Sissel Kirkebo Pop singer Date of Birth: 24.06.1969 Country: Norway

Sissel Kyrkjebø Biography

Sissel Kyrkjebø, a pop singer, began her singing career at the age of 9 in a children's choir and won a national talent competition at the age of 11. At 14, Sissel made her first television appearance, singing with a choir on the children's show "Syng med Oss" ("Sing with Us"). At 15, she started performing solo in various TV programs and met her future producer, René Larsen.

From 1984 to 1986, Sissel gained popularity in Norway. In October 1986, at the age of 17, she released her debut album "Sissel," which sold 700,000 copies, setting a record in Norway. A year later, she released her second album, "Glade Jul" (Merry Christmas), which surpassed the sales record of her first album.

In the spring of 1988, Sissel enrolled in college in Bergen, although she knew that her future profession would not be related to any of the subjects she studied. However, she felt that education was a good way to distract herself from music and socialize with peers. In 1988, Sissel appeared in the Norwegian version of the musical "The Sound of Music" in the role of Maria von Trapp. The production, with her participation, was a huge success in Scandinavia, with about 1,500 spectators attending the shows.

In 1989, Sissel released her third album, "Soria Moria." In the same year, she met Danish pop artist Eddie Skoller in Sweden, and their romantic relationship became official in January 1990. That year, Sissel recorded the role of Ariel in the Scandinavian version of Disney's "The Little Mermaid." In 1992, she recorded the album "Gift Of Love," which included English songs.

In 1993, Sissel portrayed Solveig in Henrik Ibsen's play "Peer Gynt" as part of the International Festival in Bergen. In August 1993, Sissel and Eddie got married, attracting extraordinary interest from the Scandinavian press. In 1994, the Winter Olympic Games were held in Norway, and Sissel performed at the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as recording the official Olympic anthem, "Se ilden Lyse" (Let the Fire Shine). By chance, the renowned tenor Plácido Domingo was in Norway at the time and was impressed by Sissel's album. The next day (February 13), they recorded the song "Fire in Your Heart," an English version of "Se ilden lyse."

In February 1994, Sissel released the album "Innerst i Sjelen" (Deep within My Soul), which featured old Norwegian folk tunes and hymns. The album was successful in the United States, despite Sissel singing in Norwegian. In the same year, Plácido Domingo invited Sissel to participate in his annual Christmas concert in Vienna. In 1995, Sissel performed twice for Prince Charles, and her voice was heard by Celine Dion, Pierce Brosnan, and Sting. On July 23, she performed with José Carreras at the opening ceremony of a stadium in Denmark, attended by the Danish queen. The Norwegian Christmas concerts became significant events throughout Scandinavia.

In 1996, Sissel gave birth to her daughter Ingrid. She took a year off to spend more time with her child. In 1997, James Horner asked Sissel to record her vocals for the soundtrack of the film "Titanic." The film was a tremendous success, and Sissel, previously almost unknown in the United States, gained recognition. Despite not singing the main theme in the soundtrack, the American press paid her a lot of attention, calling her the "Norwegian songbird."

In the same year, Sissel participated in the project "Hip Hop Meets Classics," recording a duet with Warren G based on Borodin's opera "Prince Igor." The song was included in the album "The Rapsody Ouverture" and became a hit in Europe.

In 2000, Sissel released her solo album "All God's Things," six years after her previous release. In April 2002, she recorded two songs (Ave Maria, Bist du bei mir) with Plácido Domingo for his album "Sacred Songs."

In 2002, Sissel achieved international recognition. Her concert schedule became extremely busy, as she performed in various concerts and TV shows across Europe and the United States. In December 2002, Sissel participated in a Christmas concert in Moscow alongside José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, and Emma Shapplin. The concert received mixed reviews from the press, but Sissel was praised.

In 2003, Sissel released the album "Sissel in Symphony." In April, she performed a concert in Tokyo as part of the album's release. A new type of rose was named after Sissel, symbolizing her beautiful voice bringing joy like the scent of a rose.

In December, the album "My Heart" was released in Scandinavia. In 2004, the American version of the album "My Heart" was released.

In the summer and autumn of 2004, Sissel embarked on a tour with Howard Shore's Symphony "The Lord of the Rings." She was the main soloist, performing with a symphony orchestra and choir, accompanied by 200 musicians on stage. Howard Shore claimed that Norwegian mythology and culture influenced J.R.R. Tolkien's works, and it was incredible and wonderful to have a Norwegian singer soloing in "The Lord of the Rings Symphony." When asked about the symphony in an interview, Sissel replied, "I love music. It's a wonderful feeling to be in the center of a symphony orchestra, surrounded by beautiful choir voices and those excellent melodies."