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The German soprano and voice teacher, Birgit Wegemann, studied classical singing at the Folkwang-Hochschule Essen (1988-1993) and at The Royal Flemish Music Conservatory in Antwerpen (1993-1995). She also took master-classes with Professor Sylvia Geszty (1989) in Hürth, Professor Klesie Kelly-Moog in Cervo, Italy (2001), Professor Hilde Kronstein-Uhrmacher in Bückeburg (1997). At the Händel-Akademie Karlsruhe she took classes in Baroque Singing with Luis Devos (1992-1994).
After her studies in Essen and Antwerpen, Birgit Wegemann sang in various productions, such as with the Atelier Theatral de Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, and at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam. A short stay at the Amato-Opera in New York gave her new impulses. Performances at Kölner Philharmonie, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, and in various broadcasted events brought her singing to a wider audience.
Building upon her solid formation and continuous public performances as classical singer, Birgit Wegemann has devoted the last years of her professional activities to alternative ways of performing music of the Baroque, Classical and Romantic Age. The first opportunities to do so came up when she worked with the directors of experimental theaters Kampnagel in Hamburg and Theater der Klänge in Düsseldorf. Both houses brought Classical Singing, Modern Dance, visual components and computer generated sounds to surprising new combinations.
Birgit Wegemanns first own crossover project, combining Baroque Singing and Modern Dance was the Ballo delle Ingrate, performed together with Mexican dancer Florencia Sandoval Flores. Performances in Düsseldorf, in Essen and celebrating the International Museum Day in Lehmbruck-Museum, Duisburg, led to an enthusiastic reaction.
Since 1999, Birgit Wegemann has devoted herself also to a special segment of the Opera universe. She began singing roles from the Opéra Comique and from Operettas. She became familiar with this genre at Düsseldorfer Operette, led by Friedhelm Rosendorff. At this house she sang the role of Evelyne in Maske in Blau by Fred Raymond and the Annina from A Night in Venice by Johann Strauß.
Performing in Portugal since 2003, she had her first public appearence with Orquestra do Norte led by maestro Ferreira Lobo, - in a concert during the Deutsche Woche in Porto. Further concerts were to follow in Faro, Alcantarilha, Tavira and Caldas de Monchique. She performed with maestro Richard Brunner the Exultate jubilate by W.A. Mozart in Porto. Among her pupils and/or singers who have attended her master-classes: Francisco Brazão (Bass-Baritone).
In 2003, Birgit Wegemann started her crossover project "Melancholia" - a programme bringing together music, poetry and philosophy from composers and writers of Renaissance, Baroque, Romantic and contemporary sources. In the next years followed a series of concert projects - so as "Viva Opereta" and "Brecht Songbook". Performances in Lisbon and Coimbra brought her magnificent voice to a wider audience all over Portugal. One of her projects is the a tribute to W.A. Mozart, which is called "Bravo Mozart", together with the Baritone Armando Possante. Most recently, she has performed with the Orquestra das Beiras and the Orquestra do Algarve. She has performed in concerts in Germany, Italy, Israel, Estonia, Belgium, The Netherlands, Spain and Portugal. |
