Australian-born to parents of Sri Lankan, Dutch and Scottish ancestry, soprano singer Danielle de Niese moved to Los Angeles at the age of 10.
Danielle's career got off to a prestigious start when as a teenager she was the host of a television programme which featured young performers. This won her an Emmy Award in 1996. It was not long before she made her Met debut, sharing the stage, as Barbarina in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro with Bryn Terfel, Cecilia Bartoli and Renee Fleming in the production conducted by James Levine and directed by Jonathan Miller.
Her breakthrough performance came in 2005, to a European audience, at Glyndebourne Festival, which brought her true international acclaim. Her portrayal of Cleopatra in a David McVicar production of Handel's Giulio Cesare on her debut at the festival secured her a lucrative exclusive album deal with Decca Records.
Since then Danielle has gone on to enjoy success on many stages including in major opera houses and with prominent orchestras in Europe and the U.S. and making appearances alongside the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, National Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields.
Having risen to prominence after appearing as Cleopatra in David McVicar's highly-acclaimed production of Giulio Cesare in 2005, it's perhaps no surprise that soprano Danielle continues to explore her love of Handel's vocal music, singing a selection of arias for her debut album of Handel Arias.
Did you know?
At 18 Danielle became the youngest singer ever to enter the Metropolitan Opera's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.