Brigitte Oelke
Encyclopedia
Brigitte Oelke is a Swiss singer, actress, dancer and musical performer.
Furthermore she learnt to play multiple instruments (piano
, accordion
, guitar
and the recorder
) but nevertheless, singing was her greatest passion.
A friend of the family, Prof. Kurt Pahlen contributed to Brigitte’s high-class musical education.
During her education as commercial clerk she gained experience as a front woman, for instance in her first band Sterling oder Nightgambler with which she toured Switzerland
.
After completing her education at the age of 19 she spent a year as an au-pair in Los Angeles
where she received an education in singing
, Jazz
and Stepdance. Back in Europe
she also received private tutoring in singing and acting in St. Gallen, Vienna and Bregenz before she entered the Stage School of Music, Dance and Drama in Hamburg
, leaving it as a graduate actress.
In 1998 she played Nellie in director Dietrich Hilsdorf’s German premiere of Jekyll & Hyde.
November 2000 she won the contest to be one of three candidates to sing the Swiss contribution to the German preliminaries for the European Song Contest 2001– together with Leslie Bogaert and Joy Fleming
she performed the song „Power of Trust“ making second place.
From December 2004 to October 2006 she got the chance to work in the German production of We will rock you alongside with her teenage idols Brian May
and Roger Taylor
, playing the role of „Killer Queen“. In December 2006 she moved to Zurich
, Switzerland
with the production of WWRY and on January 24, 2008 she conquered the third German speaking country–Vienna
, Austria
.
Brigitte currently continues her trail of success as "Killer Queen" at the Apollo Theater in Stuttgart
, Germany
.
Vita
Brigitte Oelke’s affection for music started very early in her life. Her mother was the leader of the children's choir at the St. Gallen Stadttheater, in which Brigitte took part herself.Furthermore she learnt to play multiple instruments (piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and the recorder
Recorder
The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
) but nevertheless, singing was her greatest passion.
A friend of the family, Prof. Kurt Pahlen contributed to Brigitte’s high-class musical education.
During her education as commercial clerk she gained experience as a front woman, for instance in her first band Sterling oder Nightgambler with which she toured Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
After completing her education at the age of 19 she spent a year as an au-pair in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
where she received an education in singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and Stepdance. Back in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
she also received private tutoring in singing and acting in St. Gallen, Vienna and Bregenz before she entered the Stage School of Music, Dance and Drama in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, leaving it as a graduate actress.
Work
1997 she worked with Roman Polanski and Jim Steinman at the world premiere of Tanz der Vampire (Dance of the Vampires) in Vienna as a member of the ensemble and alternate „Rebecca“.In 1998 she played Nellie in director Dietrich Hilsdorf’s German premiere of Jekyll & Hyde.
November 2000 she won the contest to be one of three candidates to sing the Swiss contribution to the German preliminaries for the European Song Contest 2001– together with Leslie Bogaert and Joy Fleming
Joy Fleming
Joy Fleming is a German singer who is probably best-known for her performance in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1975...
she performed the song „Power of Trust“ making second place.
From December 2004 to October 2006 she got the chance to work in the German production of We will rock you alongside with her teenage idols Brian May
Brian May
Brian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
and Roger Taylor
Roger Meddows-Taylor
Roger Meddows Taylor , known as Roger Taylor, is a British musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the drummer, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of British rock band Queen. As a drummer he is known for his "big" unique sound and is considered one of...
, playing the role of „Killer Queen“. In December 2006 she moved to Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
with the production of WWRY and on January 24, 2008 she conquered the third German speaking country–Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
Brigitte currently continues her trail of success as "Killer Queen" at the Apollo Theater in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Engagements
- 1994 Lorca's Escapada–„Yerma“ (Theatron Hamburg)
- 1994 Into the Woods–„Hexe“ (Amerika-Haus Hamburg)
- 1994 La Cage aux Folles–„Madame Dindon“, „Jacqueline“ (Delphi-Theater Hamburg)
- 1995 Grease–„Jan“ (Imperial-Theater Hamburg)
- 1995 West Side Story–„Anita“ (Oper/Musikal. Komödie Leipzig)
- 1996 Sweet Charity–„Nicky“ (St.-Pauli-Theater Hamburg)
- 1996 Dames At Sea–„Joan“ (Delphi-Theater Hamburg)
- 1996 Die Schöne und das Biest–„Mathilde“ (Tournee D/CH/A, BB-Promotion)
- 1997 Der kleine Horrorladen–„Crystal“ (TheaterZelt Das Schloss München)
- 1997 Tanz der Vampire–„Rebecca“, Ensemble (Raimund-Theater Wien)
- 1998 Rock it!–Solistin (Seebühne Zell am See)
- 1998 Jekyll & Hyde–„Nellie“ (Musical-Theater Bremen)
- 2000 Beatlemania–Solistin (Seebühne Zell am See)
- 2000 Evita–„Evita“ (Städtische Bühnen Münster)
- 2002 West Side Story–„Anita“ (Theater Bielefeld)
- 2002 Jesus Christ Superstar–„Maria Magdalena“ (Städtische Bühnen Münster)
- 2003 Jekyll & Hyde–„Nellie“ (Musical-Dome Köln)
- 2003 Cabaret–„Sally“ (Städtische Bühnen Münster)
- 2003 Das Mädchen Rosemarie–„Lilly“ (Capitol Theater Düsseldorf)
- 2004 West Side Story–„Anita“ (Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf)
- 2004 Die Tenoritas–Solistin (Gala-Auftritte Hamburg, Hannover, Bonn)
- 2004 We Will Rock You–„Killer Queen“ (Musical-Dome Köln)
- 2006 We Will Rock You–„Killer Queen“ (Theater 11, Zürich)
- 2008 We Will Rock You–„Killer Queen“ (Raimund-Theater, Wien)
- 2008 We Will Rock You - "Killer Queen" (Apollo Theater, Stuttgart)
Discography
- 1995 Solo artist auf Lace and chains Giacopuzzi CH (Jazz-Soul-Pop)
- 1996 Solo artist - International Country Hits Barry Lane Compilation
- 1997 Musical-CD Tanz der Vampire –Ensemble (Weltpremiere Cast)
- 1999 Musical-CD Jekyll & Hyde–„Nellie“ (Deutsche Erstaufführung)
- 2001 Single Maxi-CD Power of trust–Lesley, Joy & Brigitte (Eurovision Song Contest)
- 2003 Solo artist auf Doppel-Live-CD Musikalisches Feuerwerk (Schweiz)
- 2003 Musical on Ice-CD Romeo und Julia –„Lady Montague“
- 2004 Solo artist - David Plate's The Perception
- 2004 Musical-CD Das Mädchen Rosemarie –„Lilly“ (World Premiere Cast)
- 2005 Musical-Live-CD We will Rock You live –„Killer Queen“ (Original Cologne Cast)