Manuela Kraller

Manuela Kraller
250px Manuela Kraller with Xandria at a live performance in 2012.
Background information
Born	(1981-08-01) August 1, 1981 Ainring, Germany
Origin	Bayerisch Gmain, Germany
Genres	Classical, Medieval music, symphonic metal, gothic metal
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2005–Present
Labels	Napalm Records
Associated acts	Nagor Mar, Haggard, Xandria, Heidi Parviainen, Dark Sarah, Voices Of Destiny
Website	Manuela Kraller's Official Page

Manuela Kraller (born 1 August 1981) is a German soprano singer from Ainring. She is best known as the former lead singer of German symphonic metal band Xandria from late 2010, until late 2013. Manuela was formerly one of the soprano vocalists in German symphonic metal band Haggard.

Musical career

Manuela began her musical life in 2005 at the age of 23 while singing in a Finnish choir group, and discovered her new passion was singing. She began to take classical singing lessons and sang in more church and gospel choirs, and was soon asked to become a solo singer. She grew up with rock and metal music, and wanted to combine it with her classical background, and so began singing rock and metal music songs.

While writing her own songs, she joined the Swiss band Nagor Mar, but shortly, she left and became a vocalist for German musical group Haggard. She only performed with Haggard live with no studio albums. On December 19, 2010, she became the new singer of Xandria after Lisa Middelhauve finished performing the rest of the live tour dates after Kerstin's departure. On January 7, 2011, she debuted live with Xandria at the "Classic Meets Pop" event at the Seidensticker Halle in Bielefeld, and performed their 2004 hit song, "Ravenheart", with the Bielefeld Philharmonic Orchestra. She then toured with Xandria on the Out of The Dark tour. On November 28, 2011, Xandria announced they would release their first album with Kraller titled Neverworld's End and released the album's first and only single "Valentine" on February 14, 2012, followed by their music video with Manuela. She then went on tour with Epica, Stream of Passion and Kamelot on their Neverworld's End tour.

On August 2013, Manuela has collaborated with ex-Amberian Dawn singer Heidi Parviainen a duet on her new project Dark Sarah for her future upcoming album.

But as of the 25th of October, the band announced on their website that Manuela Kraller had left the band to pursue a different career and was replaced by Dutch singer and Ex Libris frontwoman Dianne van Giersbergen. Manuela leaves the band with regret but also full of gratitude, thanking Xandria and fans for the time together and being grateful for the "wonderful moments in mutual tours and shows". She wishes Dianne and the band all the very best for the future.

Influences

She was inspired by symphonic metal bands. She claims Tarja Turunen, Nightwish, Kamelot and Within Temptation to be her personal favorites.

Discography

Nagor Mar

Songs released (2009):

• Bleeding Rose
• Passion
• Deliverance
• Bleeding Rose (Part II)

Xandria

Studio albums:

• Neverworld's End (2012)

Singles:

• Valentine (2012)

Solo work

• O Holy Night (2013)

Studio Albums:

• TBA

Guest vocal appearances

• Guest vocals on At The Edge by Voices Of Destiny and part of the choir on the album Crisis Cult (2014)
• Memories Fall by Dark Sarah from the album Behind The Black Veil (2015)

External links

• Manuela Kraller Facebook page