Andrea Baker

Mezzo Soprano

“Baker’s Monisha, Lowe’s Pastor, and Faatoalia’s Remus practically raise the roof of the Bluma Appel.”

Glenn Sumi, Intermission Magazine

Biography

A trailblazer in the opera world, American-Scottish mezzo-soprano Andrea Baker was the first African-American to perform the role of Carmen at Sydney Opera and the first to sing Wagner’s Fricka, Erda, and Waltraute in the Ring Cycle at the Beijing Festival, as well as Ortrud in Lohengrin for the South Korean premiere.

In addition to the major Wagner, Verdi, and Strauss roles of her repertoire, she has performed Mescalina in Le Grand Macabre, Nen-Nen in Legendre’s The Bird of Night at the Royal Opera House London, the Aunt in Britten’s Peter Grimes, and Euphrat in Jörg Widmann’s Babylon. Under Sir Simon Rattle, she appeared in Porgy and Bess at the Berlin Philharmonie, and in Edinburgh as Anita in Bernstein’s West Side Story under Sir John Eliot Gardiner.

Recent highlights include woman.life.song by Judith Weir with the Chineke! Orchestra and Monisha in Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha in Toronto, which was named Best Production of 2023 by Broadway World and included in the New York Times Classical Top 10 of 2023. At the Staatstheater Wiesbaden, she appeared as Hattie and Stella in Stephen Sondheim’s Follies.

Andrea Baker appeared as Klementia in the acclaimed SANCTA production by Florentina Holzinger at the Wiener Festwochen, Staatsoper Stuttgart, as well as in Berlin and Schwerin; she will reprise this role in the upcoming season at other major European opera houses. She is also featured in Florentina Holzinger’s A Year Without Summer, currently touring international theater festivals.

Alongside her opera career, Andrea Baker tours internationally with her one-woman show Sing Sistah Sing!©, a tribute to the African-American female voice. The sequel Sing Sistah Sing!© Tales of Transatlantic Freedom, explores the global musical heritage and will continue its North American tour in 2026/27.

Als Pionierin der Opernwelt war die amerikanisch-schottische Mezzosopranistin Andrea Baker die erste Afroamerikanerin, die die Rolle der Carmen an der Sydney Opera übernahm, sowie die erste, die in China Wagners Fricka, Erda und Waltraute im Ring-Zyklus beim Beijing Festival und Ortrud in Lohengrin bei der Südkorea-Premiere sang.

Neben den großen Wagner-, Verdi- und Strauss-Rollen ihres Fachs hat sie unter anderem Mescalina in Le Grand Macabre, Nen-Nen in Legendres The Bird of Night am Royal Opera House in London, die Tante in Brittens Peter Grimes und Euphrat in Jörg Widmans Babylon gesungen. Unter Sir Simon Rattle war sie in Porgy and Bess in der Berliner Philharmonie zu hören, sowie als Anita in Bernsteins West Side Story in Edinburgh unter Sir John Eliot Gardiner.

Zu den Höhepunkten der letzten Spielzeiten zählen woman.life.song von Judith Weir mit dem Chineke! Orchestra und Monisha in Scott Joplins Treemonisha in Toronto, von Broadway World zur besten Inszenierung 2023 und von der New York Times zu den Klassischen Top 10 2023 gekürt. Am Staatstheater Wiesbaden war sie als Hattie und Stella in Stephen Sondheims Follies zu erleben.

Andrea Baker war als Klementia in der vielbeachteten SANCTA-Inszenierung von Florentina Holzinger bei den Wiener Festwochen, an der Staatsoper Stuttgart, sowie in Berlin und Schwerin zu sehen; sie wird diese Rolle in der kommenden Spielzeit an weiteren bedeutenden europäischen Opernhäusern verkörpern. Gleichzeitig ist sie Mitwirkende in Florentina Holzingers A Year Without Summer, die auf internationalen Theaterfestivals zu erleben sein wird.

Neben ihrer Opernkarriere tourt sie weltweit mit ihrer One-Woman-Show Sing Sistah Sing!©, einer Hommage an die afroamerikanische Frauenstimme. Der zweite Teil, Sing Sistah Sing!© Tales of Transatlantic Freedom, widmet sich dem globalen musikalischen Erbe und setzt 2026/27 ihre Nordamerika-Tournee fort.

"A beautiful, talented mezzo with a sublime voice" (Sydney Morning Herald), Ms Baker has collaborated with many of the world's leading conductors, including Sir Simon Rattle, Zubin Mehta, Sir Donald Runnicles, Richard Hickox, and Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Her acclaimed interpretations range from Amneris in Aida and Mescalina in Le Grand Macabre to Serena in Porgy and Bess. Her debut in the role of Die Amme in Die Frau Ohne Schatten was an extraordinary success and saw her lauded as 'born to sing and act the music of Richard Strauss.'”

Opernetz

Cultural Magazine

Upcoming Performances

February 2026

Feb 11

11 February 2026

A Year Without Summer

Volksbühne Berlin,
Linienstraße 227
Berlin, 10178 Germany

"A Year Without Summer" is an apocalyptic vision of artificial life: In an attempt to conquer nature, the body becomes the testing ground, subjected to ever more radical climatic conditions.

Find out more

Feb 12

12 February 2026

A Year Without Summer

Volksbühne Berlin,
Linienstraße 227
Berlin, 10178 Germany

"A Year Without Summer" is an apocalyptic vision of artificial life: In an attempt to conquer nature, the body becomes the testing ground, subjected to ever more radical climatic conditions.

Find out more