Christoph Prégardien

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Christoph Prégardien (born January 18, 1956) is a German lyric tenor whose career is closely associated with the roles in Mozart operas, as well as performances of Lieder, oratorio roles, and Baroque music. He is well known for his performances and recordings of the Evangelist roles in Bach's Saint John Passion and Saint Matthew Passion.

Excerpt of the Evangelist's recitative from Bach's Saint John Passion
Excerpt of the Evangelist's recitative from Bach's Saint John Passion

Born in Limburg, Germany, he began his musical education as a choirboy at Limburg Cathedral Boys' Choir. He then studied singing with Martin Gründler and Karlheinz Jarius in Frankfurt, Carla Castellani in Milan, Alois Treml in Stuttgart and attended Hartmut Höll's lieder-class.

His orchestral and oratorio repertory spans a wide range from the great Baroque, Classical and Romantic Oratorios to 20th-century works by Britten, Killmayer, Rihm, Stravinsky. Also recognized as an eminent recitalist, he regularly performs at the major recitals venues in Paris, London, Brussels, Berlin, Cologne, Amsterdam, Salzburg, Zurich, Vienna, Barcelona and Geneva, as well as during his concert tours throughout Italy, Japan and North America. He regularly collaborates with piano partners Michael Gees and Andreas Staier.

He has made over 120 recordings, on major labels such as BMG, EMI, Deutsche Grammophon, Philips, Sony, Erato and Teldec. His recordings of German Lieder have been highly acclaimed by the public and press, and have received international awards, including the Orphée d’Or de l’Academie du Disque Lyrique, the Edison Award, and others.

In opera, Christoph Prégardien has made stage appearances in major European houses, performing leading roles as Tamino, Don Ottavio, Tito, Count Almaviva, Fenton, and Monteverdi's Ulisse.

Christoph Prégardien is also an educator. From 2000 to 2005, he was in charge of a vocal class at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Zurich. Since the autumn of 2004, he has been a professor at the Hochschule für Musik Köln.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

  • Christoph Prégardien Official German web site, English version is linked
  • Bach cantatas includes a biography of Christoph Prégardien and his recordings and performances of Bach's music - also includes pictures
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