Laura Olivia Spengel
Mezzosoprano

The mezzo-soprano with polish roots was born in Berlin. She started her musical education in an early age. Her firt music lessons came from her singer and composer mother. She was also a longtime member of the Berlin Children's Choir. Since 2004 she is living in Austria, where she studied musicology (Universität Wien),  classical singing (Musik- und Kunst Privatuniversität Wien) and art culture management (Universität für angewandte Kunst Wien).

During her studies, she already performed in a leading role in Humperdings "Hansel and Gretel" and as a sister Clara in Poulenc's "Dialogues of the Carmelites"at the Vienna Conservatory. In addition, she completed her singing education with various master classes, among others with Thomas Hampson, Barbara Frittoli and Brigitte Fassbänder.

During the past five years she was taking part in prestige’s Festivals such as Heidelberger Frühling, Daegu Opera Festival or Bruckner Fest Linz a.o.

In 2015, she won the ORF Songbook Project and has worked on this occasion with academy award winner Michael Haneke on a classic video clip.

In the same year, she was scholarship holder at the famous Bayreuth Festival where she performed at the closing ceremony concert. In addition to this program she also performed at the Vienna State Opera in 2016. Three times in a row she got invited to attend the traditional New Years’ concerts at the Vienna Hofburg.

Laura Olivia Spengel traveled twice to Korea to sing at the the Seoul Art Center with the Prime Philharmonic Orchestra and also at the Daegu Opera House. 

She made her debut at the Musikverein Wien in 2018, singing at a Rossini gala concert alongside Juan Diego Florez and other international opera stars. Later this year she debuted the mezzo part in Gustav Mahler’s 8th Symphony in a live TV broadcast with the Sofia Philharmonic under the baton of Emili Tabakov and at the big hall of the Brucknerhaus with the Sinfonietta Linz with whom she already was on tour around Austria three times before.

In 2019, she first graced the stage in Poland where she performed the Mahler-Rückert songs at the Penderecki Center with the Sinfonietta Cracovia.

During the Lockdowns in 2020/21, she participated in several concert streamings among others the first ever online opera gala that took place in virtual reality. She also supported the “Female Factor” organization on their limitless conference with a live video clip that was co-organized by the United Nations in Vienna.

The young mezzosoprano was awarded numerous prizes such as Beaumarchais Concours (Austria 2014), International Osaka Competition (Japan 2015), International Competition “Accademia Belcanto” (Austria 2016), Golden Medal at “Berliner Competition” (Germany/USA 2017) and 1. Prize at “Wiener Musikseminar” (Austria 2017).

For five years she has been a member of the Society "Live Music Now" founded by Yehudi Menuhin, with whom she regularly participates in charity concerts.