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The German choral conductor and baritone, Martin Lehmann, grew up in Dresden, where he became a member of the Dresdner Kreuzchor, one of Germany's oldest boys choirs, in 1983, singing with them until 1992. His father and his brothers were also members of the boys' choir. After completing school with the Abitur, he performed civilian service in Hamburg and spent a year in South America. He studied at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber in Dresden from 1995, first musicology, then choral conducting with Hans-Christoph Rademann. During this time he became a member and artistic assistant to the Dresdner Kammerchor. He co-founded and directed a chamber choir, Cantamus Dresden, formed mostly by former members of the Dresdner Kreuzchor.
Martin Lehmann received a Rudolf Mauersberger Scholarship in 2000, and completed his degree in 2001. While lecturing at the Musikhochschule from 2000 to 2005, he undertook advanced studies from 2001, in choral conducting with Hans-Christoph Rademann and in orchestral conducting with Georg Sandmann. He completed both with distinction in 2004. From November 2001 to 2005, he directed the children's and girls' choir Schola Cantorum Leipzig. From 2005 to 2011, he was the musical director of the Wuppertaler Kurrende boys' choir. During this time, from 2008 to 2011, he also led the chamber choir amici del canto in Wuppertal.
In 2012 Lehmann succeeded Karl-Friedrich Beringer as artistic director of the Windsbacher Knabenchor. They took part in notable festivals, including the Bachwoche Ansbach, Rheingau Musik Festival, MDR Musiksommer and the Festival Europäische Kirchenmusik. They performed regularly at notable venues such as the Alte Oper in Frankfurt, Konzerthaus Berlin, Frauenkirche in Dresden, Elbphilharmonie, Thomaskirche in Leipzig, Herkulessaal in Munich and Festspielhaus Baden-Baden. They toured to the USA, India and China (twice), the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Oriental Arts Center in Shanghai, the Tonhalle Zürich, the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, and the Sistine Chapel and the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
Lehmann worked with orchestras including the Freiburger Barockorchester, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Dresdner Barockorchester, Deutsche Kammer-Virtuosen Berlin, Collegium 1704 of Prague, Concerto Palatino and WDR Big Band. He became Kirchenmusikdirektor (KMD) in 2017, honouring his continuous work with the boys, who became an ambassador for the region in Germany and abroad.
In 2021, Lehmann was chosen the 29th Kreuzkantor of the Dresdner Kreuzchor, while 36 others had also applied for the position, succeeding Roderich Kreile. He took up his office on September 1, 2022. In his first vespers with the choir, he combined works by Heinrich Schütz and J.S. Bach with compositions by predecessors as Kreuzkantor from three centuries, Gottfried August Homilius, Oskar Wermann and Rudolf Mauersberger, and a world premiere, an introit by Wilfried Krätzschmar.
In a 2023 concert at the Konzerthaus Berlin, they performed a cappella works for Advent by Max Reger, Benjamin Britten, Grieg, Michael Praetorius and Felix Mendelssohn combined with J.S. Bach's Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248. In a 2025 concert there, he prepared the Christmas Oratorio performing works by Josef Rheinberger, Morten Lauridsen, Eric Whitacre and Alice Tegnér. In 2026 he led the Dresdner Kammerchor with soloists and the Dresdner Philharmonie in Felix Mendelssohn's Lobgesang at home and in the closing concert of the Rheingau Musik Festival at Eberbach Abbey.
Numerous CD, television, and radio recordings, document Martin Lehmann's outstanding work up to the present time. He is a resident of Dresden-Leubnitz-Neuostra. |
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