Tiroler Festspiele Erl – J. S. Bach: WEIHNACHTSORATORIUM (I-VI)

Vinzenz Praxmarer Musikalische Leitung

The Austrian conductor Vinzenz Praxmarer worked, among others, as an assistant to Franz Welser-Möst, Kirill Petrenko, Philippe Jordan, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Christoph Eschenbach, Valery Gergiev and Marc Albrecht and was a répétiteur at the Theater an der Wien, at the Salzburg Festival, at the Milan Scala, at the Opéra national de Lyon as well as at the Nederlandse Opera Amsterdam. Previously, he completed his conducting studies at the Music and Art Private University Vienna with Prof. Georg Mark. In 2006, he debuted as an opera conductor at the Lehár Festival Bad Ischl, to which he remained connected as Musical Director until 2011. His artistic work in the operetta field is documented by three first recordings, which were released on the cpo label: Fatinitza (Franz von Suppè), Der fidele Bauer (Leo Fall), Frasquita (Franz Lehár). Further debuts: Vienna Volksoper, Landestheater Bregenz, Theater Bern, Theater St. Gallen, Opéra national de Paris, Theater Chemnitz. From 2013 to 2015, he was conductor of the Children's Opera of the Vienna State Opera. In the symphonic field, invitations led him to renowned orchestras, such as the Latvian National Orchestra in Riga, the Munich Radio Orchestra, the Tchaikovsky Orchestra in Moscow, the Tonkünstler Orchestra, the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia, the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra del Friuli Venezia Giulia, the Musikkollegium Winterthur, the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and the Philharmonic in Sofia. In 1998, he founded the Vienna Orchestra Divertimento Viennese, of which he has been artistic director ever since. The orchestra's repertoire focus is on works by Jewish composers. Recently, the orchestra performed with Angelika Kirchschlager and Camilla Nylund as well as Norbert Ernst and Rafael Fingerlos at the Vienna Konzerthaus and the Brucknerhaus Linz. In 2022, the debut at the Salzburg Festival took place with works by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Additionally, Praxmarer regularly works with the Summer Academy of the Vienna Philharmonic for opera and concert productions. In the current season, Vinzenz Praxmarer conducts concerts with the Tonkünstler Orchestra at the Vienna Musikverein, the Bilkent Symphony Orchestra in Ankara, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra in Rabat, as well as with the Orchestra Divertimento Viennese at the Vienna Musikverein, Brucknerhaus Linz, Forum am Schlosspark in Ludwigsburg, at the Salzburg Festival and the Salzkammergut Festival Weeks Gmunden. He also makes his debut at the Stadttheater Klagenfurt with Prokofiev's ballet Romeo and Juliet and leads a production of Korngold's Die Stumme Serenade at the Kulturfabrik Helfenberg.

Anna El-Khashem Sopran

Anna El-Khashem studied at the State Conservatory St. Petersburg. She was a member of the Opera Studio of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich and an ensemble member at the Hessian State Theatre Wiesbaden. On its stage, she could be seen as Gretel (HÄNSEL UND GRETEL), Susanna (NOZZE DI FIGARO), Woglinde (RHEINGOLD & GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG) and Sophie (WERTHER). In 2021, she made her house and role debut at the Opéra de Paris as Servilia (CLEMENZA DI TITO), where she also sang Susanna (NOZZE DI FIGARO) and Zerlina (DON GIOVANI) in 2022. In 2022, she debuted as Flavia Gemmira in Cavalli's ELIOGABALO at the Zurich Opera House. Anna El-Khashem has sung under conductors including Emmanuelle Haïm, Kirill Petrenko, Gustavo Dudamel, Ivor Bolton, Bertrand de Billy and Simone Young. She has won several prizes, including 1st prize at NEUE STIMMEN (2019) and 1st prize as well as the special prize for the best interpretation of a vocal work by Mozart at the International Mozart Competition (2018). In the 23/24 season, she had her role debut as Clarine/Thalie (Rameau's PLATÉE) at the Zurich Opera House and will have a house debut at the Dutch National Opera Amsterdam as Marzelline (FIDELIO).

Stefanie Irányi Alt

The German mezzo-soprano Stefanie Irányi grew up in the Bavarian Chiemgau. She studied at the Music Academy in Munich and was a prize winner in several competitions, winning at the International Robert Schumann Competition in Zwickau and at the Federal Singing Competition in Berlin. While still studying, she successfully debuted at the Opera House of Turin in a new production of Giancarlo Menotti's "The Consul". This was followed by engagements at the most important opera houses in Italy as well as commitments to the leading concert halls in Europe. She worked with conductors such as Asher Fisch, Jakob Hrusa, Thomas Herreweghe and Thomas Hengelbrock, Manfred Honeck, Alexander Liebreich, Zubin Mehta, Kent Nagano, Simon Rattle, Jukka Pekka Saraste and many others. With great success, Stefanie Irányi debuted this season as Brangäne in the new production of Tristan und Isolde at the Opera House in Bari. The press praised her "...magnificent voice and phrasing", how she sings "...solidly, precisely, deeply immersed in the character", but also her "beauty of timbre, fullness of colors and significant volume across the entire range as well as an irresistible stage presence". Stefanie also debuted as Fricka in Rheingold, in the press-praised concert performance with Concerto Köln under the direction of Kent Nagano. Great attention was paid to the chamber music performance of the Berio Folksongs with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Further musical highlights, such as a 1st Act Walküre with the Radio Symphony Orchestra Prague in the role of Sieglinde, also in Perth with the WASO, her debut as Rosenkavalier at the Teatro Regio di Bologna, a Verdi Requiem with the Basel Symphony Orchestra and Mahler's 2nd Symphony with the Israel Symphony Orchestra and Mahler's 3rd Symphony with the OSRTVE Madrid follow. Additionally, a world premiere by Nicola Campogrande with stops in important cultural cities such as Milan, Rome, Turin, Paris, Warsaw and many others. The mezzo-soprano has a special love for lieder singing. Mostly accompanied by Helmut Deutsch, she sang lieder evenings at various festivals in Austria and Germany. This season, Stefanie Irányi will also be heard at the Lied Festival in Sindelfingen as well as at the Brucknerhaus in Linz. About a performance of Wagner's "Wesendonck Songs", which are rarely heard in Israel, the newspaper "Haaretz" wrote: "...Stefanie Irányi is a wonderful singer. It was a pure pleasure to listen to her. Her sweet-sounding voice and her natural musicality give expression to every syllable...". CD releases document the artistic work of Stefanie Irányi, such as the live recording of "Rheingold" under Sir Simon Rattle with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, a duet CD with Michael Volle, released on Brilliant Classics, recordings of Simon Mayr's operas, including "Ginevra di Scozia", recorded with the BR. She also recorded Verdi's "Rigoletto" with Leo Nucci for a production of the Festival Verdi Parma. Her first solo CD with arias from operas by Hasse, Haydn and Handel, which she recorded together with the Hofkapelle München under the title "Lamenti", was highly praised in "Opernglas".

Martin Mitterrutzner Tenor

Der österreichische Tenor Martin Mitterrutzner ist seit der Spielzeit 2011/12 ein Mitglied des Ensembles der Oper Frankfurt, wo er als Andres in "Wozzeck", als Giannetto in "La gazza ladra", als Iopas in "Les Troyens" und als Belmonte in "Die Entführung aus dem Serail" zu erleben war. Gastengagements führten ihn an das Theater an der Wien, zu den Salzburger Festspielen, zum Festival Aix-en-Provence, an das Opernhaus in Zürich und die Dresdner Semperoper. Er konzertierte mit dem Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks und dem Cleveland Orchestra. Vor seinem Engagement in Frankfurt war Martin Mitterrutzner am Tiroler Landestheater tätig. Im Jahr 2007 erhielt er die Eberhard-Wächter-Medaille der Staatsoper Wien, 2004 gewann er den 1. Preis des österreichischen Bundeswettbewerbs "prima la musica". Der aus Hall in Tirol stammende Martin Mitterrutzner wurde von Brigitte Fassbaender ausgebildet. Rollen: - Tenor in "Requiem (Mozart)", Festival d'Aix en Provence 2019 - Tamino in "Die Zauberflöte", Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden 2018 - Camille de Rosillon in "Die lustige Witwe", Oper Frankfurt 2018 - Belmonte in "Die Entführung aus dem Serail", Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden 2017 - Don Ottavio in "Don Giovanni", Theater an der Wien 2016 Produktionen bei den Tiroler Festspielen Erl: - Neujahrskonzert: Antonín Dvořák und Bedřich Smetana

Lukas Enoch Lemcke Bass

Der Bass Lukas Enoch Lemcke stammt aus Regensburg und erhielt seine Ausbildung u. a. bei den Regensburger Domspatzen sowie bei Brent Lee Damkier. 2022 schloss er sein Gesangsstudium an der Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien ab und begann ein Masterstudium an der Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien. In der Saison 2021/22 debütierte er an der Wiener Staatsoper, wo er u. a. in Monteverdis Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria zu erleben war. 2023 gab er als Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte) sein Hausdebüt am Badischen Staatstheater Karlsruhe. Seit der Spielzeit 2023/24 ist er Ensemblemitglied des Staatstheaters am Gärtnerplatz in München, wo er Partien wie Sarastro, Alidoro (La Cenerentola) und Leporello (Don Giovanni) interpretierte. Auf dem Konzertpodium war er u. a. in Pietro Mascagnis Messa di Gloria und Schuberts Messe B-Dur zu hören sowie bei den Tiroler Festspielen Erl in Bachs Weihnachtsoratorium und Matthäus-Passion.

J. S. Bach: WEIHNACHTSORATORIUM (I-VI)

Team