Kai Rüütel-Pajula

Her 2024/25 engagemnts include her company and role debut as Polina Queen of Spades at Hamburg State Opera; Suzuki Madama Butterfly at Teatro Municipal de Santiago de Chile; and a return to the role as Fricka Die Walküre at Theatre Dortmund. On the concert platform she returns to Tallinn Chamber Orchestra to sing Haydn Harmonie-messe and Mozart Vesperae solennes.

Last season Rüütel returned to Opéra National de Lyon as the Angel in Calixto Bieito’s staged production of Mendelssohn Elijah and to Grand Théâtre de Genève as Sonyetka Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. She also made her debut as Waltraute Götterdämmerung with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under VladimirJurowski and sang Mahler’s Symphony no.2 with the Ulster Orchestra and Beethoven Symphony No.9 with Trondheim Symphony Orchestra.

Recent successes include her debut as Judith Bluebeard’s Castle at Opera Lyon; Fricka Die Walküre at Theater Dortmund; Wellgunde Götterdämmerung and Second Lady in a new production of Die Zauberflöte at Opéra national de Paris; Smee’s wife Der Schmied von Gent, Sonjetka Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Emilia Otello and Nefertiti Akhnaten, all at Vlaamse Opera; a return to Teatro Real as Second Norn Götterdämmerung; Emilia Otello with Royal Ballet and Opera on tour to Japan; Waltraute Die Walküre at Dutch National Opera; Lyubasha The Tsar’s Bride and the Title role Carmen, both at Estonian National Opera; her return to Theater an der Wien alongside Christian Gerhaher in a staged production of Mendelssohn Elijah; returns to Royal Ballet and Opera as Waltraute Die Walküre; Meg Page Falstaff and Blanche The Gambler – both new productions presented by Opera Vlaanderen, and Zweite Dame Die Zauberflöte at Theater an der Wien. Other highlights include her US operatic debut as Olga Eugene Onegin with Dallas Opera, Mary Der fliegende Holländer and Flowermaiden/Esquire Parsifal at Teatro Real; Emilia in new productions of Otello at Royal Ballet and Opera and Opera Vlaanderen; the world premiere of Infinite Now by American-Israeli composer Chaya Czernowin at Opera Vlaanderen; Hänsel Hänsel und Gretel at Scottish Opera, Blanche The Gambler at De Nederlandse Opera; Siegrune Die Walküre at Gran Teatre del Liceu; Anina Der Rosenkavalier at Dutch National Opera and Kate Julian Owen Wingrave at Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse.

Recent concert and recital performances include performances of Elgar The Dream of Gerontius with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko, and at The Three Choirs Festival; Stravinsky Pulcinella with the MDR Rundfunkchor under the baton of Dennis Russel Davies; Mahler Rückert-Lieder with Vlaamse Opera; her Estonian recital debut, accompanied by Roger Vignoles; her US debut with the St Louis Symphony Orchestra singing Mozart Requiem; a recital with Roger Vignoles at Oxford Lieder; ‘Stars of Operalia’ gala at the Birgitta Festival; an opera gala concert with Simon O’Neill at the Mumbai National Center of Performing Arts; Das Lied von der Erde with the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra; Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 with the Residentie Orchestra of the Netherlands; Mahler Rückert Lieder at the Cadogan Hall; Beethoven Mass in C with City of Birmingham Symphony and Philharmonia orchestras; Zemlinsky Sechs Gasange at Philharmonie Berlin; and gala concerts in Latvia, the Czech Republic and with the RTE Orchestra and John Wilson.

Rüütel-Pajula studied at the Georg Ots Music School in Tallinn, the Koninklijk Conservatorium in The Hague, the Dutch National Opera Academy and was Jette Parker Young Artist from 2009 to 2011.