Lise Davidsen Unveils New Album of Verdi’s Greatest Heroines
Recorded with Edward Gardner and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Released 11 September, one week before Davidsen opens the Metropolitan Opera’s 2026/27 season as Lady Macbeth.
Release date: 11 September
Album information and pre-order HERE
Decca Classics proudly announces Lise Davidsen: Verdi, released on 11 September. Recorded with Edward Gardner and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the album marks the Norwegian soprano’s first recording devoted entirely to Verdi, bringing together scenes from five of the composer’s greatest operas: Macbeth, Un ballo in maschera, La forza del destino, Don Carlo and Aida.
Described by Metropolitan Opera General Manager Peter Gelb as “in a league of her own,” Davidsen is widely recognised as one of today’s leading dramatic sopranos. Earlier this year, her role debut as Isolde in Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde at Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu prompted Fiona Maddocks in The Observer to ask: “Is Lise Davidsen the soprano of the century?” Following acclaimed performances as Elisabeth in Don Carlo, Leonora in La forza del destino and her recent role debut as Lady Macbeth in Copenhagen, the release arrives one week before she opens the Metropolitan Opera’s 2026/27 season as Lady Macbeth, alongside fellow Decca tenor Freddie De Tommaso as Macduff.
Although Davidsen first sang Verdi early in her career as Emilia in Otello, she deliberately waited before taking on the composer’s great heroines until her voice and artistic maturity had fully developed. That journey culminated in London in 2023, where she made her debut in a leading Verdi role as Elisabeth of Valois in Don Carlo, marking the beginning of a new chapter in her relationship with the composer. “For me, a soprano who sings Verdi is a Verdi soprano.”
Rather than simply bringing together some of Verdi’s best-known arias, the album explores the emotional worlds of five remarkable women. From Elisabeth’s quiet dignity and Leonora’s search for redemption to Amelia’s vulnerability, Lady Macbeth’s psychological darkness and Aida’s inner conflict, these performances reveal Verdi’s extraordinary understanding of character and drama. Recorded with Edward Gardner, one of today’s foremost interpreters of this repertoire, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the performances combine dramatic intensity with lyrical refinement, bringing fresh perspective to some of Verdi’s greatest heroines.
The release follows Davidsen’s acclaimed album Live at the Met, a live recital recorded during the soprano’s landmark solo appearance at the Metropolitan Opera in September 2023 – which received widespread critical praise including 5-star reviews from The Guardian and The Mail on Sunday.
Future engagements include the title role in Macbeth at the Metropolitan Opera, opening the company’s 2026/27 season (22 September–20 October 2026), followed by performances of Verdi’s Requiem in Barcelona with the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya (3–4 November). In 2027, Davidsen returns to Verdi as Leonora in La forza del destino with the Berlin State Opera, before reprising Elisabeth of Valois in Don Carlo at Opernhaus Zürich. Alongside her operatic engagements, she continues an acclaimed recital partnership with pianist James Baillieu, with performances across the United States and Europe.
