Elsina Jansen

Stage Director, Artistic Director & Drama Teacher

Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

About

"Jansen’s staging of Nixon in China is ingenious in its simplicity". Volkskrant Opera director Elsina Jansen made her debut with the opera Nixon in China by John Adams in 2005. In the press some aspects of her directing work are recurring pointed out: her subtle direction, the inventive, strong images with minimal resources and its musicality. Elsina is versatile, inventive and passionate about working with singers. Elsina Jansen worked at companies such as Vaasa Opera Finland (La Bohème) Dutch Touring Opera (La Barca, revival director for La Traviata and La Traviata RAP) Opera Trionfo (Zaide, Les adventures du roi Pausole) at The Dutch National Opera Academy (Cosi fan tutte), Orkest van het Oosten (Die Fledermaus, Coppelia) the Dutch Philharmonic Orchestra (educational program around Heroes) and the North Netherlands Orchestra (Die Fledermaus, Love is in the air). She worked with conductors such as Jan Willem de Vriend, Robbert van Steijn, Mark Shanahan, Balázs Kocsár, Ed Spanjaard and Henrik Schaefer, Jari Hiekkapelto, Ivo Meinen and Dmitry Sitkovetsky. As artistic director, director and producer Elsina created with her own company; Opera op Zak. Opera op Zak produces small-scale opera and music theatre performances with young singers and actors, mostly on location. For more information see www.operaopzak.nl In addition to her work as a director and producer, Elsina also works as a teacher. Since 2011, Elsina works as a drama teacher on the vocal department of the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, she also gives workshops and projects at the conservatoires of Amsterdam, Groningen and ArtEZ. Elsina teaches and organizes an annual summer workshop in France, Zen, Singing and Acting with voice teacher Margreet Honig and Zen teacher Marc Brookhuis. Together with David Prins, Elsina is artistic director and teacher of PERFORMING OPERA. Summer school for Singers. The Summer school is part of the Grachtenfestival Amsterdam.

Experience

  • Drama Teacher at Conservatorium van Amsterdam
    Jan 2023 - Present · 3 yrs 7 mos

    I am working with the Master students of the vocal department on acting and performance skills.

  • Drama teacher at Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag
    Jan 2011 - Present · 15 yrs 7 mos

    I work as a drama teacher with young singers on acting and performing skills.

  • Stage director at Elsina Jansen regie
    Aug 2007 - Present · 19 yrs

    Stage director of opera, music theatre and music productions www.elsinajansen.nl

  • Stichting Opera op Zak (22 yrs 5 mos)
    • Artistic director/producer
      Mar 2004 - Present · 22 yrs 5 mos

      Director and producer of small scale operaproductions on location. Opera op Zak also organises workshops for young opera singers. See www.operaopzak.nl

    • Director and Producer
      Jan 2022 - Sep 2022 · 9 mos

      Producer and stage director of We Two. A collage performance of one act opera The Telephone (Menotti) and Four Dialogues, song cycle (Ned Rorem). Anne van Amerongen sopraan, Meike Wijma sopraan, Milan de Korte tenor, Wessel Wirken bariton. Jeroen Sarphati + Jorian van Nee piano. Job Gijbrechts design and Eline Visscher assistant director.

  • Drama teacher and director at Prins Claus Conservatorium, Hanzehogeschool Groningen
    May 2016 - Present · 10 yrs 3 mos

    Drama teacher at the singing department. Voice teachers: Hanneke de Wit. Stage director of student productions: Figaro (act 1) at festival Opera aan Zee (May 2021) and Die Zauberflote in De Oosterpoort (September 2022) Dido&Aeneas in cooperation with Luthers Bach Ensemble (October 2023)