Lübeck-born soprano Birgit Beer grew up in Vienna, where she discovered her love for opera early on in life. However, she began to study art before dedicating herself entirely to music and singing. After just one year, she was offered her first engagement at the STÄDTISCHE BÜHNEN AUGSBURG, where her natural talent was immediately recognized and where she made her debut as Papagena (Zauberflöte). Birgit Beer’s teachers included Kammersänger Renate Holm and Hanna Ludwig. Her debut was followed by engagements at the WIENER VOLKSOPER, where she performed parts such as Nuri (Tiefland) and Olympia (Les contes d’Hoffmann) together with Nicolai Gedda and Alfredo Kraus, and that of Prinzessin Helene (Walzertraum). After three years, Birgit Beer moved to the STAATSTHEATER AM GÄRTNERPLATZ. Around that time, she also began to appear in DRESDEN on a regular basis, where she had made her debut as Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos) in 1992. Other parts that Birgit Beer performed at the time include: Rosina (Barbiere von Siviglia), Blondchen (Einführung aus dem Serail), Königin der Nacht (Zauberflöte), Pamina (Zauberflöte), Despina (Cosi fan tutte), Adele (Die Fledermaus), and Valencienne (Die lustige Witwe).
From 1992-1997, Birgit Beer was a member of the ensemble at the OPERA BONN, with Gian Carlo del Monaco as artistic director. It was here that Birgit Beer performed all the most important roles for lyrical sopranos, working with famous conductors and directors. Roles included that of Lisette (La Rondine) in the much-praised production by Marta Domingo, Pamina (Die Zauberflöte) in Jürgen Rose’s production, and that of Sophie in Götz Friedrich’s highly acclaimed Rosenkavalier, for which she was nominated best young singer by the critics. Other parts included Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), Sophie (Werther), Baronin (Wildschütz), and Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel).
Between 1997/1998, Birgit Beer moved to the Aalto Theater in Essen, where she remained until 2000. Her parts in Essen included Arabella (Fiakermilli) OPENING PRODUCTION and Musette (La Bohème). Audiences also loved her interpretation of Marzelline (Fidelio) and Constance (Les Dialogues des Carmelites), as well as her Pamina (Die Zauberflöte).
Birgit Beer gave guest performances in VERONA, LIEGE, PRAGUE, ANTWERP, MILAN, MARRAKESH, COPENHAGEN, BERLIN (DEUTSCHE OPER), HAMBURG, LEIPZIG, PARIS, MUNICH (NATIONALTHEATER) and VIENNA (STAATSOPER), and is a regular guest at the SEMPEROPER DRESDEN. In 1996, she sang Mozart’s Mass in C-Minor at the RUDOLFINUM in Prague and the part of Marzelline (Fidelio) at the ROYAL OPERA DE WALLONIE in LIEGE. In 1997, she performed the part of Ännchen (Freischütz) at the SALZBURG FESTIVAL, that of Pamina (Zauberflöte) at the VIENNA SUMMER FESTIVAL, and that of Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel) in COLOGNE.
Birgit Beer has worked with Sir Georg Solti (Frau ohne Schatten) at the SALZBURG EASTER FESTIVAL and the SALZBURG SUMMER FESTIVAL, and with Roberto Abbado (Carmen) at the BAYERISCHE STAATSOPER.
Since 2000, Birgit Beer has been working as a freelance artist. In 2001, she was hugely successful in the part of Kunigunde in Louis Spohr’s Faust in a production by Thorsten Fischer at the KÖLNER OPER, with Ralf Weikert as the conductor. Engagements in the season of 2002/2003 included Pamina in a production by Philippe Arlaud and a part in Franz v. Suppé’s Schöner Galathee in ST.GALLEN. In the same year, she also performed Pamina in BERN, conducted by Miguel Gomez-Martinez. In 2004, she was invited to sing the part of Prinzessin Helene (Walzertraum) at the OPER FRANKFURT, followed by the part of Traviata at the MÜNCHNER PHILHARMONIE, and again in SCHWETZINGEN in 2005. Highlights in 2005 also included a concert tour of South America, with stops at BUENOS AIRES and RIO DE JANEIRO, and, in Europe, performances as Micaela (Carmen) in DRESDEN and ST. MARGARETHEN, as well as an appearance at the music festival MUSICA MALLORCA in Palma de Mallorca in October, where she sang parts from Lucia di Lammermoor and Rigoletto.
Birgit Beer’s versatility is also highly valued by organizers of charity concerts, as well as by TV and radio editors. The singer was for instance invited to programs such as HEIMAT IN DER FERNE with Dagmar Berghoff and to LIEBEN SIE KLASSIK? with Justus Frantz, and was a guest at Karl Heinz Böhm’s charity gala “Menschen für Menschen“ in Vienna.
In December 2005 and January 2006, Birgit Beer will make her debut in the part of Gräfin Gabriele (Wiener Blut) at the VOLKSOPER WIEN, and on 29 December 2005, she will sing Micaela (Camen) in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. A concert tour of Far East is planned for late 2006.