Biography
Marie-Luise Dreßen is an acclaimed mezzo-soprano who has appeared at major opera houses including the Semperoper Dresden, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Teatro Real in Madrid, the Paris Opera, and the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples. She has collaborated with renowned conductors such as Christian Thielemann, Kent Nagano, Alan Gilbert, Philippe Jordan, Pablo Heras-Casado, Donald Runnicles, Dan Ettinger, Semyon Bychkov, Cornelius Meister, Edward Gardner, and Ivor Bolton.
In the 2025/26 season, she will once again tour Europe with Kent Nagano, the Dresden Festival Orchestra, and Concerto Köln, making her debut as the Second Norn in Götterdämmerung, with performances at the Lucerne Festival, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, and the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris. She also returns to Opéra Bastille in Paris to perform as Rossweisse in Calixto Bieito’s new production of Die Walküre and will appear at Oper Leipzig as Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus and as the Second Norn under the baton of Prof. Ulf Schirmer. In February 2026, she will take part in Elektra at the Elbphilharmonie under Alan Gilbert.
Among her recent successes are performances as Octavian (Der Rosenkavalier) and the Composer (Ariadne auf Naxos) at the Tyrolean State Theatre, and as the Composer at the Lower Bavarian State Theatre. In 2024, she toured Europe with Kent Nagano in a historically informed performance of Die Walküre and made her debut at the Philharmonie in Paris.
Her repertoire includes leading roles of her fach such as Octavian, the Composer (Ariadne auf Naxos), Hänsel, Cenerentola, Romeo, Sesto, and Dorabella, as well as numerous Wagner roles.
She has worked with orchestras such as the Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Spanish Radio Orchestra, and the Orchestre National d’Île-de-France, and has appeared several times at the Lucerne Festival and the Kissinger Sommer.
Repertoire
Opera/Operetta
Composer, Work
Composer
Opera/Operetta
Part
V.Bellini, I capuleti e i montecchi
V.Bellini
I capuleti e i montecchi
Romeo
V.Bellini, Norma
V.Bellini
Norma
Adalgisa
R.Benatzky, Im weißen Rössel
R.Benatzky
Im weißen Rössel
Ottilie
G.Bizet, Carmen
G.Bizet
Carmen
Mercedes
W. Braunfels, Ulenspiegel
W. Braunfels
Ulenspiegel
Nele
B.Britten, Albert Herring
B.Britten
Albert Herring
Nancy
P.Davis, Miss Donnithorne's Maggot
P.Davis
Miss Donnithorne's Maggot
Miss Donnithorne
G.F.Händel, Alcina
G.F.Händel
Alcina
Ruggiero
G.F.Händel, Orlando
G.F.Händel
Orlando
Orlando
G.F.Händel, Hercules
G.F.Händel
Hercules
Dejanira/Iole
E.Humperdinck, Hänsel und Gretel
E.Humperdinck
Hänsel und Gretel
Hänsel
E.Künnecke, Der Vetter aus Dingsda
E.Künnecke
Der Vetter aus Dingsda
Julia
F.Lehar, Die lustige Witwe
F.Lehar
Die lustige Witwe
Valencienne
F.Loewe, My Fair Lady
F.Loewe
My Fair Lady
Eliza
B.Maderna, Satyricon
B.Maderna
Satyricon
Fortunata
W.A.Mozart, La clemenza di Tito
W.A.Mozart
La clemenza di Tito
Sesto
W.A.Mozart, Le nozze di Figaro
W.A.Mozart
Le nozze di Figaro
Cherubino
W.A.Mozart, Cosí fan tutte
W.A.Mozart
Cosí fan tutte
Dorabella
W.A.Mozart, Die Zauberflöte
W.A.Mozart
Die Zauberflöte
2.Dame/3.Dame
E.Naske, Der Wunschpunsch
E.Naske
Der Wunschpunsch
Tyrannia
C.Porter, Kiss me Kate
C.Porter
Kiss me Kate
Lois Lane
G.Rossini, La Cenerentola
G.Rossini
La Cenerentola
Angelina
G.Rossini, Il barbiere di Siviglia
G.Rossini
Il barbiere di Siviglia
Rosina
G.Rossini, Il viaggio a Reims
G.Rossini
Il viaggio a Reims
Maddalena/Delia
P.Ruzicka, Hölderlin
P.Ruzicka
Hölderlin
F5
S.Sondheim, Sweeney Todd
S.Sondheim
Sweeney Todd
Mrs.Lovett
J.Strauss, Die Fledermaus
J.Strauss
Die Fledermaus
Prinz Orlofsky
I.Stravinsky, The Rake's Progress
I.Stravinsky
The Rake's Progress
Baba the Turc
R.Strauss, Der Rosenkavalier
R.Strauss
Der Rosenkavalier
Octavian
R.Strauss, Ariadne auf Naxos
R.Strauss
Ariadne auf Naxos
Komponist
R.Strauss, Elektra
R.Strauss
Elektra
2.Magd/3.Magd
G.Verdi, Otello
G.Verdi
Otello
Emilia
G.Verdi, Falstaff
G.Verdi
Falstaff
Meg Page
G.Verdi, Nabucco
G.Verdi
Nabucco
Fenena
R.Wagner, Parsifal
R.Wagner
Parsifal
Blumenmädchen
R.Wagner, Rheingold
R.Wagner
Rheingold
Freia
R.Wagner, Rheingold
R.Wagner
Rheingold
Wellgunde
R.Wagner, Walküre
R.Wagner
Walküre
Siegrune
R.Wagner, Walküre
R.Wagner
Walküre
Rossweisse
R.Wagner, Walküre
R.Wagner
Walküre
Sieglinde (1.Akt)
R.Wagner, Götterdämmerung
R.Wagner
Götterdämmerung
Wellgunde
R.Wagner, Götterdämmerung
R.Wagner
Götterdämmerung
2.Norn
R.Schumann, Genoveva
R.Schumann
Genoveva
Margaretha
*not yet performed on stage
Oratorio
Composer, Work
Composer
Work
Part
J.S.Bach, Johannespassion
J.S.Bach
Johannespassion
J.S.Bach, Matthäuspassion
J.S.Bach
Matthäuspassion
J.S.Bach, Magnificat
J.S.Bach
Magnificat
J.S.Bach, Weihnachtsoratorium
J.S.Bach
Weihnachtsoratorium
J.S.Bach, Messe in h-moll
J.S.Bach
Messe in h-moll
L.v.Beethoven, Missa Solemmnis
L.v.Beethoven
Missa Solemmnis
A.Dvorak, Stabat Mater
A.Dvorak
Stabat Mater
J.Haydn, Harmoniemesse
J.Haydn
Harmoniemesse
F.Lachner, Stabat Mater
F.Lachner
Stabat Mater
F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Paulus
F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy
Paulus
F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Lobgesang
F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy
Lobgesang
W.A.Mozart, c-moll Messe
W.A.Mozart
c-moll Messe
W.A.Mozart, Requiem
W.A.Mozart
Requiem
G.Pergolesi, Stabat mater
G.Pergolesi
Stabat mater
G.Rossini, Stabat Mater
G.Rossini
Stabat Mater
G.Rossini, Petite messe solenelle
G.Rossini
Petite messe solenelle
A.Vivaldi, Gloria
A.Vivaldi
Gloria
*not yet performed on stage
Concert and Lied
Composer, Work
Composer
Work
L.v.Beethoven, Sinfonie Nr.9
L.v.Beethoven
Sinfonie Nr.9
H.Berlioz, Les nuits d' été
H.Berlioz
Les nuits d' été
J.Brahms, Alt - Rhapsody
J.Brahms
Alt - Rhapsody
G.Mahler, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
G.Mahler
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen