Canada: 1 Million square metres for 35 Million people. Germany: roughly one-third of the space for 80 Million people. 6750 km separates the two countries. What could possibly bring a young singer so far from home? The answer is simple: music. Marta Herman made the decision to leave her home so she could follow her passion for opera. She loves living in Germany, but finds it difficult to see her family only once or twice a year. Even though homesickness is a familiar feeling, she has always loved travelling. She grew up in Toronto, the largest city in Canada, and describes herself as a 'city person'. Since moving to Germany, she has visited as many new cities as possible. Spending time away from civilization every once in awhile is also important to her, however; she is currently planning a hiking trip through the wilds of Scotland.
Before she decided to study music, Marta dreamed of becoming an archaeologist. She has a passion for history, especially medieval history, and the idea of a career that combines work in the great outdoors with time writing in a cozy library was a very appealing prospect.
Now Marta is at the beginning of her career as an opera singer. She has been a soloist at the Staatstheater Kassel since January 2016, and appears here in The Love for three Oranges and Die tote Stadt before opening the 2016/17 season with one of her dream roles, Cherubino, in the upcoming brand-new production of Le nozze di Figaro.
When it comes to her artistic and vocal development, Marta trusts the guidance of her voice teacher. In her opinion, it is difficult for any singer to have an objective view of their own voice: when she is offered a new role, they decide together whether it is suitable for her or not. On the stage, she is determined to face any challenges that she may encounter. She enjoys pushing her own limitations, vocally and dramatically, and feels that often, this helps her gain a deeper understanding of the music itself. Her own musical taste is eclectic, stretching from baroque music to German rap. At the moment she is obsessed with the music of French baroque composers like Charpentier and Rameau, and is making her way through Björk's entire body of work: “The different things she can do with her voice are just so compelling!”
Original German text by Hildegard Turba