Soprano Beate Ritter has died at the age of 41.

Sono Artists, who managed the soprano, released a statement noting, “We are devastated at the loss of soprano Beate Ritter, who was a client of the agency since 2014. Beate was – for me – first of all, the kindest of souls, compassionate, and full of life and love for her work. It was always a joy to work for her beginning of our relationship – and she performed on the stages of the Vienna Volksoper to Staatsoper Stuttgart, where she became a member of the ensemble and sang her last show there in April, 2025. In January, she performed at Theater an der Wien Donna Irene im Spitzentuch der Königin von Johann Strauss in the first production when the theater reopened. She sang on stages in Florence, Malmö, Tel Aviv, even China, and many houses in Switzerland, France, Italy, and Germany. She was for me the ‘Viennese nightingale’ with her extraordinary top, and if I’m not mistaken, I believe she sang Queen of the Night over 150 times in her career. She was also known for her portrayals of Zerbinetta, Gilda, Sophie, Lakme, Adele, and many more. We send deepest condolences to her family – and pray for them.”

Born in 1983, Ritter studied in Vienna at the University of Music and Performing Arts and made her operatic debut in 2009 at Theater an der Wien as Yniold in Debussy’s “Pelléas et Mélisande.” That same year, she won the first prize and the audience prize at the ‘Klassik Mania’ competition in Vienna.

From there, Ritter went on to perform in Europe at the Teatro Regio di Torino, Malmö Opera, Tonkünstler Orchestra, Opéra national de Lorraine, Komische Oper Berlin, Orchestre National de Lyon, Leipzig Opera, and Deutsche Oper am Rhein. In 2010, she became an ensemble member at the Volksoper Wien, and during the 2018-19 season, she joined the Stuttgart State Opera.

As a coloratura soprano, her repertoire was diverse. It included such roles as the Queen of the Night in “Die Zauberflote,” Fiakermilli in “Arabella,” Susanna in “Le Nozze di Figaro,” Rosina in “Il Barbiere di Siviglia,” “Gilda in “Rigoletto,” Musetta in “La Boheme,” and the title role of “Lakmé.”