|
The German conductor, harpsichordist, organist and music teacher, Johanna Soller, received her first organ lessons from Ludwig Ruckdeschel and then studied choral conducting, church music, historical performance practice, organ and harpsichord at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München with Michael Gläser, Christine Schornsheim, Edgar Krapp and Bernhard Haas. She graduated with honors and also completed courses with Jörg-Peter Weigle, Georg Grün and Kristin von der Goltz. She expanded her training by attending master-classes with Philippe Herreweghe (Collegium Vocale Gent), Hans-Christoph Rademann (Gaechinger Cantorey), Frieder Bernius (Kammerchor Stuttgart) , Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Pierre Hantaï and Menno van Delft. She was the recipient of the Deutschen Musikwettbewerbs, Dirigentenforums and Yehudi Menuhin Live Music Now as well as prize-winner at international competitions, including 2006: First prize at the national youth music competition (2006); Winner of the international music competition “Prague Spring” (2013); Bavarian Art Prize in the "Music and Dance" category (2020).
Johanna Soller is one of the most promising young artists of early music. She has worked as a harpsichordist with the Freiburger Barockorchester, Hofkapelle München, Bach Collegium Munich and Münchener Bach-Orchester. Since 2016 she is an organist at the Munich Church of St. Peter and gives concerts at organ concert series including in Passau Cathedral, Riga Cathedral, Fulda Cathedral and Paderborn Cathedral.
As a conductor, Johanna Soller directed various productions, including the MDR Rundfunkchor Leipzig, the opera choir of the Händel-Festspiele Göttingen and the MDR Sinfonieorchester. In 2014 she took over the assistance of the Münchener Bach-Chor and in 2018 worked as an assistant to Laurence Cummings. Engagements have led her also to the Nederlandse Bachvereniging, Thüringer Bachwochen, and Theater an der Wien.
Since 2019 she has been musical director of the Kammeroper München and has conducted various productions there, including The Secret Marriage by Domenico Cimarosa, The Ghost of Canterville based on Oscar Wilde (with music by George Gershwin , Henry Purcell and John Dowland) and the Petite Mass Solenelle by Giachino Rossini.
Johanna Soller founded in 2013 the ensemble Vocalconsort München, of which she is Artistic Director and whose musical focus is particularly on the music of the 17th and 18th centuries. The repertoire includes works by J.S. Bach (Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV 248, Matthäus-Passion BWV 244), Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms, Heinrich Schütz, Francis Poulenc and Arvo Pärt. She is also Artistic Director of the Musikfestivals Bündner Barock, which has been taking place in Guarda since 2018. In 2019, she founded the Baroque ensemble Capella Sollertia with which she performs the monthly concert series "Cantate um 1715" at Nebenkirche St. Stephan in Munich.
As a lecturer, Johanna Soller has been teaching figured bass and score playing at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München since 2016. In 2000, she was awarded the Bayerischen Kunstförderpreis. The jury praised above all "her stylistic range and her very own combination of emotionality, concentrated energy and intelligent listening to the score". |
|
Sources:
Second Wiki Website (November 2020)
Johanna Soller Website
Photos 01-02, 04, 16, 18, 25, 29, 32, 35: Jakob Schad; Photos 12, 14, 15: Kersten Wehman
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (August 2021) |
