsdorf, Philippe Arlaud, Robert Meyer, Philipp Krenn, Mascha Pörzgen, Ruth Brauer-Kvam, Robert Dornhelm, Henry Mason, Thomas Enzinger, Hinrich Horstkotte, Hendrik Müller, Alexandra Liedke, Hermann Schneider, Lukas Hemleb, Andreas Baesler, Bruno Klimek, Jonathan Meese...
Manuela Leonhartsberger is also well acquainted with and passionate about contemporary repertoire. She has worked with a great variety of modern composers including Friedrich Cerha, Christian Kolonovits, Dave Brubeck, Christian Muthspiel, Peter Eötvös, Manfred Trojahn, Tristan Schulze, Reinhard Febel, Florian Maierl, Hannes Heher, Christoph Ehrenfellner, Detlev Glanert and Bernhard Lang.
Her interpretation of Judy in Sir Harrison's opera "Punch and Judy" with Neue Oper Wien was highly acclaimed by press and audience, the production was invited to guest internationally and won several prices (Arte Audience Price).
Another focus of Manuela Leonhartsberger’s musical activities is concert performance and lied recital. She debuted at Musikverein Wien with Mahler’s „Songs of a Wayfarer“ and was invited back to sing a song cycle by Austrian composer Christian Muthspiel. Consequently she was also invited to perform orchestra songs by Mahler with the Bratislava Symphonic Orchestra in Radiokulturhaus Wien. Other concert venues include Laieszhalle Hamburg with Loriot's "The Ring in one evening", performances at Konzerthaus Wien, Herbstgold Festival and Lisztfestival Raiding. This season the mezzosoprano debuted with the Ensemble Wiener Collage under the baton of Réné Staar performing works by Heher and Schönberg at the Arnold Schönberg Center in Vienna.
Manuela Leonhartsberger also holds a degree in English and American Studies from the University of Vienna and a degree in Music Education (Voice and Piano) from the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.