Johanna Vargas-Curriculum Vitae

Johanna Vargas, a Colombian coloratura soprano, embodies vocal beauty and virtuosity in her artistry, which seamlessly blends captivating physical and theatrical presence. She effortlessly navigates both traditional and experimental performance settings, as well as the nuanced demands of chamber music and solo recitals on the concert stage.

With her versatile training, Johanna Vargas masterfully employs her voice across a spectrum of styles. Her extensive repertoire spans diverse musical genres – from Belcanto to Latin jazz, pop, and improvisation. By merging this rich background with a profound understanding of drama and choreography, she brings performances to life. Displaying her distinctive and versatile voice, she garnered attention from audiences and critics alike from a young age, clinching awards at competitions. Notably, she secured the Hanns Eisler Performance Award in Berlin in 2015, followed by the John Cage Prize in Halberstadt and the Fellowship from the NUNC!3 Festival of the New Music Conference at Northwestern University Chicago in 2018.

Johanna Vargas now stands among the most sought-after sopranos for contemporary music. She has graced numerous premieres of leading contemporary composers, including George Aperghis, Carola Bauckholt, Wolfgang Rihm, Beat Furrer, Bernhard Lang, Chaya Czernowin, Lucia Ronchetti, Hans-Joachim Hespos, Johannes Kreidler, and Vito Zuraj. Since 2019, she holds the position of high soprano with the Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, and regularly performs at internationally renowned festivals for new music such as Donaueschingen Musiktage, Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik, Eclat Stuttgart, Présences Paris, Wien Modern, and Tongyeung. Collaborating with ensembles like Ensemble Intercontemporain, Ensemble Modern, Klangforum Wien, and Arditti Quartet, she has also been featured as a soloist with the Berlin Philharmonic under Sir Simon Rattle, the MDR Symphony Orchestra under Dennis Russell Davies, and Musikfabrik Köln under Peter Rundel.

From 2021 to 2024, Johanna Vargas serves as Artist-in-Residence at the Fondation Royaumont in France. In 2022, she was granted a residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris with her ensemble Duo LAB51.

Johanna Vargas pursued her education in Bogotá, Bremen, Karlsruhe, and Stuttgart. Her mentors include internationally acclaimed artists such as Hartmut Höll, Mitsuko Shirai, Angelika Luz, and Georg Nigl. Since 2018, she has been imparting her expertise in contemporary vocal music and performance as a faculty member at the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe.