Sjaella (eng)
Copyright Lara Müller In 2005, a journey of discovery began that has since taken the artists all over the world. Sjaella has been firmly established on the universal vocal music scene for years, performing at renowned festivals – Early Music Festival Utrecht, Rheingau Musik Festival, Ruhrfestspiele, Mosel Musikfestival, Beethovenfest Bonn, Schleswig Holstein Musikfestival, Festival of Voices Tasmania, Musikfest ION – and has been awarded first prizes in numerous competitions, such as the 2015 Tampereen Sävel festival in Finland.
Concert tours have taken the ensemble to renowned concert halls such as Mozarteum Salzburg, Vienna Musikverein, Konzerthaus Vienna, Palace of Arts Budapest and Flagey Brussels as well as to Great Britain, Luxembourg, Finland, Norway, the Czech Republic, Poland, Azerbaijan, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, Jordan, Mexico, the USA, the Netherlands, Belgium, South Africa and Australia. Sjaella’s repertoire gains its versatility from a vocal line-up that is underrepresented in the music world. They combine new works with early music, devote themselves to folk tunes from various cultures and are also drawn to jazz. The album “Preisung” as well as “Meridiane NORD” and “Origins” were nominated for the German Record Critics’ Award and “Meridiane NORD” received the CARA Award for Best Folk/World Album in the USA. The album “Origins”, released on the Outhere Music label, was highly praised by the French newspaper Le Monde.
In the 2023/24 season, Sjaella was an integral part of the ballet production “Giselle” at the Leipzig Opera and worked closely with the Gewandhaus Orchestra.
In 2025, Sjaella spent four weeks in New York City, where the chamber opera “Primero sueño” was performed several times at the MET Museum. As part of the 2025 Australian tour, Sjaella gave a total of 11 concerts, two of them at the Sydney Opera House.
QUARTONAL (eng)
Copyright Simon Redel Quartonal began its roots in Northern Germany in the Uetersen Boy’s Choir and is currently one of the most sought-after vocal ensembles in Germany. The four young singers, Mirko Ludwig (Tenor), Jo Holzwarth (Tenor), Christoph Behm (Baritone) and Sönke Tams Freier (Bass), charm their audiences with their vast repertoire, attention to the smallest musical detail and refreshing witticism. Their trademark is their acutely harmonious sound that transcends every musical genre.
Shortly after the formation of the ensemble in 2006, Quartonal won first place at the German National Choir Competition (Dortmund) in the Vocal Ensemble category. Since then they have won multiple prizes in various international competitions.
The ensemble continues to perform throughout Europe, as well as Taiwan and China. The four singers are frequently invited to perform at festivals such as the Schleswig- Holstein Musik Festival, Musikfest Stuttgart, Rheingau Musik Festival and MDR Musiksommer.
The repertoire of the ensemble covers a large part of the spectrum of the international a cappella literature: Renaissance Madrigales, sacred and secular men’s choral works of the romantic period to contemporary compositions, international folk songs, while specializing in German and low German folk songs. In addition, they pride themselves with performing new compositions and arrangements. Quartonal collaborates with international renowned composers and arrangers. They have also received artistic direction from the King’s Singers.
In 2013 Quartonal debuted their album Another Way with Sony Classical. The album incorporates music by English composers of the 20th and 21st century.
Everytime, Quartonal’s second album with Sony Classical (2017), presents a collection of international pop and folksongs.
Quartonal also gives workshops around the world for choirs, vocal ensembles and conductors.
calens vocalensemble (eng)
Copyright Katharina Gebauer calens
[lat., verb, nominative singular PPA: “passionately burning”]With dedication, precision, and profound expressiveness, the calens vocalensemble devotes itself to the entire spectrum of classical vocal music. Founded in the spring of 2022, the ensemble brings together eight experienced ensemble and choir singers who regularly perform in renowned choirs such as the figure humaine kammerchor, the Kammerchor Stuttgart, and the Bundesjugendchor. The ensemble received formative musical inspiration through workshops with VOCES8, The Gesualdo Six, Stephen Connolly, and through its collaboration with Salome Tendies.
In 2024, the calens vocalensemble was awarded first place and the audience prize at the 14th International A Cappella Competition in Leipzig. The ensemble also received the special prize from the SommerMusikAkademie Schloss Hundisburg for the best unamplified ensemble. For the 2024/2025 season, calens is a scholarship holder of the #MusikerZukunft support program of the German Orchestra Foundation.
calens’ repertoire includes works from the Renaissance to contemporary music, as well as its own compositions and arrangements. The ensemble is committed to addressing fundamental human questions and themes that have always been of concern: love, faith, doubt, hope.
calens’ repertoire includes works from the Renaissance to contemporary music, as well as its own compositions and arrangements. The ensemble is committed to addressing fundamental human questions and themes that have always been of concern: love, faith, doubt, hope.
In 2025, the ensemble participated in the concert performance of the opera Amor vincitore with Il Gusto Barocco under the direction of Jörg Halubek.
In 2025, the ensemble’s prize winners’ concert took place as part of the International Festival for A Cappella Vocal Music in Leipzig. calens also sang at the DAVOS Festival in Switzerland.
The musical direction of the ensemble is the responsibility of Frederic Mattes and Franziska Bubeck.
Sky du Mont (eng)
Copyright Sky du Mont Sky du Mont’s family, who are related to the famous publishers DuMont Schauberg, fled the Nazis in the 1930s to South America. He was born in Argentina as the son of a German and the British Chiquita Neven du Mont (1921–2018). He grew up in England, but came to Germany in 1969, where he studied acting between 1969 and 1972 in Munich.
In Germany, he is well known for playing suave and urbane, sometimes villainous or shady upper class characters since the 1970s. He appeared in three of the commercially most successful German film comedies of all time: In Otto – Der Film (1985), in the Western comedy Der Schuh des Manitu (2001) and in Traumschiff Surprise – Periode 1 (2003).
In international cinema, Sky du Mont portrayed the Hungarian businessman Sandor Szavost in Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut (1999) and played one of the Nazi killers in The Boys from Brazil (1978). Other international roles include Count Galeazzo Ciano in the US-miniseries The Winds of War (1983), Claus von Stauffenberg in the sequel War and Remembrance (1989), and a recurring role in the soap opera General Hospital in the 1980s. Du Mont also made an uncredited appearance in Das Boot as the officer aboard the resupply ship Weser to whom the U-96 Second Watch Officer demonstrates Depth-Charging. While he only appears in the background in the theatrical and director’s cut, his full appearance is featured in the uncut mini-series.
Du Mont also serves as the German narrator of the children series Thomas & Friends. He is also known for his voiceover work for commercials.
Mirror Strings (eng)
Copyright Marie Hübner We are the sound of constant change feat. two guitars and two cellos.
Two guitars merge with two cellos and create a yet unheard-of diversity of colours and sound.. This line-up is unique, and with it also the repertoire. MIRROR STRINGS is always searching for outstanding pieces – due to their own arrangements which the musicians write to precisely match their requirements, the music resounds in a refreshing and energetic way. This new ensemble has the big opportunity to create a new language and a unique musical experience, released from old patterns and conventions.
Mirror Strings auf Youtube: “A New Sound” [Edvard Grieg: Holberg Suite, Op. 40]
Mirror Strings auf Youtube: “Quartett 7” by Tilman Hübner | Open Strings Berlin
Amita Vokalensemble (eng)
Copyright Ronja-Marei Kluge Amita [Sanskrit] stands for “everlasting spirit”. Inspired by this meaning, the four singers from Lübeck and Leipzig share their enduring joy of singing. In their current concert program “What Really Matters,” they address topics that move them personally and take the audience on a journey through the big and small questions of life.
Singing unites music and language, and it is precisely this connection that Amelie Saalbach (Soprano 1), Kristjana Dreier (Soprano 2), Leah Klussmann (Alto 1) and Mascha Zippel (Alto 2) use to bring stories and music to life in a special way.
With their concept-driven programs, Amita blends different musical styles: Scandinavian folk songs, French chanson, well-known pop songs, melodic jazz, and they frequently return to their classical roots.
They drew particular inspiration from the internationally renowned vocal ensemble The King’s Singers, with whom they participated in masterclasses in 2022 and 2024 as part of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. In 2025 they returned to SHMF and performed two sold-out concerts there. At the Potsdam Sanssouci Music Festival, they delighted audiences in 2025 with the popular bicycle concerts at Schloss Caputh.
The singers received further artistic impulses from jury feedback at the international a cappella competition in Leipzig, where they were awarded the 3rd jury prize in 2025.
With musical versatility, artistic depth, and palpable ensemble cohesion, Amita creates moving concert experiences – öand looks forward with anticipation to upcoming concerts and new musical encounters.
“The quartet takes a close-harmony round trip through the small and large things in life in their program, with pure, lean voices and a lot of warmth. The ensemble is characterized by the courage to pause, piano, and personality, delivering a consistently enchanting contribution. […] A terrific performance by clearly close friends.” (Falk Mittenentzwei, A Cappella Festival Leipzig Review)
Anna-Maria Hefele (eng)
Copyright Ellen Schmauss Photography Anna-Maria Hefele – holding a master of arts (MA) from Mozarteum Salzburg – is a multiinstrumentalist, singer and overtone singer; performing worldwide as soloist with different ensembles, choirs and orchestras. She is also frequently integrated in contemporary ballett, circus and dance theatre productions.In order to expand the musical repertoire involving overtone singing, Anna-Maria collaborates with contemporary composers who are writing for this particular vocal technique where it seems like one person is singing two notes at the same time by filtering and amplifying the natural harmonics in the human voice.Her YouTube video „polyphonic overtone singing“ became viral and has resulted in more than 19million views so far, followed by regular appearances of Anna-Maria in various international television shows and radio broadcasts. „A voice as from another world“, „the lady with the two voices“, „polyphonic vocalist does the impossible“ – these and other headlines have spread across the world.
Anna-Maria Hefele auf Youtube: “Andesana | polyphonic overtone singing”
Anna-Maria Hefele auf Youtube: “The Lady & The Cat – Bitte Erschieß Deine Gattin”
Harmonic Brass (eng)
Copyright Tobias Epp Harmonic Brass was founded in 1991. In 1997 the musicians, who have all studied music at university and have had jobs in different professional German orchestras, decided to dedicate their time, exclusively, to the Harmonic Brass Quintet.
Their repertoire includes classical masterpieces, also well as their own arrangements, compositions and modern music from around the world. The ensemble performs brass music from different styles and eras. Harmonic Brass concerts are accompanied by charming and humorous announcements in between the music by Andreas Binder. He is the french horn player of the group and a most wonderful host. Harmonic Brass takes the audience by the hand and leads them away from their daily sorrows and routines into a world of music and joy.
This outstanding brass ensemble has been setting benchmarks, in terms of powerful yet elegant sound and an extraordinary choice of music, for more than 20 years.
During their career they have been touring all over Europe, Japan, South Korea, the USA, South-America, the Middle-East and the Far-East, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. They have created the musical framework for various events for well known companies such as Siemens, Deutsche Bank, Mercedes Benz and Volkswagen. Harmonic Brass have also recorded 38 different CDs.
With their publishing house & label, BRASS WORKS MUNICH, they offer arrangements and compositions for brass ensembles in different settings (www.brass-works-munich.de). In addition to their concerts, they are well requested as teachers for workshops and clinics all around the globe.
Harmonic Brass auf Youtube: „Rondo Alla Turca” (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Arr. for Brass Quintet)
German Gents (eng)
Copyright Johannes Jost German Gents is an a cappella ensemble from Berlin. They were founded in the year 2018 by students of Universität der Künste and Staats- und Domchor Berlin. The group consists of the two tenors Thoma Jaron-Wutz and Armin Horn, the baritone Raphael Riebesell and the bass Marcel Raschke.
The quartet performs sacred and secular pieces from the Romantic period as well as German Folk songs, modern pieces, Barbershop Quartet Music and self-arranged classics and spirituals from the last centuries.In 2019 they participated at the International a cappella Contest Leipzig and won the first price. Since then, the ensemble sung at the festival Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and in multiple other places, including Hannover and Berlin. They are invited to sing several concerts across Germany, for example at classic-festivals such as Rheingau Musik Festival, Musica Bayreuth as well as Bachfest Leipzig.
From the very beginning all members shared an affection to classical music and enjoy singing together.
Hörbeispiele auf german-gents.de
German Gents auf Youtube: “German Gents – L.O.V.E. – Official Music Video“
