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The Austrian bass-baritone, Andreas Lettowsky, received an early musical education as a soprano soloist at the Salzburg Domkapellknaben. This period saw also the first active experience with the opera genre - in 1977 he sang the Bastien in Mozart's Bastien und Bastienne at the Bundesrealgymnasium in Salzburg. The highlight was the 1979 takeover of the soprano solos during a private audience with Pope John Paul II at Castel Gandolfo.
After graduation, Andrew Lettowsky studied singing with Josef Loibl in Graz and Munich. Even during this time he won the competition Jugend musiziert. During his studies he was repeatedly engaged as a guest, among others, at the Oper Graz as Jäger (Hunter) in Alfonso und Estrella by Schubert, at the Theater Sankt Pölten as Theseus in Midsummer Night's Dream by Benjamin Britten, at the Theater Leoben as Baron Zeta in Die lustige Witwe by Lehár, and at the Styriarte Graz as Scherge in Des Teufels Lustschloss by Schubert. He continued his vocal training in master classes with Astrid Varnay, Hans Hotter, Walter Berry, and Hermann Winkler.
In 1994, Andrew Lettowsky joined the Opera Studio of the Bayerischen Staatsoper in Munich. There he made his debut in 1995 as Kerkermeister in Die Kluge by Orff and sang with great success soon after Bartolo in The Barber of Seville by Rossini. At the Munich Opera Festival 1995, he sang under the baton of Michael Boder and directed by Willy Decker Bauern in Das Schloss by Reimann. Followed in 1996 by Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart.
After holding several positions - during which he sang inter alia Baculus in Der Wildschütz by Lortzing in Hof and Regensburg as well as Domkapellmeister in Schwarzwaldmädel by Jessel and Pilatus in Jesus Christ Superstar by A.L. Webber in Eggenfelden - in 2005 Andrew Lettowsky became an ensemble member at the Staatstheater Schwerin. Here he acquired a wide range in the bass baritone roles. Should be mentioned, for example: Achilla in Giulio Cesare by George Frideric Handel, Melisso in Alcina by G.F. Handel, Harapha in Samson by G.F. Handel, Leporello in Don Giovanni by Mozart, Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte by Mozart, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte by Mozart, Bartolo in The Barber of Seville by Rossini, Mesner in Tosca by Puccini, Besenbinder in Hänsel und Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck, Lord Tristan in Martha by Flotow, General Bumm in Die Großherzogin von Gerolstein by Offenbach and Zsupán in Der Zigeunerbaron by Strauss).
Since his range expanded continuously, Andrew Lettowsky made trips to the increasingly cavalier baritone. He sang with great success Ford in Falstaff by Verdi, Sharpless in Madame Butterfly by Puccini and Ottokar in Der Freischütz by Weber. At Schlossfestspielen 2012 in Schwerin, he will be experiencing as Silvio in Pagliacci by Leoncavallo.
As far as his intense activity at the Staatstheater Schwerin - about 70 performances per season - admits, Andrew Lettowsky also appears as a guest in other opera houses. For example, in Gera as Bartolo in The Barber of Seville by Rossini - his third appearance on this stage. With this role, he also made guest appearances at the Opernhaus Chemnitz.
In addition, Andrew Lettowsky is sought-after as a concert singer. So he sang the bass solo, for example in Messiah and Dettingen Te Deum by G.F. Handel and various cantatas by J.S. Bach. In addition, he regularly performs the baritone solo in the 9th Symphony by L.v. Beethoven. In addition, he is dedicated to the Lieder singing Die Winterreise by Schubert, Fünf Lieder für eine tiefe Stimme, Op 94 by Johannes Brahms, several recitals with selected Lieder by Schubert and Robert Schumann, as well as Le Bal Masqué by Francis Poulenc. In his concert career he has performed togerther with such conductors as Michael Gielen, Roberto Abbado, Michael Boder, Donald Runnicles and Mario Venzago.
In the summer of 2012, Andrew Lettowsky changed after eight years of work at the Staatstheater Schwerin freelance in the activity. |
