Annabel Soode

(soprano)

EDUCATION AND WORK
Annabel Soode (b. 2004) studies in Berlin at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in the class of Prof. Anna Samuil and previously studied singing for two years at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre under Monika Hauswalter. She studied violin and viola at the Tallinn Old Town Educational College (VHK) and performed in the VHK String Orchestra led by Rasmus Puur. Soode has appeared as a soloist in Estonia, Sweden, the Basque Country, Poland, the USA, and Brazil. She studied at Hanna-Liina Võsa’s Musical Theatre School and has participated in productions by Varius Theatre, children’s projects at the Estonian National Opera, and the Kinoteater production “Ethics” (by Paavo Piik).

In May 2025, Soode made her debut as Donna Elvira in the Vanemuine Theatre’s production of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” and performed Wagner’s “Wesendonck Lieder” with the EAMT Symphony Orchestra conducted by Arvo Volmer. In August, she sang the role of Astra in Irene Susi’s music-theatre production “Un_stus”. In autumn 2024, she premiered several new works with the contemporary music ensemble Alekton and took part in a performance of Mozart’s “Coronation Mass” conducted by Ode Pürg. Most recently, she has sung excerpts in the EAMT Opera Studio from Mozart’s “Le nozze di Figaro” (Countess) and “The Magic Flute” (First Lady). In late January 2025, Soode participated in the Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition in Dublin and later competed in the Klaudia Taev Competition in Pärnu (held in September). In November 2024, the contemporary music festival AFEKT hosted world premieres of Einike Leppik’s audiovisual work “Essential Fears” and Fabrizio Nastari’s mono-opera “A Student’s Tale”, performed with the contemporary ensemble L’arsenale and accordionist Momir Novakovic. In August 2024, Annabel made her operatic debut in the title role of Heba in Malle Maltis’s new opera “Raasulapsuke”. In May of the same year, she appeared in the choreographic opera installation optais amme at the ruins of Ungru Manor (director Sofia Filippou, composer Ben Osborn).

For the 2023/2024 season, Annabel was selected for Eesti Kontsert’s LIFT young artists’ mentoring programme. In 2024, she sang at the anniversary concert of the Narva City Orchestra, and in 2023 she performed Britten’s “Les Illuminations” with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra under Kaspar Mänd, as well as at the Estonian National Opera’s Vana Tallinn Gala conducted by Arvo Volmer. Since 2021, Soode has given Lied duo concerts with Piia Paemurru, Kärt Ruubel, Rose Thomas, Jakob Teppo, Jaanika Rand-Sirp, Sofia Khvichia, and others. In 2026. she debuted in the Estonian National Opera as the Dog and the Woodpecker in Janáček’s opera “The Cunning Little Vixen”.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Soode received the 2025 Young Singer Prize. At the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition (2025), she advanced to the semi-final and was awarded a special prize; she also took part in the televised competition “Klassikatähed” (broadcast in 2025). Annabel Soode has been awarded a special prize and the title of laureate at the young singers’ competition “Võluhääl”. She won the Tallinn Talent Award in 2021 and 2023. In spring 2022, the young soprano was awarded first prize at the 4th National Vocal Competition, and in autumn she received third prize at the Vello Jürna Vocal Competition. In the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons, Soode received a grant from the Elrida and Erich Rämmeldi Memorial Fund, and in 2025 she was awarded a scholarship from the Riina and Jaanus Pikani Foundation.