Singing:

The young Dutch soprano Simone Riksman has performed music since the age of 9 on the highest level, starting in the Netherlands, than Europe and the world.  An education rooted in the Dutch music tradition, (Margreet Honig, Dutch National Opera Academy, Cappella Amsterdam) she went on to become a leading solo artist in one of the oldest of theaters in Switzerland, Theater St Gallen (Int. Peter Heilker) expanding her operatic repertoire to over 20 leading and middle roles, asPamina (Magic Flute), Sandrina (Finta Giardiniera), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Vixen (Cunning little vixen), Oscar (Masqued Ball),  Annina (Night in Venice) and Micaela (Carmen) working with acclaimed directors as Guy Joosten, Pierre Audi, Nicola Raab, Aron Stiehl, David Alden and conductors as Henrik Nánási, Marc Minkowski, David Stern, Robert Howarth and Otto Tausk.  Guest performances include the Dutch National Opera (Iphigénie en Tauride) and Dorset Opera (Carmen, Siebel, L’Infante).

Her quick intelligence on stage, besides her experience with acting and dancing (Modern, Tap and Ballet) make her suitable for a wide spectrum of roles. Apart from her native language, she is fluent in English and German, allowing her to perform to great acclaim in operettas and  ‘singspielen’. 

Besides opera Simone has a great love for song and concert repertoire, performing regularly at festivals and concert halls around the world, including the Smetana Hall Prague, Carnegie Hall New York, Gergiev Festival Rotterdam and the Canberra International Music Festival, Australia, working together with a.o. Doelen Quartet, Ensemble Novalis, Tamara-Anna Cislowska, Bernadette Harvey and Bengt Forsberg.

Her performances for the organisation ‘Flowers of War’ commemorating the Centenary of WWI received great acclaim in both France and Australia, for “her deep musicality and profoundly moving and emotional performances“, working together with the Orchestre de Picardie and with the Australian composers Elena Kats-Chernin, Graeme Koehne and Ross Edwards. On invitation of the latter she recently performed and recorded the song cycle ‘Five Senses’ for the ABC. 

Her vast experience as a performer lets her understand deeply what performers want and need. In this way she wants to help others make music and perform at their best.

Vocal studies:

Her vocal teachers through her studies were: Frans Huijts, Roberta Alexander, Mariette Nollen and Margreet Honig.

In the years after, she studied with world renowned tenor William Johns, consolidationg her knowledge and technique of the italian-swedish school, based on the works of Herbert Caesari and Robert Miller.  

Masterclasses she has taken, amongst others, with Graciela Araya, Carolyn Watkinson, Jard van Nes, Klesie Kelly, Susan Mc Culloch and Christa Ludwig. 

Physical classes she has taken in Middendorf Atemtechnik (Petra Bodnik), Qi Gong, Yoga, Kinergy, Modern Dance, Tap Dance (Stepp), and Mime Training.

"a lovely soprano with a beautiful tone, combined with innate musicality, lively intelligence and strong stage presence." Mrs. Roberta Alexander

Choir:

Simone Riksman has been singing from the age of 6 years old. Starting in a small children’s choir, she soon was accepted to be part of the National Children’s Choir, and later on the National Youth Choir, where she was musically raised for several years, working on the highest level in the Netherlands and Europe.

Already during her bachelor studies Simone Riksman was a member of 'Cappella Amsterdam', a professional chamberchoir acclaimed all over the world, conducted by Daniel Reuss. She has encountered all styles of music, and has sung the solo parts on many occasions working together with conductors as Frans Brüggen, Reinbert de Leeuw, Valery Gergiev and Sir Colin Davis.  

She has sung and worked with many other great choir conductors as Peter Dijkstra, Benjamin Goodson, Simon Halsey and Gijs Leenaars.  

Besides that, she sang in Vocal Ensemble Triniti for years, performing at multiple events, giving concerts, making a theatre programme and presenting the International Choir Festival with music and sketches. Collaboration with composers, classical music for three female voices, as well as their own-made arrangements of songs made out their performance.

Assisting:

Simone Riksman has assisted conductors in music-theatre productions through the years and worked in coöperation with stage-director Tobias Bonn for his productions of Ball im Savoy (Halle) and Im weissen Rössl (Göttingen).

Most recently she was employed by the Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin (RSB) to manage and assist their production of Frau Ohne Schatten with Vladimir Jurowski, taking over stage-management for their performance at the Musikfest, Berlin as well as at the Festival Enescu in Bucharest.

Furthermore:

Simone teaches privately and currently gives vocal training to the choir members of Studiosi Cantandi Berlin. 

Besides that, she is a musical travelguide for Musico and  Die Zeit. 

Languages: fluent Dutch - English - German and with general knowledge: French - Italian

Knowledge of Word & Excel is sufficient and ever growing.

Keywords of her qualities:

• Representative 

• Communicative 

• Solution-oriented

• Efficient

• Empathetic

• Intelligent and quick thinking

As a personal assistant and communicative ‘spider in the web’ at various productions together with her continuing work in and around the theatre, Simone Riksman has built up a wealth of experience with what is involved for the organisation and execution of events. Working together with all ranks of society her naturally representative nature also enables her to be the face of an organisation.