Recordings/Discussions
Background Information
Performer Bios

Poet/Composer Bios

Additional Information

Biographies of Performers: Main Page | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
Explanation | Acronyms | Missing Biographies | The Sad Corner


Jens Hamann (Baritone)

Born: 1975 - Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

The German baritone, Jens Hamann, gained early singing experience as a long time member of the Stuttgarter Hymnus-Chorknaben, followed by intensive choir work with Frieder Bernius in the Kammerchor Stuttgart and with Helmuth Rilling in the Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart. Hamann then went on to study Opera Singing at the Mannheim University of Music under the direction of Rudolf Piernay. In Mannheim he worked with Ulrich Eisenlohr and Heike-Dorothee Allardt and during his studies performed as Papageno, Leporello, Nick Shadow, the Father in Hänsel and Gretel (by Engelbert Humperdinck) and as Maurizio in I Quattro Rusteghi by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari. Participation in master-classes with Peter Schreier, Irwin Gage and Wolfram Rieger completed his training.

During his career as oratorio singer, Jens Hamann has won several national and international awards. He was awarded: - Prize winner ‘Podium Junger Gesangssolisten’ of the Federation of German Concert Choirs - Special award ‘Sonderpreis Alte Musik 2006’ of the Saarland Broadcasting Group - Best male voice at the renowned Bach Competition Leipzig 2008, awarded the title ‘Bachpreistraeger’.

Jens Hamann successfully established himself as a Baritone singer and performed during the Eurpaeisches Musikfest at the Liederhalle in Stuttgart and during the Festival Internazionale di Musica Sacra at the St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. He also sang at the Berliner Philharmonie in Berlin, the Herkulessaal of the Münchener Residenz in Munich, the Hauptkirche St. Michaelis in Hamburg, the Meistersingerhalle in Nurenberg and the Konzerthaus Berlin and Konzerthaus Dortmund. He also toured in Boston/USA, performed at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Peking, the Oriental Art Center Shanghai, the Opera House Wroclaw, Auditorio Zaragoza, Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Auditorium Dijon, Teatro Carlo Felice Genova, Oosterport Groningen and at the Russian Nizhniy Novgorod.

Jens Hamann works with Conductors such as Sigiswald Kuijken, Helmuth Rilling, Morten Schuldt-Jensen and Stefan Vladar and performs with the Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, La Petite Bande, Konzerthaus-Orchester Berlin, Youth Orchestra of the Americas, Collegium Vocale Gent, Noord Nederlands Orkest, Rheinische Staatsphilharmonie and Radio Symphonie Orchester Pilsen.

Jens Hamann created the role of the Duke at the Swiss première of La jolie fille de Perth by Georges Bizet at Schloss Hallwyl/Switzerland directed by Peter Schweiger conducted by Douglas Bostock with the Aargauer Symphonie Orchester.

Jens Hamann’s repertoire is very broad and versatile. While his focus remains on J.S. Bach, George Frideric Handel, Haydn and Felix Mendelssohn, he excels at the broad sweep of oratorio and operatic works cast for lyric baritone. His burgeoning discography spans the early Baroque period to new music just recently composed: Marienvesper (Claudio Monteverdi), Musikalische Exequien (Heinrich Schütz), Te Deum (Jean-Baptiste Lully), Die letzten Dinge (Louis Spohr), Graner Messe (Franz Liszt), Die Passion (Heinrich von Herzogenberg), Messa di Gloria (Giacomo Puccini), Mass in D (Ethel Smyth), Glagolitische Messe (Leos Janacek), De Profundis (Marcel Dupré), Lukas-Passion (Kurt Hessenberg), Cantata miseridordium (Benjamin Britten), L’enfance du Christ (Hector Berlioz), Carmina burana (Carl Orff) and Mass of the children (John Rutter).

Jens Hamann’s professional activity and versatility are well documented through numerous CD recordings and radio productions including releases on Carus, Naxos, Hänssler, Genuin, Chrismon, and Brilliant recording labels, amongst others. Of particular note is Hamann’s singing on Michael Haydn’s Requiem performed with the KammerChor Saarbrücken and the Kammerphilharmonie Mannheim. This album was honored with the MIDEM Classical Award 2007 for the best premiere recording that year. Another highly acclaimed CD performance was the Oratorio de Noel by Camille Saint-Saëns, directed by Holger Speck with the Vocalensemble Rastatt and Les Favorites Barockorchester. The C. Saint-Saëns was especially lauded by critics, who singled out Jens Hamann for special recognition for his singing in the Oratorio de Noel. Scheduled releases featuring Jens Hamann include the oratorios Il santo sepolcro by Ferdinando Paer and of Samuele by Simon Mayr on the Naxos label. Hänssler will also fête the young German baritone with his own album of solo cantatas by Georg Philipp Telemann. An especially anticipated recording due out later this year is the J.S. Bach’s Johannes-Passion’ (BWV 245) with La Petite Bande, directed by Sigiswald Kuijken.

Sources:
Jens Hamann Website
Contributed by
Aryeh Oron (October 2011)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Frieder Bernius

Bass

Member of Kammerchor Stuttgart:
[V-2] (2004): BWV 232

Georg Hage

Bass

BWV 232

Kay Johannsen

Bass

Video: BWV 14, BWV 21, BWV 32, BWV 65, BWV 75, BWV 92, BWV 123, BWV 138, BWV 156, BWV 159
[C13-10] (Bach:vokal 2013, Video): BWV 188
[C15-6] (Bach:vokal 2015, Video): BWV 27
[C16-1] (Bach:vokal 2016, Video): BWV 181
[C17-5] (Bach:vokal 2017, Video): BWV 70
[C18-2] (Bach:vokal 2018, Video): BWV 175
[C18-4] (Bach:vokal 2018, Video): BWV 26
[C20-4] (Bach:vokal 2020, Video): BWV 150

Kay Johannsen

Bass

Member of Solistenensemble Stimmkunst:
Bach:vokal 2013/I Video:
BWV 156, BWV 81, BWV 14; BWV 144, BWV 92
[C13-9] (Bach:vokal 2013, Video): BWV 38, BWV 109
[C13-10] (Bach:vokal 2013, Video): BWV 98, BWV 226, BWV 188
Bach:vokal 2014/1 Video:
BWV 153, BWV 123
Bach:vokal 2014/2 Video:
BWV 233, BWV 65
Bach:vokal 2014/4 Video:
BWV 22, BWV 23
Bach:vokal 2014/5 Video:
BWV 159, BWV 127
Bach:vokal 2015/1 Video:
BWV 3, BWV 32, BWV 230, BWV 124
Bach:vokal 2015/5 Video:
BWV 21, BWV 75
[C15-6] (Bach:vokal 2015, Video): BWV 161, BWV 95, BWV 27, BWV 8
[C16-1] (Bach:vokal 2016, Video): BWV 71, BWV 18, BWV 126, BWV 181
[C16-2] (Bach:vokal 2016, Video): BWV 4, BWV 249
[C17-1] (Bach:vokal 2017, Video): BWV 13, BWV 73, BWV 111, BWV 72
[C17-5] (Bach:vokal 2017, Video): BWV 70, BWV 186a, BWV 140
[C18-2] (Bach:vokal 2018, Video): BWV 172, BWV 59, BWV 74, BWV 175
[C18-4] (Bach:vokal 2018, Video): BWV 26, BWV 60, BWV 90, BWV 116
[C20-4] (Bach:vokal 2020, Video): BWV 150, BWV 131, BWV 182

Sigiswald Kuijken

Bass

[V-9] (2011): BWV 245 [3rd recording, Jesus]

Johannes-Matthias Michel

Bass

BWV 4, BWV 21, BWV 71

Ulrich Stötzel

Bass

[C-1] (2011): BWV 4

Links to other Sites

Jens Hamann - Bariton (Official Website) [German/English/French]
Jens Hamann - Bariton (Bach-vokal) [German]