After the opening night of Tristan und Isolde at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen shared a personal video message reflecting on the experience and thanking the people who supported her through one of the most demanding moments of her career.
In the reel, Davidsen speaks candidly about the emotional weight of returning to the stage after becoming a mother to twins. She recalls the fear she felt leaving home, the uncertainty about whether she would manage the role, and the significance of simply stepping onto the stage on opening night and feeling “more or less happy with the result.” The message is framed not as a celebration of success, but as an expression of gratitude — and relief.
Davidsen announced her pregnancy in January 2025 and gave birth to twins around the beginning of June that year. She cancelled her performances from mid-March through the end of 2025 in order to focus on her family, with plans to return to the stage in early 2026. Her Isolde at the Liceu therefore marked her first operatic appearance since that pause — and one of the most closely watched role debuts of the season.
The role itself, one of the most formidable in the dramatic soprano repertoire, received excellent reviews, with critics highlighting both the vocal authority and the emotional depth of Davidsen’s interpretation. Yet in her message, she is careful to underline that the achievement was not hers alone. She thanks her husband and family for their constant support, as well as the Liceu for accommodating her situation.
She also singles out stage director Bárbara Lluch for asking what could be done to help — including adjustments that allowed her to spend more time with her children — and conductor Susanna Mälkki for her support throughout the rehearsal process. Davidsen describes the experience of finding her “first Isolde” with Mälkki as especially meaningful. She closes by acknowledging her long-standing team, emphasising the trust built over more than a decade of collaboration.
At the end of the video, Davidsen looks ahead to what comes next, addressing audiences in New York and noting that her sons will be travelling with her. In March, she is scheduled to take on Isolde at the Metropolitan Opera, bringing the role she debuted in Barcelona to one of the world’s most closely watched operatic stages. For now, however, the focus of her message remains firmly on the present — and on the many people who, in her words, made it possible for this return to the stage to happen at all.
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