Biography

Swedish contralto Moa Karlsson was born in the city of Helsingborg into a family of musicians. She started playing cello at a young age and her ambition from the beginning was to become a cellist. But after completing her studies she decided to follow her dream in becoming an opera singer. She has worked in the opera chorus of Gothenburg and Malmö.

When Moa finalized her cello studies, she wanted to give her dream of becoming an opera singer an honest chance.

She was accepted to The Music Academy in Malmö for voice and since then it has been a straight road forward in fullfilling her dream! Following, she has studied at the Oslo Opera Academy and has worked in the Opera chorus of Gothenburg Opera and Malmö Opera. Moa also has the great priviliege to study regularly with the fantastic vocal coach Jonathan Morris in Lugano, Switzerland.

A real contralto voice is a truly unique voice and does not compare to any other voice type and Moa feels very blessed to be able to contribute in the rare fach. 

Some of the orchestras Moa has sung with are: Jönköping sinfonietta in the role of Tisbe in Cenerentola by Rossini as a concert version, Helsingborgs Symphony Orchestra with new music written by Alfred Jimenez in a collaboration with The Music Academy in Malmö. 2019 she sang at Drottningholm castle's theatre, a concert with music by Händel, together with conductor David Stern, in a collaboration with the Opera schools in Oslo, Stockholm and Tallinn. Moa also sang the alto part in Beethoven's ninth symphony with the Music Academy in Malmö's orchestra in the concert hall Malmö Live. She has performed different sacred works such as Mozart's Requiem, Vivaldi's Gloria and Mozart's Coronation mass.

At the Opera Academy in Oslo she studied the roles of Bradamante from Alcina by Händel and Mrs. Quickly from Falstaff by Verdi.

Moa has studied cello in many parts of the world. She has been at The Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Gothenburg Academy of music, Chautauqua Music Festival in USA, BANFF Music Festival in Canada and Interlochen Center for the Arts in USA. She has had lessons with world-renowned cellists such as Raphael Wallfisch, Colin Carr, Mats Rondin, Hans Jørgen Jensen, Morten Zeuthen, Toke Møldrup and Melissa Kraut. Moa is working as a cello teacher in Kulturskolor in the south of Sweden alongside her singing career.