Birgit Remmert German mezzo-soprano Country: Germany

1. Biography of Birgit Remmert
2. Professional Career:

Biography of Birgit Remmert

Birgit Remmert is a German opera and concert singer, specializing in the mezzo-soprano vocal range. She was born in 1966 in Braunschweig, Germany, and began studying vocal performance at a local music school. She continued her education at the Detmold Conservatory under the guidance of Professor Helmut Kretschmar. During her studies, Remmert won several awards at prestigious music competitions, including the 'Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik'.

Professional Career:

Remmert made her professional debut in an unconventional production of Heinrich von Biber's 'Requiem' under the direction of Nikolaus Harnoncourt. She also performed Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with Harnoncourt in London and at the Styrarte Festival in Graz, later releasing a recording of the performance on CD. In 1989, she portrayed the lead role in Othmar Schoeck's 'Penthesilea' at the Montpellier Festival.

In her first solo concert, Remmert showcased her wide range of musical interests and skillful programming, including songs by Johannes Brahms, Clara Schumann, and Pyotr Tchaikovsky. This concert led to invitations to perform in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, and Poland.

From 1992 onwards, Remmert became a soloist at the Zurich Opera House, where she performed roles such as Third Lady in 'The Magic Flute,' Suzuki in 'Madama Butterfly,' Mistress Quickly in 'Falstaff,' Zita in 'Gianni Schicchi,' and Ulrica in 'Un ballo in maschera' – the latter becoming one of her signature roles. She made her debut at the Hamburg State Opera in 1993 as Erda in Wagner's 'Siegfried' and went on to sing leading roles at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and various theaters in Dresden.

Remmert expanded her repertoire to include 'Das Rheingold' the following year. She has performed at the Salzburg Festival, taking on roles such as Nutrice in 'L'Incoronazione di Poppea,' the Old Princess in 'Suor Angelica,' and La Perichole in Offenbach's opera. She also participated in Handel's oratorio 'Jephtha' and the production of 'King Arthur' in 2004.

Throughout her career, Remmert has given numerous solo concerts in Europe and beyond, performing in cities such as Vienna, Berlin, New York City, Sapporo, Tokyo, Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Milan, Lisbon, Madrid, Monte Carlo, Brussels, Pittsburgh, Rome, Cleveland, and Washington. She frequently collaborates with renowned orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra. Remmert has worked with esteemed conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Gary Bertini, Semyon Bychkov, Riccardo Chailly, Bernard Haitink, and Kent Nagano.

In the summer of 2002, Remmert toured Europe with the European Union Youth Orchestra.