Thomas Hampson
Photo: Jane Richey | Thomas Hampson - baritone. "Clarion power, burnished tone and pellucid clarity" The Los Angeles Times Thomas Hampson was raised in America's Washington state. One of the most celebrated singers on the stage today, he has recorded dozens of America’s songs, presented a PBS special for American television, and given master classes on American song – all the while maintaining his position as a preeminent singer of opera and art songs in many languages, and as an expert on and editor of Gustav Mahler’s songs in particular. He was educated in the U.S. before moving to Europe to broaden his singing career, and has recently taken up residence in his home country once again. In Dublin Thomas Hampson performs many of the songs from the acclaimed “Song of America” project which he developed with the U.S. Library of Congress: "The ‘Song of America’ project has become a thrilling dream come true for me: criss-crossing our country singing the songs born of our life experiences as Americans in the language of our hearts and minds. These songs - our songs - say everything about the culture we call American. And when we sing our own songs, when we see through the eyes of our poets and hear with the ears of our composers the diary of our land, those who hear us will experience the best of what freedom of thought and purpose can achieve in the creation of great art. We need these songs in our cultural landscape." For more details see: www.songofamerica.net and www.thomashampson.com. Mr Hampson appears by by arrangement with UMCMP. |
Wolfram Rieger Photo: Wilfried Hösl | Wolfram Rieger - piano Wolfram Rieger received his first piano lessons from his parents and later from Konrad Pfeiffer in Regensburg. He soon developed a deep affection for Lieder interpretation and therefore continued his studies at the Hochschule für Musik in Munich with the famous Lieder pianists Prof. Dr. Erik Werba and Prof. Helmut Deutsch. After earning diploma with distinction, he attended several masterclasses with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Hans Hotter and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. While still a student he began teaching at Munich's Hochschule für Musik until in 1991 he started his own Lieder class for singers and pianists. In 1998 he became Professor of a Lied class at Berlin's Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler". Wolfram Rieger regularly holds master classes in Europe and Japan. Wolfram Rieger is a regular guest artist at many important music centres and festivals throughout the world, including the Schubertiade Feldkirch, Schubertiada a Vilabertran, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Châtelet, London's Wigmore Hall and New York's Carnegie Hall. He appears both as recital accompanist and chamber musician with such renowned artists as Barbara Bonney, Thomas Hampson, The Vogler Quartet, among many others. A prolific recording artist, Mr. Rieger is well-represented on numerous CDs, many of which received various awards. Awards and distinctions include the honorary medal of the Associació Franz Schubert de Barcelona. For more information see: www.wolframrieger.de |
