Famed German singers to perform Jan. 20

On Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m., a German vocal quartet under the auspices of the Goethe Institut, headed by director Volker Avenmarg, will perform at the RCBC auditorium in Makati.

The quartet, currently on a SE Asian tour, consists of celebrated seasoned singers Johana Stojkovic, soprano; Franciska Gottwald, lyric mezzo-soprano; Lothat Odinius, lyric tenor, and Sebastian Noack, baritone, with the equally eminent pianist Justus Zehen as assisting artist.

Soprano Stojkovic has already had successful guest appearances at the opera houses of Hamburg, Bremen, Rostock and Schwerin. From 1996 to 1999, she sang roles from the Baroque and early Classical repertoire for the Hans Otto Theater in Potsdam, and also appeared at the Komische Oper in Berlin. During the 2001/2002 season, she was engaged by the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Berlin. With her keen interest in "early music", she performs with Concerto Koln, the Akademie fur Alte Musik and Capella Coloninesis, among others. In April of 2003, she toured Europe with the Stuttgart Bach Academy singing in J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion.

Baritone Noack took master classes with famed Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, and was awarded first prize at the Federal Singing Competition in 1996, second prize at the International Song Competition at Wigmore Hall in London, and first prize at the Paula Lindberg-Salomon Competition.

Lyric tenor Odinius was engaged from 1995 to 1997 by the State Theater in Braunshweig and leading European opera houses. He has participated in prestigious international festivals. Numerous concert engagements have taken him to European and other international cities. He has given recitals at the Western German Broadcasting Corporation, the Schubertiade Feldkirch in Cologne, Paris, Dortmund, Frankfurt, Heidelberg and Hamburg, to name a few cities.

Lyric mezzo Gottwald, winner of the 2002 Bach Competition in Leipzig, has been a prizewinner in several other singing tilts, and has had guest performances at the opera houses in Hannover and Weimar. She regularly performs at the State Opera Braunschweig and at the theater in Bielefeld. Since 1998, she has worked with the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and performed cantatas and oratorios of Bach and Handel in major European cities.

Pianist Zeyen has taken masterclasses with Dietrich Fischer Dieskau, among others, and in 1982 and 1986 was awarded scholarships by the Richard Wagner Foundation. He has been giving concerts as soloist in Europe, USA and Japan, and has worked with famous artists at the Konzerthaus Berlin and the Philharmonie Koln.

The four vocal artists will render duets and quartets of the Romantic period by Schumann and Brahms, with the pianist assisting.