Biography

This season, she will return to Oper Frankfurt, performing the three soprano roles in Aribert Reimann`s final opera L’invisible. She will also make her debut at the Bregenzer Festspiele as Agathe (Der Freischütz). Additionally, Simmes will perform as Sieglinde, Wellgunde, and Gutrune (Der Ring an einem Abend) at Theater Dortmund.

The German soprano Irina Simmes is celebrated on the operatic stage for her versatility and talent both as a singer and actor. Her most recent triumph was at the 2024 Tiroler Festspiele Erl, where she performed the roles of Sieglinde (Die Walküre) and Gutrune (Götterdämmerung), directed by  Brigitte Fassbaender. Her portrayal of Sieglinde was nominated for the Österreichische Musiktheaterpreis and by Opernwelt as “Best Female Singer of the Year”. Other recent highlights include her performance as Violetta Valéry (La Traviata) at the Aalto Theater Essen, Pat Nixon in John Adams` Nixon in China (directed by Martin G. Berger), and Freia (Das Rheingold) directed by Peter Konwitschny, both at Oper Dortmund.

From 2018 to 2021, she was a member of the Theater Dortmund ensemble, where she performed several leading roles, including Lisa (Land des Lächelns). During this time, she made her debut at Oper Frankfurt as Konstanze in Christoph Loy’s acclaimed production of Die Entführung aus dem Serail, conducted by Sebastian Weigle. In 2019 she was invited back to Oper Frankfurt to perform as Gerhilde in Wagner`s Die Walküre. She debuted as Isolde in the world premiere of Avner Dorman’s Wahnfried at the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe in 2017. She returned there during the 2017/18 season for a new production of Mozart’s Lucio Silla, co-produced with Théâtre La Monnaie in Brussels.

Elsewhere she has sung as Konstanze (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Gräfin Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Laura in Korngold`s Der Ring des Polykrates, Musetta (La Bohème), Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus), and Micaëla (Carmen). It was her portrayal of Violetta in La Traviata that garnered widespread acclaim.

The German soprano lives in Basel, Switzerland. She completed her formal education under Prof. Rachel Robins at the Folkwang Universität der Künste in Essen (Germany) and later joined the opera studio at the Musiktheater im Revier in Gelsenkirchen. She continued her studies with Mr. Suarez-Ribaudo in Munich and currently studies with Prof. Monica Pick-Hieronimi.