Petra Berger, born Petra Pierrette Burger (Amstelveen, 23 October
1965), is a Dutch classical crossover singer, composer, photographer,
and musical actress.Born into a musical family, Berger earned her
secondary school diploma and then went to work in a computer firm, a
job that offered more security than a singing career. During her
company's annual party, she formed a band with some colleagues to play
music just for fun. That evening she realized that singing was what
she really wanted to do.In 1987 Petra and her sister Lida decided to
compete on the television program Soundmixshow presented by Henny
Huisman, reaching the finals with the song "I Know Him So Well." After
this show, the sisters were offered a recording contract and, under
the name of Chess, soon had a modest hit with the song "Never Change a
Winning Team," composed by Jeroen Englebert. They followed this song
with the singles "Make My Day" and "Promise Not to Tell." In the early
1990s, Petra had a hit with the song "I Dreamed a Dream" in the
musical Les Misérables. The growing success of Chess had a negative
effect on her sister Lida, who quit the group. Lida liked to sing, but
not to attract all the attention around her. Lida was replaced by
Denise van der Hek. Success for the two of them led to recording a
whole album of movie and show tunes: The Oscar Album (1992). This
album included a duet with René Froger. That year Petra decided to
focus on musicals, and then they were both gone from the group.After
her success with the group Chess, Petra Berger decided to become a
better singer. She took singing classes that had various maestros of
song at the same time, as well as piano, dance, and acting classes.
Her first musical audition was in Les Misérables, but it came to an
end in the final round. Her second musical audition was for Cyrano de
Bergerac: The Musical, in which she played a major role. After an
audition for the musical Phantom of the Opera, she played the role she
had auditioned for. Later in the year 1993, the theatrical impresario
Joop van den Ende asked her to come audition for the role of Johanna
in the musical Sweeny Todd, which was her first real musical role.
Later she played Belle in the musical Beauty and the Beast in Germany
and Maria in The Sound of Music in 1995 in Belgium.
1965), is a Dutch classical crossover singer, composer, photographer,
and musical actress.Born into a musical family, Berger earned her
secondary school diploma and then went to work in a computer firm, a
job that offered more security than a singing career. During her
company's annual party, she formed a band with some colleagues to play
music just for fun. That evening she realized that singing was what
she really wanted to do.In 1987 Petra and her sister Lida decided to
compete on the television program Soundmixshow presented by Henny
Huisman, reaching the finals with the song "I Know Him So Well." After
this show, the sisters were offered a recording contract and, under
the name of Chess, soon had a modest hit with the song "Never Change a
Winning Team," composed by Jeroen Englebert. They followed this song
with the singles "Make My Day" and "Promise Not to Tell." In the early
1990s, Petra had a hit with the song "I Dreamed a Dream" in the
musical Les Misérables. The growing success of Chess had a negative
effect on her sister Lida, who quit the group. Lida liked to sing, but
not to attract all the attention around her. Lida was replaced by
Denise van der Hek. Success for the two of them led to recording a
whole album of movie and show tunes: The Oscar Album (1992). This
album included a duet with René Froger. That year Petra decided to
focus on musicals, and then they were both gone from the group.After
her success with the group Chess, Petra Berger decided to become a
better singer. She took singing classes that had various maestros of
song at the same time, as well as piano, dance, and acting classes.
Her first musical audition was in Les Misérables, but it came to an
end in the final round. Her second musical audition was for Cyrano de
Bergerac: The Musical, in which she played a major role. After an
audition for the musical Phantom of the Opera, she played the role she
had auditioned for. Later in the year 1993, the theatrical impresario
Joop van den Ende asked her to come audition for the role of Johanna
in the musical Sweeny Todd, which was her first real musical role.
Later she played Belle in the musical Beauty and the Beast in Germany
and Maria in The Sound of Music in 1995 in Belgium.
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