Britta Schwarz

Britta Schwarz was born in Neubrandenburg/ Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Studied voice at the Academy of Music Hanns Eisler Berlin with Christa Niko, thereafter in Dresden with Prof. Christian Elssner and Prof. Hartmut Zabel. Four-year contract in the Studio of the Staatsoper Dresden followed. Prizewinner in international competitions, e.g. the international Antonin Dvořák Singers’ Competition in Karlovy Vary, the international Robert Schumann Competition for piano and voice in Zwickau and the international Walther Gruner Lieder Competition in London. Appeared with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Dresden Philharmonic, the Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam, the Stuttgart Philharmonic, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Philippe Herreweghe, Milan Horvat, Michel Plasson, Helmuth Rilling, Jörg-Peter Weigle, Bruno Weil, Peter Schreier, Gustavo Dudamel and Marek Janowski. Close collaboration with the pianist Camillo Radicke. concerts and Lieder recitals in numerous European countries as well as in Canada, Japan and the USA. Appearances at international festivals including the Spoleto Festival, Charleston USA, the Utrecht Early Music Festival, the Dresden Musik Festival, Blyth Valley Chamber Music in England, MDR-Musiksommer, the Rheingau Musik Festival and the European Weeks in Passau. Extensive exploration of Baroque music. Worked with Baroque ensembles including the Freiburg Baroque orchestra Cantus Cölln, Musica Antiqua Köln, the Batzdorfer Hofkapelle, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin and the Rias Chamber Choir, and with Reinhard Göbel, Marcus Creed, Pierre Cao, Gustav Leonhardt, Ludger Rémy and Hans-Christoph Rademann. Artistic partnership with the organist Michael Schönheit. Also works regularly with the Dresden Kreuzchor under its director Roderich Kreile and the Thomanerchor Leipzig under Georg Christoph Biller. Created many programmes for solo voice and continuo with the lutenist Stefan Maass. Numerous radio recordings and CDs for the labels cpo, Carus, Raumklang, Kammerton and Rondeau. First solo CD of secular Italian Baroque cantatas released in 2001 by Berlin Classics. Teaches at the University of Musik Carl Maria Von Weber in Dresden. Britta Schwarz was appointed guest professor for voice at the Academy of Music Hanns Eisler Berlin from the summer semester 2010.

www.brittaschwarz.net

March 2010