The Vienna State Opera mourns the loss of Kristin Okerlund
The House |
The solo repetiteurs at the Vienna State Opera are much more than just great pianists and outstanding musicians. The fact that they have a high level of technical skill and stylistic knowledge is a prerequisite for all the rehearsals, performances and keyboard duties in the orchestra pit. But their real task is to work responsibly with the singers: whether ensemble members or guests - they all need to be supported, protected, guided and shaped in their development in order to be able to hold their own on the opera stage. This challenging job of a solo repetiteur therefore requires a great deal of knowledge, experience and artistic and human sensitivity.
Kristin Okerlund possessed all of this to the highest degree and was therefore literally irreplaceable for the company and her colleagues. Outsiders may therefore be able to guess what her unexpected death on October 10 means for the Vienna State Opera. Since 1993, the multiple award-winning pianist from the USA has intensively shaped and supported the daily musical development of our stage. Conductors sought to work with her, singers trusted her blindly. Her opinion simply carried weight - even if she didn't impose it on anyone. And she seemed to be able to master whatever music was presented to her. She could stand in at any rehearsal, mastered any piece without having practiced it beforehand, and played the most difficult and unusual pieces sight-read without any problems. The only utensil she took with her to rehearsals, apart from a pencil, was a mug of coffee or a bottle of water. That was all she needed and she was ready to go.
Kristin Okerlund also had the wonderful ability to open the ears of others. With just a few gestures, she pointed out certain details of the score and drew attention to the nuances of the performance taking place - so if you were allowed to sit next to her in the service box, for example, you were sure to leave a performance with more musical knowledge than when you went in. Details and nuances also determined her playing on the podium: Audiences will remember her as a sensitive accompanist and chamber musician at concerts in the Gustav Mahler Hall or on the big stage, among others.
Her personal happiness, alongside her work at the Vienna State Opera (and at the Music and Private University of the City of Vienna, where she led her own accompaniment class), was her two daughters, who matured into internationally sought-after instrumentalists, not least under her care. Her sudden death brought all her work to a tragic end far too soon. As a sign of mourning, the Vienna State Opera raises the black flag.