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The RSB Christmas Concert

Vladimir Jurowski has been chief conductor and artistic director of the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin since autumn 2017. The conductor, pianist and musicologist Vladimir Jurowski takes on all challenges whether they be stylistic, technical or music-historical.
After receiving training at the Moscow Conservatory Vladimir Jurowski emigrated to Germany in 1990. Here he continued his studies at the music conservatories in Dresden and Berlin – conducting with Rolf Reuter; correpetition and song accompaniment with Semion Skigin. In 1995 he made his international debut at the British Wexford Festival with Rimski-Korsakov’s “Mainacht” and in the same year at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden with “Nabucco”. Subsequently he was, among other things, First Kapellmeister of the Komische Oper Berlin (1997- 2001) and Music Director of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera (2001-2013). In 2003 Vladimir Jurowski was appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and has been its Principal Conductor since 2007 and will stay on until summer 2021. He is also Artistic Director of the State Academic Symphony Orchestra Yevgeny Svetlanov of the Russian Federation until summer 2021, Artistic Director of the International George Enescu Festival in Bucharest and Principal Artist of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in Great Britain. He works regularly with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the ensemble unitedberlin. With the start of the 2021/2022 season, Vladimir Jurowski will take on one of the most prestigious roles in German musical life in addition to his engagement with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, by becoming General Music Director of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, a position for which he signed a contract in 2018.
Vladimir Jurowski is in high demand around the world as a guest conductor. He has conducted the major orchestras of Europe and North America, including the Berlin, Vienna and New York Philharmonic Orchestras, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, the Cleveland and Philadelphia Orchestras, the Boston and Chicago Symphony Orchestras, the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, the Staatskapelle Dresden and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. As a guest conductor, Vladimir Jurowski conducted Prokofiev’s “Semyon Kotko” with the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest of the Netherlands in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, made his debut at the Salzburg Easter Festival with the Staatskapelle Dresden, debuted with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, performed with the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra at the Lucerne Festival and conducted a unique project with the London Sinfonietta in Moscow to mark the UK-Russian Year of Culture. Together with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin he performed in Japan in spring 2019 and at the George Enescu Festival in Bucharest in autumn 2019.
The first joint CD by Vladimir Jurowski and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin from 2015 immediately marked a milestone. Alfred Schnittke’s Symphony No. 3 was followed in 2017 by a Strauss/Mahler recording and a CD of violin concertos by Britten and Hindemith with soloist Arabella Steinbacher. In 2020, a critically acclaimed recording of Gustav Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde” was released.
Vladimir Jurowski has been the recipient of numerous awards for his achievements, including various international record prizes. In 2018, the Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards named him Conductor of the Year. In 2016, he was bestowed an honorary doctorate from Prince Charles at the Royal College of Music in London. In 2020, Jurowski will be awarded the Order of Cultural Merit by the Romanian President in recognition of his work as Artistic Director of the George Enescu Festival.

The young mezzo-soprano Alice Lackner is internationally acclaimed as an opera, concert and song performer.
Born in Munich, Alice Lackner studied with Prof. Kunz-Eisenlohr at the Musikhochschule Köln/Aachen until 2015 and worked with teachers such as Brigitte Fassbaender, Gerd Uecker, Robert Holl, Ulrich Eisenlohr and Sami Kustaloglu. She received a scholarship from the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes and won prizes at the “Podium junger Gesangssolisten” competition in Essen (2015), the “cantatebach!” competition in Greifswald (2017) as well as the Kammeroper Schloss Rheinsberg (2019).
Alice Lackner worked as a soloist with orchestras such as the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, the Russian National Orchestra of Kaliningrad, the Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt (Oder), or the L’Orfeo Barockorchester.
In June 2019, she gave her debut in the Berlin Philharmonie with Lili Boulanger’s “Psalm 130: Du fond de l’abîme” together with the Collegium Musicum Berlin. In September 2019, she performed in Richard Strauss’ “Die Frau ohne Schatten” at the Musikfest Berlin and the George-Enescu-Festival Bukarest.
In January 2020, Alice Lackner was the soloist in Mahler’s 4th symphony at the Konzerthaus Berlin, accompanied by the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester under the baton of Vladimir Jurowski.
As an opera singer, Alice Lackner recently performed in Bad Lauchstädt Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas” with the lautten compagney Berlin. In 2019, she sang the role of Nancy in Friedrich von Flotow’s “Martha” as a laureate of the Rheinsberg Kammeroper Festival. Furthermore, while still in her studies, she performed various soloist parts at the Theater Aachen, in operas such as Rusalka (Antonín Dvořák), Les Brigands (Jacques Offenbach) or Jenufa (Leoš Janáček).
Her core repertoire on the concert stage includes works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Friedrich Händel, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Recent performances have also included lesser known concert repertoire such as Requiems by Maurice Duruflé or Franz von Suppè, the “Membra Jesu Nostri” (Dietrich Buxtehude) or “Der Sieg des Glaubens” (Ferdinand Ries).
With respect to the art song, Alice Lackner works on a regular basis with the pianist Imke Lichtwark in Berlin. Next to their standard repertoire of German romantic songs, they set their focus on foreign-language repertoire (such as Slavic or French) as well as contemporary music.
Alice Lackner is a frequent guest in various vocal ensembles such as the RIAS Kammerchor, the Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, the SWR Vokalensemble, the Berliner Rundfunkchor, the NDR Chor and the MDR Chor.
Futhermore, she recently founded the Berlin-based trio meZZZovoce, with which she explores repertoire for three mezzo-soprano voices from the Renaissance up to contemporary music.
Alice Lackner holds a Master’s degree in sociology and works as a research assistant at the Berlin-based ZOiS (Centre for East European and International Studies) .
In 2019, she realized a project about Ukraine together with the London-based photographer Mark Neville. In this project, the artists shed light on the current political situation in Ukraine from an artistic point of view.

Acclaimed in the press for his “radiant power and emotion” (The Telegraph) and “sheer seductive beauty” (Gramophone Magazine), Canadian countertenor Michael Taylor began singing as a treble at St. Michael’s Choir School in Toronto, where he also studied the violin and piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music. After graduating with a degree in Physics and Neuroscience from McGill University, he took up further vocal studies in Montreal with a focus on Early Music. Michael subsequently came to Germany to pursue a specialisation in opera performance with Prof. KS Jeanne Piland as well as with several of Europe’s most talented Early Music specialists, including Andreas Scholl, Sara Mingardo and Michael Hofstetter. He is a prize-winner of the International Voice Competition Kammeroper Schloss Rheinsberg in Germany and the Gürel International Singing Competition in Istanbul, as well as a grant-holder of the Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation for Young Canadian Opera Singers.

Michael made his debut at the Lincoln Center in New York as a soloist in Handel’s MESSIAH, in London’s Cadogan Hall in the title role of Hasse’s DEMETRIO with Opera Settecento, and in Izumi Hall Osaka as a soloist in Bach’s ST. MATTHEW PASSION; he has performed on opera stages around the world with renowned companies such as the Hamburg State Opera, Opera Atelier Toronto, Lucerne Opera, Mainz State Opera, Halle Opera and the Venice Biennale. Highlights of his wide-ranging operatic repertoire include Goffredo (RINALDO), Tolomeo (GIULIO CESARE), Corindo (L’ORONTEA), Pisandro (IL RITORNO D’ULISSE IN PATRIA), Orfeo (ORFE ED EURIDICE), Artemis (PHAEDRA), L’Ospite (LUCI MIE TRADITRICI), Prince Go-Go (LE GRAND MACABRE) and Oberon (A MIDSUMMERNIGHT’S DREAM). Michael’s most recent album “Cantates pour Luther” featuring Bach’s Reformation Cantatas, is now available on the ATMA Classique Label worldwide.

The german tenor, Stephan Gähler, began his musical education in 1985 as a  member of the Dresdner Kapellknaben at the local catholic cathedral in Dresden. Although he studied transport science and geography, he never abandoned his passion for singing. From 2003, he graduated from private singing studies with Professor Margret Trappe-Wiel in Dresden.

As a soloist, Stephan Gähler is mainly engaged in early music, his repertoire includes the concerto literature of the Renaissance through the Baroque to early Classical period. The cantatas, the Weihnachts-Oratorium (BWV248) as well as the part of the Evangelists in the great Passions of J.S.Bach and George Frideric Handel’s Messiah should be mentioned here in the first place.

Mr. Gähler has always felt particularly drawn to singing in singly occupied solo ensembles with the focus on literature of the 16th to 18th centuries with music such as Lassus, Schütz, Schein, Buxtehude or Monteverdi. This includes especially the cooperation with the Cappella Sagittariana Dresden, Ensemble Amarcord Leipzig, Cappella Augustana Bologna, Ensemble Sette Voci of the renowned dutch Bass Peter Kooij or in the versatile acting Athesinus Consort Berlin wich dedicates its work to many styles of classical music.

Christian Oldenburg studied opera singing and dancing, and worked with Renate Faltin, Scot Weir, Julia Varady, and Wolfram Rieger at the Hanns Eisler University Berlin. He attended master classes given by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Neil Semer, Elio Battaglia, Lucio Gallo, Snezana Brzakovic, Peter Konwitschny, and Willy Decker.

His operatic repertoire comprises roles such as Hans Scholl in Udo Zimmermann’s „Die Weisse Rose“, Papageno in „Die Zauberflöte“ , Albert in „Massenet’s Werther” , Eduard in Hindemith’s „Neues vom Tage“ , and Falke in „Die Fledermaus“ (Theater Lüneburg), Donner in „Der Ring an einem Abend“ production directed by Philippe Arlaud for Bayreuth, Gilberto in Donizetti´s „Enrico di Borgogna“ (Vadstena Summer Opera Festival, Sweden), the title part in Ristori’s Calandro at the Music Festival Potsdam/Sanssouci within the Young Baroque Opera Project under the baton of Olof Bomann, his debut as Don Giovanni at the Wernigeröder Schlossfestspiele, Germany, Haushofmeister in Strauss’ „Capriccio“ (Opéra de Lyon), Boris in „Moskau Tscherjomuschki“, „Hans im Glück“ , Kilian in „Der Freischütz“ , Mittlerer Bruder/König in „Der gestiefelte Kater“ , and Un servo in „Luci mie traditrici“ (all at Staatsoper Berlin).

He has collaborated with orchestras such as Staatsorchester Braunschweig, Staatsorchester Frankfurt/Oder, Staatskapelle Berlin, Dresdner Philharmonie, Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie, and Hamburger Symphoniker.

Recent engagements include Spinelloccio/Amatio di Nicolao in „Gianni Schicchi“ for Szczecin Opera, Finocchio in the world premiere of Sciarrino’s „Ti vedo, ti sento, mi perdo“ with Teatro alla Scala and Staatsoper Berlin, „Carmina Burana“ with Collegium Musicum Symphony Orchestra, Haushofmeister in Strauss’ „Capriccio“ for La Monnaie Brussels, and the title part in „Hans im Glück“ at Staatsoper Berlin.

Current season comprises Wächter der Stadt in „Die Frau ohne Schatten“ with  the RSB, Josef K. in Glass’ „The Trial“, Mercutio in „Roméo et Juliette“ , and Spinelloccio in „Gianni Schicchi“ for Szczecin Opera among others.

Vocalconsort Berlin is one of the most highly regarded and versatile choirs in Germany. In 2013 it was awarded the ECHO Klassik. Founded in 2003 and thus the youngest of Berlin’s three professional choirs, Vocalconsort has no principal conductor, working instead on a project-by-project basis with various conductors, and above all with long-term artistic partners such as Daniel Reuss, Folkert Uhde and Sasha Waltz. Along with the Compagnie Sasha Waltz & Guests and the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, it is one of the three “residence ensembles” at Radialsystem V, Berlin’s innovative concert venue.
Vocalconsort Berlin is versatile in both instrumentation and repertoire, but always stylistically confident and of impressive homogeneity. It has enjoyed success in a wide variety of fields: from Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo” under René Jacobs at the Innsbruck Festival, Haydn’s “Four Seasons” under Christopher Moulds in Rotterdam, Bernstein’s “A Quiet Place” under Kent Nagano and through to Peter Ruzicka’s “Inseln, Randlos” under the direction of the composer himself. Vocalconsort Berlin supported the opera choir on stage in Barrie Kosky’s production in Schönberg’s “Moses und Aron” under Vladimir Jurowski. The choir has also played an important role in many successful scenic productions by Sasha Waltz & Guests, such as “Dido & Aenes” by Purcell, “L’Orfeo” by Monteverdi, “Medea” by Dusapin and “Matsukaze” by Hosokawa.
CD recordings include Handel’s “Ode for Queen Anne” and “Dixit Dominus” with Andreas Scholl and the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Handel’s “Athalia” with Nuria Real and the Kammerorchester Basel as well as Bach’s motets under Marcus Creed. Vocalconsort Berlin received the ECHO Klassik in 2013 for its recording of Gesualdo’s second book “Sacrae Cantiones” under James Wood.
In its own projects Vocalconsort Berlin likes to transcend the boundaries of classical genres and disciplines: “Allegory of Desire” was created in collaboration with the Belgian ensemble Zefiro Torna and the Tunisian singer Ghalia Benali; “From Inside” combined works by Gesualdo and Giacinto Scelsi in a concert staged by Hans-Werner Kroesinger; “Libera Me” combines music by Lobo, Desprez and Gesualdo with contemporary dance.
In recent years the collaboration with the Konzerthausorchester under the direction of Iván Fischer has intensified, for example with performances of the St. Matthew Passion and the Mass in B minor by Bach or the Requiem by W.A. Mozart.
In the 2017/18 season, Vocalconsort Berlin made its debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker under Sir Simon Rattle in a semi-staged production of Janacek’s “Schlauen Füchslein” (Cunning Little Vixen), which was directed by Peter Sellars.
Also the collaboration with the Komische Oper Berlin under the direction of Barrie Kosky has intensified within the last years. Vocalconsort Berlin was involved in productions such as Bernstein’s “Westside Story”, Mozart’s “Zauberflöte” or “L’enfant et les sortilèges” by Ravel. On occasion of the 2019 Salzburg Festival Vocalconsort Berlin participated in “Orphée aux Enfers” by Offenbach, a highly acclaimed production of Barrie Kosky with the Vienna Philharmonic under Enrique Mazzola.
Vocalconsort Berlin maintains a regular presence in the music metropolises and at the major festivals in Europe, from Amsterdam to Barcelona, from London to Vienna, from Paris to Salzburg. It has worked with conductors such as Marcus Creed, Jos van Immerseel, Ottavio Dantone, Christoph Rousset, Pablo Heras-Casado and Peter Ruzicka.