Biography

Chantal van Bruggen, (coloratura) soprano, performed as a soloist with various choirs from an early age. At eleven she sang on the radio in a soloist ensemble of the Albert Schweitzer Musikgymnasium in Hamburg. At 16 and 17 she sang the soprano solo in Handel's Messiah in Madrid. Chantal went on to study singing with various teachers, notably Johanette Zomer, Caroline Stam, Maria Talis, Iris de Koomen, Cora Peeters and Ingrid Kappelle. In June 2009 she obtained her diploma in Classical Solo Singing. She also took part in numerous masterclasses with, among others, Ofelia Sala, Husan Park, Ana Luisa Chova, Bruno von Nünlist, Constantin Nica, Evelyn Tubb, Sigrid van der Linden, Robert Expert and Gloria Fabuel. In 2011 and 2012 she was coached by Wiebke Göetjes and took part in the Hojotoho Opera Studio; today she is coached by Gloria Fabuel.

Chantal has performed solo parts in works including Allegri's Miserere, Zelenka's Miserere, Mozart's Litanea Laurentania, Schütz's Litania, a spectacle coupé from Le Nozze di Figaro, the Requiem by Daniel de Lange, the Requiem by Biber, Vic Nees' Magnificat for solo soprano and mixed choir, Liszt's Via Crucis, Barber's Adagio for Strings, Fauré's Requiem, Orff's Carmina Burana, Villa-Lobos' Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 and Handel's Messiah.

Her operatic roles include Euridice in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice, the Queen of the Night in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, and Cupid and Mercury in Pepusch's Death of Dido, the latter in 8 performances with the Ghent Baroque Players. In 2012 she performed the roles of Constance in Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmélites, the Sandman & Dew Fairy in Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel, and the Queen of the Night in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte.

She has also given several series of recitals and duet concerts. The oratorio repertoire is one of Chantal's great passions.

She also sings opera roles such as Blondchen (Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Adele (Strauss's Die Fledermaus) and Olympia (Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann), Cleopatra (Handel's Giulio Cesare), Ilia (Mozart's Idomeneo) and Adina (Donizetti's L'Elisir d'amore), as well as the great oratorio repertoire and concert arias such as Glière's concerto for coloratura soprano and orchestra and J. Strauss's Frühlingsstimmenwalzer.

Chantal sings professionally on a project basis in various (chamber) choirs and is regularly engaged as a guest singer by good amateur choirs in need of reinforcement for a concert.

Chantal is a sought-after singing teacher, provides voice training for choirs and has stepped in as guest conductor for various choirs. She also led several choirs of her own until the Covid period. Because she is an extremely skilled sight-reader, she is often asked to step in as a soprano at very short notice.