The Daily She Risked Her Voice to Become a Mother
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Apr 5, 2026 
Lise Davidsen, a Norwegian opera superstar, and Zachary Woolfe, a New York Times classical music writer, talk about the high-stakes return of a celebrated soprano after giving birth to twins. They explore fears that pregnancy could change her voice. They follow miscarriages, medical scares, and the emotional shock of singing again. They also trace how motherhood reshaped a major role at the Met.
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Why Lise Davidsen's Voice Feels So Rare
- Zachary Woolfe says Lise Davidsen combines the power Isolde demands with unusual softness, making a punishing Wagner role sound luminous instead of forced.
- He compares her sound to spears made of soft light and says he has never quite experienced anything like it in the opera house.
Why Pregnancy Felt Risky For Her Voice
- Davidsen delayed motherhood partly because pregnancy can alter the internal mechanics and hormones that singers depend on, sometimes permanently.
- Zachary Woolfe notes one eminent mezzo lost her voice after having a baby and never fully returned to her prior level.
How Love And Loss Changed Her Mind
- Davidsen told Ben early that if he wanted children he should find someone else, then changed course as time, love, and urgency reshaped what she wanted.
- After two miscarriages and avoiding IVF over hormone fears, she unexpectedly became pregnant with twins.