Georg Nigl
Georg Nigl, a celebrated “Wozzeck” at La Scala in Milan, “Lenz” in Brussels and Berlin (“Singer of the Year” 2015 by Opernwelt magazine) and Bach interpreter of international standing. Since his childhood the singer has closely been connected to music. As a soprano soloist of the Vienna Boys’ Choir he appeared on important stages. During his studies with Kammersängerin Hilde Zadek he received further important impulses for his subsequent career as a baritone.
His unmistakable timbre has taken him to all the important opera stages and festivals in Europe, whilst working under the direction of renowned conductors such as Daniel Barenboim, Teodor Currentzis, Valery Gergiev, Daniel Harding, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, René Jacobs, Kent Nagano, Kirill Petrenko and Sir Simon Rattle. On top of that he worked with the most important directors of our time. Georg Nigl has gained special recognition not only as a performing soloist of numerous world premieres, but also as an impetus for compositions and publications by Friedrich Cerha, Pascal Dusapin, Georg Friedrich Haas, Wolfgang Mitterer, Olga Neuwirth and Wolfgang Rihm among others.
Highlights since 2021 have included Papageno and the title role in the world premiere of Pascal Dusapin’s “Macbeth Underworld” at the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels. Also the title role in Monteverdi’s “Orfeo” and the world premiere of Beat Furrer’s “Violetter Schnee” at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden Berlin. He made guest appearances at the Vienna State Opera with the title role in Trojahn’s “Orest” and as Eisenstein in “Die Fledermaus”; he sang the title role in Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” at the Hamburg State Opera, and “Lenz,” which was celebrated by press and public alike, at the Aix-en-Provence Festival, Reimann’s “Lear” at the Bavarian State Opera, and Pilate in Bach’s St. John Passion under Sir Simon Rattle in Peter Sellars’ production with the Berlin Philharmonic and on tour with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.
Georg Nigl’s 2021/2022 season began with his debut with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin (RSB) at the Musikfest Berlin, where he interpreted Stravinsky’s “Abraham and Isaac” under the baton of Vladimir Jurowski. In September 2022, he will guest with Xenakis’ “Aïs” with the same cast at the same venue.
Other recent highlights include the title role in the new production of Monteverdi’s “Orfeo” at the Vienna State Opera and the Teatro Real in Madrid. Georg Nigl continues the Monteverdi cycle at the Vienna State Opera as Ulisse (“Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria”) and once again demonstrates his versatility with the role of Alberich in a concert performance of Wagner’s “Rheingold” conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. In the spring of 2022, he performed Rihm’s “Terzinen an den Tod” and the Wölfl-Lieder in Munich under the baton of Ingo Metzmacher. In the summer of 2022, he performed Zimmermann’s “Ecclesiastical Action” and Brahms’ Requiem at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival.
Georg Nigl’s chamber music repertoire features a wide spectrum from the Baroque through the Viennese Classical period to the latest music – jointly developed and performed with Alexander Melnikov, Olga Pashchenko, Luca Pianca and Gérard Wyss. His recording “Bach privat” with Anna Lucia Richter was awarded the Diapason d’or in 2017, his album “Vanitas” with Olga Pashchenko and songs by Beethoven, Schubert and Rihm was celebrated as discovery of the year by many voices. In 2022/2023, song recitals will take him to the Ludwigsburg Schlossfestspiele, the Musikfest Bremen, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Schwetzingen, and the Berlin and Paris Philharmonics.