»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.

Since her triumphant appearance in ›Madama Butterfly‹ at the Royal Swedish Opera, Lithuanian soprano Asmik Grigorian has mastered role after role, including  Salome at the Salzburg Festival, Marie in ›Wozzeck‹ with the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, as ›Manon Lescaut‹ at the Frankfurt Opera and the Bolschoi Theatre, alongside many others. ›The New York Times‹ has praised this singer as »one of the fiercest dramatic talents in opera« and France’s ›Le Monde‹ has described her »wild voice« as »rich and dark«. Asmik Grigorian is regularly engaged by the world’s leading opera houses, from the Wiener Staatsoper, the Teatro Real Madrid to the Teatro alla Scala in Milan.

At home, Asmik Grigorian has won the Golden Stage Cross, one of the highest accolades for singers in Lithuania. At the Austrian Music Theatre Awards in 2019, she was named best female actor and, more recently, ›Opera Singer of the Year 2022‹ by the Opera XXI Association. Her debut album – songs by Sergei Rachmaninov recorded with the pianist Lukas Geniusas – was released by Alpha Classics in March 2022. An exciting debut with the Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen awaits.