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Gesa Hoppe was born into a clerical and musical home in the Northern German town of Kiel.
From early childhood she performed as a singer, pianist and recorder-player.
She studied voice with Mechthild Böhme at Detmold Music College and with Maria Venuti at Karlsruhe. Her artistic development during these student years was greatly influenced by stage work in Renate Ackermann´s opera class (herself a pupil of world-renowned director Ruth Berghaus), Hartmut Höll´s Liedclass and contemporary music projects, in which she collaborated with Peter Eötvös on several occasions. She has attended master-classes with Arleen Auger and Edith Mathis and continues her vocal studies with Barbara Martig-Tüller in Bern.
Gesa Hoppe won prizes at the 1993 Paula-Lindberg-Salomon-Lied Competition in Berlin and at the 1996 National German Vocal Competition (Bundeswettbewerb Gesang).
She began her professional opera career in engagements at the Opera Houses of Hagen (Westphalia) and Bern. She was able to build up her repertoire as a lyrical soprano with parts such as Pamina, Ilia, Micaëla and Marie in Smetana´s Bartered Bride (for more roles please refer to list of repertoire). Parallel to her permanent engagements she was a guest at numerous opera houses throughout Europe such as the Berlin State Opera, Hannover, Karlsruhe, Mannheim and Zürich. Among others, she has worked with conductors Markus Poschner and Adam Fischer and has sung the part of „Blumenmädchen“ in Wagner´s Parzifal under the baton of Claudio Abbado in performances at the Salzburg Festival, in Edinburgh and Lucerne in 2002.
In 2004 Gesa Hoppe moved to Berlin and continued her career as a freelance singer. Her musical curiosity, intelligence and precise intonation along with her flexible and colourful voice have helped her build a reputation as an ideal performer of contemporary music. She is particularly sought-after in this genre not only by virtue of her beautiful voice, her sound classical background and musicality, but also because of her willingness to explore the message of a piece and identify with it. She works in contemporary opera and recital projects all over Europe.
In 2007 she had her debut at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, creating the main role (Nel and Polyandus) in the world premiere of Peter Jan Wagemans´ Legende (with the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest conducted by Jaap van Zweden). That same year she also performed Wagemans´chamber opera Spoorlos at the Operadagen Rotterdam, whichWagemans had written particularly for her. In October 2010, Gesa Hoppe sang the soprano solo in the world premiere of Hinter der Mauer(„Behind the Wall“ ), an oratorio by Samir Odeh-Tamimi with the RIAS Kammerchor and the musikFabrik (conducted by Hans-Christoph Rademacher) in performances at the Radialsystem, Berlin and the Frauenkirche in Dresden.
Gesa Hoppe joins the VocaalLAB Nederland and the Vocalconsort Berlin on a regular basis, both as an ensemble singer and as a soloist. In 2009 she played the part of „Mrs P.“ in the chamber opera The Man who mistook his Wife for a Hat at the Michael Nyman Festival in Groningen. Her next project with VocaalLAB will be the Opera A Dog’s Heart by Alexander Raskatov at the Nederlandse Opera in June 2010.
Her collaboration with the Vocalconsort Berlin began in October 2007, when she sang the title role in the world premiere of Medea.Stimmen by Frank Schwemmer, based on a novel by Christa Wolf. This was a production together with musikFabrik Cologne at the Radialsystem V in Berlin, conducted by Olof Boman. In 2009 she sang the part of „First voice of Medea“ in the opera Medeamaterial by Pascal Dusapin in performances at the Holland Festival Amsterdam and at the Melbourne Arts Festival. This was a collaboration of Sasha Waltz&Guests with Akamus, conducted by Marcus Creed. Her most recent project with the Vocalconsort was Frank Martins Le Vin Herbé at the Zermatt Festival in September 2010, in which she sang the part of „Brangäne“, once more conducted by Marcus Creed.
Gesa Hoppe also works as a Liedsinger and soloist in sacred music. Concerts and recitals of music from the baroque to the contemporary repertoire, often of unconventional character, have taken her to venues all over Europe such as the Berliner Philharmonie, the Zürich Tonhalle, the Händelfestival Karlsruhe and many others. Her latest appearances include the Magnificat by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach with the Norddeutsches Barockorchester in her native city of Kiel.
For Lied recitals she often forms a duo with pianist Felicitas Strack. Their collaboration goes back to music college times and over the years they have accumulated an extensive repertoire (see lieder).
Gesa Hoppe has been involved in several TV-, radio- and CD-productions. In 2006 she sang the role of Angele Didier in a live-broadcast of Léhar´s operetta Der Graf von Luxemburg at the Seefestspiele Mörbisch. With Thomas Quasthoff she recorded a CD of the Oratorio Gioas Re di Giuda by C.A.Cartellieri.
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