Johann Sebastian Bach: MATTHÄUS-PASSION

Conductor: Martijn Dendievel

Evangelist: Mark Milhofer
Jesus: Andrew Hamilton
Soprano: Anna-Lena Elbert
Alto: Rachael Wilson
Tenor: Lunga Eric Hallam
Bass: Michael Nagl

Orchestra and Chorus of the Tiroler Festspiele Erl

Johann Sebastian Bach's St. Matthew Passion, One of the most moving works in the history of music once again takes center stage in the Easter program of the Tyrolean Festival Erl—as is tradition, on Good Friday afternoon. The combination of theological reflection, compositional mastery, and dramatic narrative power makes this work a highlight of the Easter season in Erl.

The performance time was not chosen at random: in Christian tradition, the “ninth hour”—around 3:00 p.m.—is considered the time of Jesus’ death on the cross, lending the performance an almost liturgical dimension. At the podium is Belgian conductor Martijn Dendievel, winner of the 2021 German Conducting Prize, who has already worked with orchestras such as the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, the WDR Symphony Orchestra, and the Orchestre National de Lille. His international career is marked by experience with large-scale choral-orchestral works—including compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach.

Team

Martijn Dendievel Conductor

Mark Milhofer Evangelist

Andrew Hamilton Jesus

Andrew Hamilton, born in Peterborough (England), studied at the University of Southampton and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. From 2020 to 2022, the baritone was a member of the Opera Studio of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich and subsequently in their ensemble. There he sang roles such as Ping (Turandot), Silvano (Un ballo in maschera), Lesbo (Agrippina), Ottokar (Der Freischütz), Ned Keene (Peter Grimes), Schaunard (La Bohème), Aeneas (Dido und Aeneas), Morales (Carmen) and Ruffiack (Le Grand Macabre). In 2024, he made his debut at the Theater an der Wien as Pâris (Gounod's Roméo et Juliette).

Anna-Lena Elbert Soprano

Rachael Wilson Alto

Lunga Eric Hallam Tenor

Michael Nagl Bass

Orchestra and Chorus of the Tiroler Festspiele Erl

Tiroler Festspiele Erl Orchestra

The music springs from the enthusiasm of a motivated and exceptionally well-prepared ensemble that has grown together over the years. The Tyrolean Festival Erl Orchestra was first formed in the summer of 1999—and today, musicians from 20 nations play together. Already in its first year, the ensemble achieved unprecedented success, which would go on to bring international recognition to the Tyrolean Festival Erl. Top young talents, musicians from major international orchestras, chamber music specialists, and lecturers come together annually in summer and winter—and since 2017, also in fall and spring—as part of the Tyrolean Festival Erl. Under the direction of festival founder Gustav Kuhn, the orchestra garnered rave reviews from international critics and cemented its reputation as one of the world’s finest Wagner orchestras. With the start of Jonas Kaufmann’s tenure as artistic director in September 2024, Asher Fisch—a conductor in high demand internationally in both opera and concert settings—has taken over the helm of the orchestra.

In addition to Richard Wagner’s ten major music dramas and operas by Strauss, Mozart, Beethoven, Verdi, and Rossini, the orchestra’s repertoire includes Beethoven’s symphonies and many other key works from the concert repertoire spanning the Baroque and Romantic periods, as well as contemporary works and world premieres.

Tiroler Festspiele Erl Choir

Founded in 2007, the choir serves as an equal musical partner to the festival orchestra. The focus is on meticulous attention to individual parts. As part of the festival, the singers work on a wide range of projects, from a cappella programs to concert and opera productions. Since the opening of the Festspielhaus Erl in 2012, the repertoire has placed additional emphasis on bel canto works and Verdi’s operas.

The development of a Baroque choral sound in the works of Bach and his contemporaries is also a key focus of the ensemble’s work; since 2009, it has maintained close ties with Capella Minsk, the State Academic Choir of the Republic of Belarus. Founded in 1940, this choral ensemble has made it its mission to preserve Belarusian folk music and to premiere works by modern and contemporary composers.

The choir is distinguished by its precise intonation, harmony, versatility, and dynamic sound—qualities that have formed the basis for numerous tours throughout Europe in recent years. Its repertoire includes requiems, masses, cantatas, and sacred works, as well as operas. After Lyudmila Yefimova spent many years developing and shaping the choir’s quality, Olga Yanum took over as the ensemble’s director following her death in 2018.