With key role debuts in recent seasons including Dorabella (Così fan tutte) for Seattle Opera, Der Komponist (Ariadne auf Naxos) for Glyndebourne Festival Opera and wide acclaim for her first performances as Octavian (Der Rosenkavalier) for Garsington Opera, Hanna Hipp’s ardent and impassioned singing make her a favourite for the leading lyric mezzo repertoire. In the 2022/2023 season, Hanna takes on the challenging lead role of Offred in Poul Ruders’ A Handmaid’s Tale, in a new staging by John Fulljames for the Royal Danish Theatre, followed by debuts at Opera North as Der Komponist and New Zealand Opera as Dorabella.
Increasingly in demand on the concert platform, Hanna adds both Mahler’s Symphony No.3 and Szymanowski’s Stabat Mater this season, marking debuts with Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Vasily Petrenko and London Symphony Orchestra under Sir Simon Rattle respectively. Further repertoire highlights include Brahms’ Alto Rhapsody (Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra/David Hill), Mozart’s Requiem (Scottish Chamber Orchestra/Klaus Mäkelä) and a particular affinity with Berlioz’s Les nuits d’été, having sung the work with BBC Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Oulu Symphony Orchestra. Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 has brought debuts with Oslo Philharmonic, Hamburger Symphoniker and Philharmonia Orchestra, and Hanna appears in the work again this season for her first appearances with both Wiener Konzerthausorchester and Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, under Klaus Mäkelä and Jonathan Nott respectively. Further concert highlights include Ein Page (Salome) for both Bergen and Edinburgh International festivals under Ed Gardner, Der Trommler in Ullmann’s Der Kaiser von Atlantis with BBC Symphony Orchestra under Josep Pons, the title role in Mascagni’s Zanetto with the orchestra of Scottish Opera under David Parry, and Rossweise (Die Walküre) with London Philharmonic Orchestra under Vladimir Jurowski.
A former member of the Royal Opera House’s Jette Parker Young Artist Programme, recent highlights on the mainstage include both Magdalene (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg) and Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro) under Sir Antonio Pappano, and her role debut as Hänsel in Antony McDonald’s new production of Hänsel und Gretel under Sebastian Weigle. Elsewhere in the United Kingdom, Hipp sang Cherubino and Dorabella at English National Opera, her first Varvara (Katya Kabanova) for Scottish Opera, and the title role in Offenbach’s Fantasio at Garsington Opera. Further international debuts include at Teatro Real Madrid as Frances, Countess of Essex (Gloriana) in David McVicar’s new production under Ivor Bolton, at Dutch National Opera as Ein Page in Ivo van Hove’s new production under Daniele Gatti, and both Isolier (Le Comte Ory) and Beatrice (Beatrice and Benedict) for Seattle Opera.
On disc, Hanna has appeared as Anna in Berlioz’s Les troyens with Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg under John Nelson on Warner Classics, Flora in Verdi’s La traviata at the Glyndebourne Festival under Sir Mark Elder on Opus Arte DVD, and released her debut recital album featuring the songs of Ildebrando Pizzetti with pianist Emma Abbate on Resonus Classics, garnering praise for her “gleaming sound and declamatory fire” (Gramophone).