The mezzo-soprano Devi Suriani finished her studies for her master’s degree in lied, oratorio, and concert vocals at the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK) under Kammersängerin Julie Kaufmann in 2017, and since then she has been studying for her master’s degree in opera. Devi first gained experience performing onstage in opera projects at the university in the roles of, among others, The Sorceress (Henry Purcell, “Dido and Aeneas”); Ottone (Claudio Monteverdi, “L’incoronazione di Poppea”); Deuxième Commère (Jacques Ibert, “Angélique”); and Madame Flora (Gian Carlo Menotti, “The Medium”). In June 2019 she performed the roles of Harper Pitt and Ethel Rosenberg in the Berlin premiere of Peter Eötvös’ opera “Angels in America.” In February 2021 Devi interpreted “Aventures” and “Nouvelles Aventures” by György Ligeti on the celebration of György Kurtág’s 95th birthday in Budapest, conducted by Peter Eötvös. In addition to opera, Devi devotes herself to lied, and she has been influenced in this field by Axel Bauni; Eric Schneider; and Wolfram Rieger. Her musical education has been supplemented by taking master courses taught by Susanne Kelling; Hilde Sveen; and Helmut Lachenmann. She has had a grant from the German Music Council since April 2021.
Devi Suriani was born in the capital city of the Indonesian province North Sumatra. In 2006 she began training in vocals, and in 2010 she received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the Lasalle College of the Arts in Singapore in performance, with an emphasis on contemporary classical music. She has been living in Germany since 2015.