Estonian soprano Mirjam Mesak is currently a member of the Bavarian State Opera ensemble, where she has made a strong impression in roles such as Iolanta and Musetta. Her appearances in Munich this season will be heralded by the world premiere of Axel Ranisch's opera film "Orphea in Love," in which Mirjam Mesak plays the lead role. On stage, she makes her debut as Oscar in Johannes Erath's new production of Un ballo in maschera under Ivan Repušic, as well as in new productions of Die verkaufte Braut as Esmerelda under Gábor Káli and as Ännchen in Der Freischütz under the direction of Lothar Koenigs. She also sings Tebaldo (Don Carlo) under Andrea Battistoni, Anna (Nabucco) under Daniele Rustioni, 1st Sprite (Rusalka) under Henrik Nánási, and returns to her roles in Das schlaue Füchslein under Mirga Gražinytë-Tyla and Musetta in La bohème under Juraj Valcuha.
Despite the challenges of last season, Mirjam appeared in a stellar cast of La bohème conducted by Asher Fisch, which was streamed internationally by the Bavarian State Opera, where her portrayal of Musetta was praised for its "beauty and elegance" (Opera Wire). She was also heard as Juliette in Simon Stone's groundbreaking production of The Dead City under Kirill Petrenko, which has since been released on DVD. Her portrayal of Tchaikovsky's Iolanta at the Cuvilliés Theater was unanimously praised by critics for giving the character "incredible depth" (Bachtrack); it is also available on DVD.
In Estonia, Mirjam performs regularly with the Estonian National Opera, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, and Vanemuine Symphony Orchestra, and has recently collaborated with Arvo Volmer, Risto Joost, and Olari Elts. This season she returns to Tallinn to reprise her critically acclaimed Norina in Don Pasquale. Other highlights include her role and ensemble debut at the Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago as Lisette in La rondine, Nella in Gianni Schicchi for Oper Frankfurt, and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 14 with the Oslo Philharmonic under Klaus Mäkelä. An avid recitalist, Mirjam is presenting programs this season at the Usedom Music Festival and at Eesti Kontsert featuring Rachmaninov, Chopin, and Estonian composers Ester Mägi and Eduard Tubin.
A former member of the Munich Opera Studio, Mirjam has made a big impression in numerous titles, including the title role in Tchaikovsky's Iolanta conducted by Alevtina Ioffe at the Cuvilliés Theater, soon to be released on DVD. Other highlights included Freia (Das Rheingold), Nella (Gianni Schicchi) under the baton of Daniele Rustioni, and the Taumelfe in Richard Jones' Hansel and Gretel under Patrick Lange. Elsewhere, Mirjam made a critically acclaimed debut as Norina in Don Pasquale at the Estonian National Opera under the baton of Arvo Volmer, a role she sings again this season in addition to Iolanta in concert.
Mirjam Mesak is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama (First Class Honours), where she studied under the direction of Prof. Rudolf Piernay. She has performed as a soloist in several prestigious concert halls in London, including Barbican Hall, Milton Court Concert Hall (including as part of the LSO's "This is Rattle" festival) and Wigmore Hall.
In 2019, she was awarded the Bavarian Arts Promotion Prize in the performing arts category.