Advent Concert of ZDF

Riccardo Minasi

Chief Conductor of Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, »Artist in Residence« of the Ensemble Resonanz at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and regular guest of the Orchestra La Scintilla at the Opernhaus Zürich, Riccardo Minasi has recently received invitations as guest conductor from orchestras such as the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, Concertgebouworkest, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova,  Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, Orchestre National de Belgique.

In the recent years he conducted Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra, Hessischer Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Academy of Ancient Music, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Philarmonia Zürich, Orchestre National de Lyon, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, London Chamber Orchestra, Zürcher Kammerorchester, Kammerorchester Basel, Philharmonische Staatsorchester Hamburg, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfónica Portuguesa, Stavanger Symfoniorkester, Portland Baroque Orchestra, Il Complesso Barocco, Orquesta Barroca de Sevilla, Kammerakademie Potsdam and Helsinki Baroque Orchestra with whom he was the associate music director from 2008 to 2011.

Most recent operatic engagements include Les Pêcheurs de perles at the Salzburg Festival, Don Giovanni, Entführung aus dem Serail, Orlando Paladino, Matrimonio Segreto, Il Pirata, Viaggio a Reims, Turco in Italia and the ballets by Christian Spuck on music by Schnittke, Schumann and Monteverdi at Zürich Opera, Iphigénie en Tauride, Alcina, Nozze di Figaro, Agrippina at the Hamburg Staatsoper, Carmen at the Opera in Lyon, Rinaldo at the Theater an der Wien, Rodelinda and Le Nozze di Figaro at the Dutch National Opera.

In collaboration with Maurizio Biondi he published the critical edition of Norma for Bärenreiter in 2016. Co-founder and director of the ensemble il Pomo d’oro from 2012 to 2015, he was professor at the conservatory Vincenzo Bellini of Palermo between 2004 and 2010. He has held seminars, master classes and historical performance practice lessons at the Juilliard School of Music of New York, Longy School of Music of Cambridge (USA), Sibelius Academy of Helsinki, Hochschule für Musik Hannover, Antwerp conservatory, Chinese culture university of Taipei (Taiwan), Zürich Opernhaus, Kùks residence (Czech Republic), Scuola di Musica di Fiesole, Sydney conservatory (Australia), at the European Union Baroque Orchestra (EUBO) and as historical advisor for the Montréal Symphony Orchestra (Canada).

Among the numerous prizes received, notably are the albums »Rosenkranz Sonaten« by Biber (finalist at the Midem Classical Award Cannes as album of the year 2009),»Stella di Napoli« with Joyce Di Donato (Diapason d’Or of the year 2015, BBC Music magazine Award, Grammophone Choice, Grammy Award nominee 2015), »Agrippina« with Ann Hallenberg (International Opera Award 2016), »Partenope» with Philippe Jaroussky and Karina Gauvin, »Catone in Utica«, »Giovincello« and »Haydn concertos« (Echo-Klassik Award 2016), »The Seven Last Words of Christ« by Haydn with Ensemble Resonanz (Diapason d’Or of the year 2018) and the C.P.E.Bach cello concertos with Jean- Guhien Queyras (Diapason d’Or of the year 2019).

Nikola Hillebrand

The German soprano Nikola Hillebrand was born in Recklinghausen, in the heart of North West Germany. She performs regularly throughout Germany and the rest of Europe and this season will be part of the resident ensemble of National theatre Mannheim. In July 2017, Nikola made her debut at Bavarian State Opera as she jumped in as Azema in the run of Rossini’s »Semiramide« during the Opernfestspiele. Nikola began her studies aged 17 at the Hochschule for Music and Theatre, under the guidance of Professor Fenna Kügel-Seifried. During her studies in Munich, Nikola made her professional debut as Belinda in »Dido & Aeneas« at Theater Bonn and went on to play Papagena and Queen of the Night (»Die Zauberflöte«) as well as Marzelline in a new production of »Fidelio«. In the summer of 2015, she made her debut at Glyndebourne as Blondchen in David McVicars new production of »Entführung aus dem Serail«. Nikola was invited to return to Glyndebourne the following season, playing the role of Barbarina and covering the role of Susanna in »Le Nozze di Figaro«. She became the 50th recipient of the John Christie Award in her debut season with Glyndebourne. This is awarded in conjunction with the Worshipful Company of Musicians to a young singer who has shown exceptional promise through their work during the season.

Thomas Quasthoff

Fast vier Jahrzehnte lang hat Thomas Quasthoff als Sänger auf internationalen Bühnen Maßstäbe gesetzt und unzählige Menschen mit seiner Kunst erreicht und bewegt. Im Jänner 2012 beendete er seine beispiellose Karriere als Sänger. Dem Gesang und der Kunst bleibt er weiter eng verbunden: sei es als Lehrender an der Musikhochschule Hanns Eisler in Berlin oder bei Meisterkursen, sei es als Rezitator und Sprecher bei Konzerten, sei es bei Lesungen oder neuen Projekten wie der Gesprächsreihe »Thomas Quasthoffs Nachtgespräche«.

Als einer der bemerkenswertesten Sänger seines Fachs konzertierte Thomas Quasthoff regelmäßig mit den Berliner und Wiener Philharmonikern sowie vielen weiteren internationalen Spitzenorchestern. Eine enge Zusammenarbeitet verband ihn mit  Dirigenten wie

Matthias Wollong

Matthias Wollong was born in Berlin in 1968 and began taking violin lessons at age five. After studying at the special school for music in Berlin, Werner Scholz accepted him into his master class in 1984.

From 1987 till 1989, Matthias Wollong studied with legendary violinist and teacher Tibor Varga in Switzerland. He concertized in Germany, France and Switzerland as concertmaster and soloist of the Tibor Varga Chamber Orchestra during this time. His studies ended after he won the violin competition named after his teacher.

He has been honored with numerous other awards, including first prize of the Joseph Joachim Competition in Austria.

Matthias Wollong has appeared as a soloist under such prominent conductors as Heinz Wallberg, Adam Fischer, Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos, Marek Janowski and Sir Colin Davis, and orchestras such as the ORF Symphony Orchestra, the RSO Berlin, Staatskapelle Dresden, Staatskapelle Weimar, and Philharmonic orchestras in Suhl, Halle, Cottbus etc.