Sissel’s simple approach lets her soprano shine through

Norwegian singer Sissel is not the highest visibility performer in the amorphous territory between pop music, classical music and world music -- at least not in this country. But she’s working on it.

Her performance Monday at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts was part of a tour sponsored in part by, interestingly, PBS.

And that’s only one entry in the whirlwind of activity surrounding this soprano whose recordings have sold millions, mostly in Europe. In March, her new album, “My Heart,” and a concert DVD were released.

In addition, she has a series of performances with the Lord of the Rings Symphony underway. What’s all the fuss about? Start with the fact that Sissel is a lovely woman with a warm, engaging presence. Garbed in an elegant, body-hugging gown, speaking English and connecting to her listeners with pleasant smiles, Sissel came across quite differently from the high-drama performances of her most obvious competitor, the reigning diva of pop-classical-world crossover, Sarah Brightman.

“Diva,” in fact, is not a term that comes to mind to describe her. Accompanied by a nine-piece ensemble (including two synthesizers, guitar, bass, percussion and a string quartet), she simply stood at stage center, the players forming an arc behind her, occasionally emphasizing phrases with subtle but sensuous dance movements.

For the most part, Sissel’s voice took the spotlight. Blessed with a pure and airy soprano, she moved effortlessly, despite the material’s far-ranging stylistic demands, from Schubert’s “Ave Maria” and a Bach cantata (“Sleepers, Awake”) to Norwegian folk songs to pop tunes by Richard Marx (“Someone Like You”) and Jon Lord (“Wait a While”).

It was, in sum, a beautifully planned and presented evening of pleasant music making.

The only question is whether, in a world of theatrical overkill and short attention spans, Sissel’s modest emphasis upon the music, rather than the manner, will give her the international breakthrough she is seeking.