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The Swiss bass singer, Manuel Pollinger, grew up in Valais. He has been interested in theater, singing and art since childhood. At the age of 16, he began his studies in opera singing with Hans-Rüedi Kämpfen in Brig, and joined the Oberwalliser Vokalensemble. From then on, he began to play in different theater groups in Valais, then in Bern and Zürich. Before studying singing, he also worked as an actor and speaker and studied art history for a few semesters at the Universität Basel (2013-2015). In Basel, he continued his training as an actor and singer with bass-baritone Ralf Ernst. He then studied for his Bachelor in Art and Music at the Haute Ecole de Musique (HEM) de Genève, in the class of baritone Marcin Habela (2016-2019). During his studies, he had the opportunity to follow master classes with great singers and teachers such as Stephan Gentz, Alexander Mayr, Jeanne Roth and Israeli singer Yahli Toren. He obtained his Master of Arts degree in Opera from the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg in Freiburg im Breisgau (September 2019-July 2023); most recently with mezzo-soprano Mareike Morr, and privately with Kammersängerin Regina Werner-Dietrich in Leipzig. He also received important artistic impulses in singing courses with Nina Uhari, Professor Dorothea Wirtz, Professor Jeanne-Michèle Charbonnet, Rachel Bersier, Sherman Lowe, Nicolai Cok, Yunus Schahinger, Carlo Colombara and Matthew Rose.
Manuel Pollinger sang as a soloist in W.A. Mozart's Coronation Mass, conducted by Hans-Rüedi Kämpfen; with the “Sonus” ensemble in J.S. Bach's Motet Jesu, meine Freude, BWV 227; or even with Italian guitarist Francesca Naibo performing old melodies by composer John Dowland. With the pianist Meta Cerv, he prepared for his first Lieder recital at the “Rhonefestival für Liedkunst”, which took place in May 2018. In 2017, he could be heard in the role of Eraste in The Venetian Festivals of Campra, under the direction of Dorota Cybulska; as well as in those of Paul and Gremio in Kiss me, Kate by Cole Porter at the Théâtre du Galpon à Genève, under the direction of Nader Abassi. Other important stages in his career so far have been productions such as W.A. Mozart's Die Zauberflöte (Sarastro) and Der Wildschütz (Baculus), and Cabaret (Emcee), a recital at the Rhone Festival of Lied Art, the Jesus part in J.S. Bach's Matthäus-Passion BWV 244, the solo part in the W.A. Mozart's Requiem in Bern and Brig and in Igor Stravinsky's Threni at the Victoria Hall in Geneva. In addition, he was a founding member of the Ensemble Les Argonautes (Director: Jonas Descotte) and also performed in various cross-disciplinary music theater projects. In May 2023 he sang at the Brandenburg Theater in the contemporary opera Stillhang (Dr. Seif, Breetz-Becker, Schwarzmann) by Christian Spitzenstaetter. In September 2023, he sang the role of Death in Emperor of Atlantis by Viktor Ullmann at the Tojo Theater in Bern. He currently lives in Lives in Berlin, Germany. |
