Photographs by Paul Bernhard and Morten Krogvold

"...the lyric Mignon-songs by Schubert, performed by Isa Gericke with brilliant consonants and an exceptional textual communication. Both here and in the 6 German songs by Grieg she made a strong impact with her cultivated soprano voice, light and shining in the upper register and warm and rather dark in the lower."
Main-Post, Bad Kissingen, Germany, July 2007

"My Heart is Always Present"

My Heart is Always Present

This recently released classical Christmas album is nothing less than Tine Thing Helset's dream project. For this recording Tine has again teamed up with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra led by Elise Båtnes. Isa Katharina Gericke joins in for thrilling versions of Handle's two showpieces for soprano, trumpet and orchestra, plus "I know a Castle in Heavens High". In addition to all time classics by Bach/Gounod, Holst, Reger and others, Tine also presents a beautiful piece she has written herself: "Angels Dance".

Further information and to purchase: Simax Classics website

Isa Katharina Gericke, Soprano

"Don't ask what the world needs,
but instead what makes your heart sing.
Because what the world needs,
is people with singing hearts"
[Margareta Melin]

Soprano Isa Katharina Gericke is a graduate of the Academy of Music and the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin. She won first prize in the national Queen Sonja Music Competition in May 2001. The following year she received the award as Newcomer of the Year during the festival Kissinger-Summer in Germany and her debut was as Gretel in Humperdinck's "Hänsel and Gretel" at the Norwegian Opera in 2003.

Isa was recently honored with The Norwegian Society first Wessel Award.

Listen to 'Gute Nacht', op.25, no.3 [Halfdan Kjerulf, 1815-1868] from my CD 'Waldabendlust'
Buy the CD [Grappa website]

Isa sang Euridice in Monteverdi's "Orpheus" in the opening season of Oslo's new opera house in Bjørvika. She has been engaged as a soloist with, among others, the Oslo Philharmonic, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Czech Philharmonic, and has also collaborated with conductors such as Sir Andrew Davies, Manfred Honneck, Franz Brüggen, Rinaldo Alessandrini and Philipe Herreweghe.

Isa has a special interest in the lied and romance genres and has participated in several festivals in Norway and abroad. In 2008 she made her UK debut with a recital at London's Wigmore Hall. For the record label Naxos Isa sang Solveig in a new recording of Grieg's "Peer Gynt". Previously, Isa released the critically acclaimed CD "Waldabendlust" (Simax Grappa) and in April 2009 her solo CD "To Eva" (Simax Grappa), a collection of Norwegian romance songs celebrating the singer Eva Sars Nansen.

Then, together with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Isa joined the trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth for the CD "My Heart is Always Present" (Simax Grappa). This CD quickly went on to sell gold.

Isa is one of the initiators of the Oslo Baroque Opera, and has been the artistic director of the annual Glogerfestspillene in Kongsberg since 2001.

Isa's exciting forthcoming season will include concerts in Italy, Germany and Scandinavia; Monteverdi's "Orfeo" in Hanover; and her debut as Gudrun in "The Saint Olav" in Stiklestad.