»Few artists … have such a smooth, dark, inviting voice«, according to ›The New York Times‹ describing this singer celebrated by the Wiener Staatsoper, New York Metropolitan Opera and La Scala Milan for his opera and recital performances. Matthias Goerne is one of today’s most versatile and sought-after baritones and has collaborated with almost all renowned conductors and orchestras. Most recently he was Artist in Residence at the New York Philharmonic as well as at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. He is also an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music in London.  Among last season’s much acclaimed performances were those with Jaap van Zweden and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra, Cristian Măcelaru and the Orchestre National de France and Antonio Pappano and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Matthias Goerne has also reached the peak of international acclaim as an ambassador for German Lieder. For his many recordings, this sought-after singer has received numerous awards, including a Grammy, the German Record Critics’ Prize and an Echo Klassik for ›Singer of the Year‹. At the beginning of 2023, his latest album ›Schubert Revisited‹ was released on the Deutsche Grammophon label, including some of his previously unheard orchestral arrangements of Schubert’s songs, performed in collaboration with the Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen. Matthias Goerne has been associated with the Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen for many years. A recent highlight was the joint performance of Brahms’ ›Requiem‹ in Bremen Cathedral.

Andris Poga is the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra’s Chief Conductor. Previous to this he was the Music Director of the Latvian National Orchestra in Riga for eight years. As Guest Conductor, he is also prized by many distinguished international orchestras. His most recent highlights include concerts with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, with the Orchestre de Paris, the Münchner Philharmoniker, the Wiener Sinfoniker and also the Tonhalle Orchestra in Zurich.

Born in Riga, Andris Poga completed his conducting studies at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music und Philosophy at Latvia State University. Poga won first prize at the renowned ›Evgeny Svetlanov‹ international conducting competition in Montpellier in 2010. Following this success, Paavo Järvi awarded him a 3-year post as Assistant Conductor to the Orchestre de Paris. In 2012 he was appointed to the same position with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He celebrated his international breakthrough in 2014 on a tour of Asia with the Münchner Philharmoniker, during which he stood in for Lorin Maazel and Valery Gergiev. In February 2022, Andris Poga celebrates his debut with the Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen and joins the orchestra and Matthias Goerne on tour.