For an ice cream with

Erica Eloff: “I don’t believe in drawers!”

Erica Eloff is a successful singer-actress in the opera world(Bild: Dostal Harald)

With caramel topping please! Erica Eloff loves handmade ice cream. In the "Krone" talk, the soprano, who has just been voted the audience's favorite at the Linz Music Theater, describes how she came from South Africa to Upper Austria and what she is looking forward to.

"Krone": You come from South Africa. What was the foundation for your career?
Erica Eloff: I am the eldest of four children. I come from a musical household. When we were traveling by car, we always sang. I always enjoyed singing. A singing competition at grammar school gave me the impetus to study singing.

Why did you come to Europe?
The opportunities in South Africa are limited if you want to make a career.

What obstacles did you have to overcome in Europe?
I spent a long time in England, where I was pigeonholed into "early music and Mozart". I don't believe in pigeonholing - I sing soprano!

(Bild: www.atholestill.com)

How do you experience the opportunities in Linz?
The repertoire is interesting. At the moment it feels like I can go into the spinto repertoire. If someone had told me three years ago that I would be singing Wagner, I would have laughed at them. But now I've already been in "Die Meistersinger" and next season I'll be singing Senta in "Der fliegende Holländer" and I find these roles interesting.

Erica Eloff

Erica Eloff was born and grew up in South Africa. She received her first musical training from her mother in violin and piano and then completed a degree in music with singing at the University of Potchefstroom.

She started her career in the UK and has been at the Landestheater Linz since the 2020/21 season.

In a duet with Erwin Schrott, she also wowed audiences at the Salzkammergut Open Air this year.

She was voted the audience's favorite of the 2023/24 season by the "Freunde Linzer Musiktheater" association.

You come from South Africa, isn't Wagner very far away for you?
In terms of musical training, I am European. I learned the violin and piano and I sing - I have always been involved with European music and that's why I don't feel foreign.

This year you sang at the Salzkammergut Open-Air alongside world star Erwin Schrott. This has catapulted you to the top of the list of female singers in Austria.
Yes, it was wonderful, the program was varied. He is a great singer-actor. It was fun to play and make music with him! I hope there will be another opportunity.

They are spending this summer in South Africa.
With my daughter! I bought us two big suitcases, we have to take a lot with us because it's winter there.