Mezzosoprano Mirjam Schreur obtained her diploma's Performing Musician Solo-singing en Music-drama (operaclass) at the Conservatorium Maastricht in June 2000. Her teacher was Barbara Schlick. Since September 2000, she has been trained further by the Dutch mezzo-soprano Jard van Nes, who continues to be her coach. With Roberta Alexander she worked on roles of Mozart operas. With Thomas Koncz, conductor and professor at the University for Music, Vienna, she worked on parts of operas by Händel and Mozart.
She took Lied-masterclasses from Rudolf Peirnay, Maureen Lehane, , Semjon Skigin and Jard van Nes/Ulrich Eisenlohr. At the "Musikhochschule Köln" she took seminars in ancient music: "Monteverdi and his contemporaries" by Paul Esswood and by Gerhard Darmstadt.
In April 2002 she was rewarded with the 3rd prize in the international singers competition "Debuto in Merano" in Italy. She earned this high award for an equally good performance in opera, oratoria and lied. Ingeborg Hallstein, Ubaldo Gardini etc. were members of the Jury. During the concert for the finalists she made her television debut with the Italian RAI.
As an opera singer she performed the role of Orfeo in the opera 'Orfeo ed Euridice' of Gluck in and the role of Marcellina in the opera 'Le Nozze di Figaro' of Mozart at the city theatre in Merano, Italy. Conductor: Thomas Koncz, Director: Richard Sigmund. She played the role of Dido in the opera 'Dido and Aeneas' of Purcell at the Theater Bonbonniere in Maastricht, the Netherlands. With "Opera Zuid" she played the role of Beggar-woman and Russian mother in the opera 'Death in Venice of Britten. Conductor: James Lockhart, Art direction: Mike Ashman.
She worked together with the Netherlands Bach Society conducted by
Jos van Veldhoven
in a world-premiere of Der Tod Jesu by C.E. Graaf, during the
"Nederlandse Muziekdagen" in Vredenburg, Utrecht and in a project called Music for Royalty with
cantatas of Bach on the programme.
In 2009 she took part in a series of 3 performances of the Stabat Mater
by G.G. Brunetti, together with the
Combattimento Consort Amsterdam
conducted by Jan Willem de Vriend. She worked together with the Limburg Symphonic Orchestra in a series of 3 performances
of the St. Matthew Passion by J.S. Bach, conducted by Ed Spanjaard.
Next invitation followed for the festival Europa Cantat in Utrecht for
Misa Tango by M. Palmeri and Le Roi David by Honneger.
She was also invited for the
Barocco Festival Leonardo Leo in Brindisi, Italy.
On the programme were altocantatas by J.S. Bach , accompanied by
Il Concerto Barocco conducted by
Jonathan Talbott.
In December 2008, she made het debut in the "Concertgebouw" in Amsterdam with the Messiah by G.F. Händel.
In the spring of 2007 she worked together with the North Netherlands Orchestra in a series of 6 performances
of the St. Matthew Passion of J.S. Bach, conducted by
Johannes Leertouwer.
In October 2007, she took part in a series of concerts in Germany and Luxemburg together
with the Kreuzchor Dresden
and the Dresdner Philharmonie conducted by Roderich Kreile.
She worked together with the following orchestra's: Residentie Bachensembles, NNO, LSO, Orkest van het Oosten,
Concerto d’Amsterdam, Florilegium Musicum, het Philharmonia Amsterdam,
het Randstedelijk Begeleidings Orkest, het Promenade Orkest and Prima la Musica.
Performed were
oratorio, cantatas and masses of Bach, Vivaldi, Händel, Scarlatti,
Pergolesi, Haydn, Mozart, Rossini, Dvorak, Respighi etc. Jos van Veldhoven, Ed Spanjaard, Jan Willem de Vriend,
Johannes Leertouwer, Roderich Kreile, Laurent Gendre, Jonathan Talbott, Daan Admiraal, Jos Vermunt,
Oane Wierdsma, Louis Buskens, Peter Serpenti, Hans Leenders, etc.
In contemporary music she sang in the world-premiere of Cantico Espiritual of Jo van den Booren during Musica Sacra and of Cantate Domino of Werner Jacob in Nürnberg. Both projects were done in cooperation with Studium Chorale directed by Hans Leenders. Recordings were made by Dutch and German radio.
