Signe Asmussen

Signe Asmussen Manuitt (born 1970) is a Danish mezzosoprano singer who has performed widely, not only in classical concerts, chamber music and opera but also in Latin jazz and as a member of The Tolkien Ensemble. Since 2001, she has made a mark as one of Denmark's most impressive female singers. In addition to appearances in Denmark, she has given recitals in London's Wigmore Hall and Amsterdam's Concertgebouw. Asmussen recently starred as Hanna Glawari in Operette Kompagniet's production of The Merry Widow. She is married to the Cuban Salsa singer Ernesto Manuitt.

Biography Born in 1970 in Copenhagen, Signe Asmussen was brought up in a musical family, learning to sing and play the violin from an early age. the Copenhagen Saxophone Quartet, Athelas Sinfonietta, Figura Ensemble. and the Esbjerg Ensemble. As an opera singer, she has appeared at the Royal Danish Opera and at Den Jyske Opera in a variety of roles, including Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro, Bertha in The Barber of Seville and Musette in La Bohème. In 2013, she sang and played the violin in Sangbogen fra Eldorado, a lively baroque concert inspired by 17th and 18th century Latin-American songs. As a member of Grupo Cubita, she has also sung modern Cuban numbers.

Awards Signe Asmussen has received a number of grants and scholarships. In 2009, she was awarded the Aksel Schiøtz prize for excellence as a lieder singer.