She Risked Her Voice to Become a Mother

The Daily

The New York Times

Daily News, News

4.3 • 107.6K Ratings

🗓️ 5 April 2026

⏱️ 39 minutes

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Summary

Lise Davidsen is one of the greatest opera singers of our time — a soprano with a voice so rare, critics reach back a century for comparison. This spring, she has been starring in a sold-out new production of Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” at the Metropolitan Opera. But she’s also at a crossroads: Her first performance as “Isolde” on the Met stage came just nine months after giving birth to twins. Today on The Sunday Daily, Natalie Kitroeff talks with the Times writer Zachary Woolfe about his recent conversation with Davidsen, and the unexpected emotional weight she felt while returning to the stage as a new mother. They discuss how a production centered on birth, death and renewal gave Davidsen a way to work through this seismic shift in her life, all while tackling the role of a lifetime.

Transcript

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0:00.0	From the New York Times, I'm Natalie Kittrowaf.
0:05.1	This is the Daily on Sunday.
0:09.7	In the world of opera, Lisa Davidsson is a superstar, full stop.
0:26.4	The Norwegian soprano has been described as one of the greatest singers of our time,
0:28.7	with a one in a million voice.
0:38.5	This spring, she's been leading a rare sold-out run at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City of Tristan and Isolda,
0:41.2	a performance that's gotten rave reviews across the board.
0:48.1	But Davidson is also at a crossroads,
0:51.7	because nine months ago, she gave birth to twins.
0:56.4	And that has her questioning her relationship to her career, her art, and her expectations
1:03.4	for what her life should look like.
1:06.2	Today, I talk with writer, editor, and former opera critic Zachary Wolfe about his conversation with
1:12.9	Lisa Davidson on parenthood, vocation, and navigating the two while also making art.
1:21.2	It's Sunday, April 5th.
1:32.3	Zach Wolf, welcome to the Sunday Daily.
1:33.8	Thank you for having me.
1:39.7	So I quickly just want to say how very cool it is to be able to sit down with you and talk about this.
1:57.7	I think of you as an encyclopedia of sorts of classical music. You've covered this topic for many years at the times. And I know from many conversations with you, not just how much you know about it, but how extremely passionate you are about this world. So thank you for being here.
2:01.1	It's a pleasure. So with that as your intro,
2:02.5	be our guide here.
2:06.1	For those of us who aren't as tuned in to the world of opera,
2:08.1	who is Lisa Davidson?
	...

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