Ylva Sofia Stenberg, born and raised in Arvika, Sweden, is a young lyric coloratura soprano currently based in Weimar, Germany. There, she has performed roles such as Violetta in La traviata, Giulietta in I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Olympia in Les contes d'Hoffmann, the Queen of Schemacha in The Golden Cockerel, Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel, and Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos. (The latter production, staged by Martin Berger, won the prestigious German theatre prize "Der Faust" for Best Staging in 2020.)
In the 2025/26 season, she will make her debut as Sophie in Massenet’s Werther and Euridice in Jacopo Peri’s Euridice in Weimar. She will also return to Leipzig as the Queen of the Night and make her house debut at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm in the same role - a part she has already performed in Kassel, Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf, and at the Komische Oper Berlin. A highlight of the season will be her appearance as a soloist in Mahler’s 4th Symphony with the Staatskapelle Weimar, conducted by Ivan Repušić.
Born into a musically gifted family, Ylva began her musical training at the age of seven, singing in the children’s choir of the local municipal music school and taking violin lessons. As she later transitioned to voice as her primary instrument, she explored a variety of genres - including leading a rock band, performing in musicals, and singing jazz and folk music. However, classical singing captured her heart and proved to be the ideal match for her voice. It also allowed her to combine her passion for music with her deep interest in acting.
After completing her studies under Prof. Dr. Peter Anton Ling in Hannover, she joined the opera studio at the Hanover State Opera. There, she gained valuable stage experience in smaller roles on the main stage - such as Papagena, Barbarina, and Giannetta - as well as in leading roles in contemporary works on smaller stages.
Ylva is also an accomplished concert performer and has appeared in major venues such as the Frauenkirche in Dresden, the Danish Radio Concert Hall, and the Göteborg Symphony Hall. She won third prize at the ARD Music Competition in Munich in September 2018, first prize at the Bundeswettbewerb Berlin two months later, and received the Special Prize from Teatro Real Madrid at the Ottavio Ziino Competition in 2021. In 2023, she was awarded the Engagement Prize as Queen of the Night from the Leipzig Opera at the same competition.
