Norwegian soprano Marianne Folkestad Jahren studied singing at the Barratt Due Institute of Music and the National Opera Academy in Oslo. At the Opera Academy, professor Anne Nyborg served as her vocal teacher. She also worked with coach John Lidal, conductor and professor Kjell Ingebretsen and director Folke Abenius. During her studies at the Opera Academy, she sang the role of Atalanta from Handel's Xerxes and Arminda from Mozart's La Finta Giardinera. In summer 2007, she also sang the role of Michal in Handel's Saul at the Vadstena operafestival in Sweden. For the Norwegian National Opera, she did a summer concert in 2007.

​

From 2007, she was engaged at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in the "Junges Ensemble", where she sang roles such as Jano in Jenufa, Hahn/Eichelhäher in Das schlaue Füchslein (Janacek), Hirt in Tannhauser (Wagner), Blumenmädchen 2.2 in Parsifal (Wagner) and 1.knabe in the Zauberflote (Mozart). She also worked at the opera in Kristiansund, where she sang one of the main roles of the Norwegian opera Jeppe på bjerget by Geirr Tveitt. In summer 2008, she sang a concert with the Norwegian solo violinist Arve Tellefsen and pianist Håvard Gimse, and received the Arve Tellefsen talent award. In the '08/'09 season at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Marianne sang two roles in the new production of Louise (Gustav Charprentier) directed by Christof Loy. She also sang one of the solo voices in Frau Ohne Shatten (Strauss), which was a new production by Guy Joosten as director. She has also sung Sandmann and Taumenchen in Hänsel und Gretel (Humperdinck), Ninfa in Orfeo (Monteverdi) and Xenia in Boris Godunov. From May to July 2010, she sang the role of Choryphee in the opera Alceste (Glück), which was directed by Christof Loy and conducted by Ivor Bolton, during the prestigious Opera Festival in Aix-en-Provence.

​

In March 2017, Marianne sang the the role of Echo in the opera Ariadne auf Naxos (Strauss) for the Arctic Opera and Philharmonic in Bodø, Norway. Marianne is currently working as a singer at home and abroad. Marianne has worked with conductors such as Hans Wallat, John Helmer Fiore, Ira Levin and Alexander Joel. Marianne also has extensive experience with church music, where she has been singing cantatas masses and oratories from Bach, Handel, Mozart and Mendelssohn.

​

In 2019 Marianne sang the the young woman in the modern opera "Upon this handful of earth" by Gisle Kverdokk in March at the Oslo International Church Music Festival. In June she sang the role "Ines" in Il Trovatore by G. Verdi at Opera Østfold.