Sjaella (eng)
Copyright Lara Müller The name Sjaella comes from a Scandinavian word meaning “soul”, and the young women who make up this group give voice to their soul by singing together. They have been fascinating audiences since 2005 with their crystal clear a capella singing, which cuts across eras and styles.
Sjaella offers music of the highest quality, with a long string of popular and critically acclaimed concerts behind them, as well as prizes in national and international competitions. These include1st Prize at Finland Tampereen Sävel Contest 2015 (Acoustic ensembles), 1st Prize at International A Cappella Contest Leipzig 2015, 1st Prize in the National A Capella Contest 2010 (Germany) and 1st Prize in the Classical category of the Ward Swingle Award at the vokal.total International A Capella Competition 2010 in Graz (Austria).
It was not long before they signed a recording contract, and their debut CD, “Sjaella”, was produced in 2011 on “querstand”. Further releases followed, such as “Preisung” (Praise) – a selection of contemporary sacred vocal music including dedicated pieces, which also came out on “querstand” (2014) and 2018 Meridiane NORD. This CDs have been nominated for the “Price Deutsche Schallplattenkritik“, and the Meridiane NORD won CARA 2019 as Best Folk/World Album and has been nominated for OPUS KLASSIK 2019.
Sjaella has a hugely varied repertoire, ranging from sacred music to pop arrangements, jazz standards and their own compositions, which they showcase at around 50 concerts a year in Germany and abroad. They have appeared at many classical music festivals (Rheingau Music Festival, Mosel Music Festival, Bachfest Leipzig e.g.) and they are making an increasing number of radio and television appearances. Despite the young age of the six singers who make up Sjaella, the group has become an established presence on the classical music scene. The ensemble has an impressive natural charm, along with a clear, even harmony that they have cultivated since childhood.
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 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: “Mit ‘nem Kuss vor der Haustür fing’s an – Konzerthaus Berlin 2021“
QUARTONAL (eng)
Copyright Missophie 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.
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”
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.
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”
Anna-Maria Hefele auf Youtube: “The Lady & The Cat – Bitte Erschieß Deine Gattin”
I Zefirelli (eng)
Copyright Bertrand Pichène Founded in Hamburg, the Ensemble I Zefirelli stands for a fresh breeze in the field of Early Music. With their experience in chamber and solo music, as well as in historical informed practice, I Zefirelli wishes to be a medium of intuitive and electrifying performances of baroque music. The ensemble is named after Zephyr, the God of the West Wind, also known as the herald of spring.
They performed at Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht, Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci, Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik and WDR3 Alte Musik and others.
For Mr. Handel in the Pub, an innovative program which brings the connection between baroque and folk music to life and which premiered in an English pub, the six musicians won a price of the Career Center at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg in 2017. The main musical focus lies on on the metropolis London and its musical life around 1700.
At the International H.I.F. Biber competition 2019 I Zefirelli won the price of the Westdeutscher Runkfunk (WDR) followed by a concert with broadcasting on WDR 3 Alte Musik. In 2021 they won the Bärenreiter Urtext-Preis at the international göttingen händel competition. For the final, they arranged the opera Berenice, Regina di Egitto just for the six members of the ensemble and completed the new work with compositions by themselves. In 2022 I Zefirelli was chosen to participate with EEEMERGING+, a program for ascending new ensembles in the field of early music, initiated by Creative Europe and the European Union.
The members of I Zefirelli compose, arrange and improvise a lot and with greatest pleasure: in 2020 they created a concert of improvisation at Nikolaisaal in Potsdam (free style) and composed two own cantatas in 2021.
Ensemble Polyharmonique (eng)
Copyright Christian Palm Ensemble Polyharmonique is a collective of singers from the versatile EARLY MUSIC scene of Europe. The vocal music of the Renaissance and the Baroque era form the core repertoire of the ensemble. Taking historical performance practice into account, the ensemble combines ideas from German and Franco-Flemish vocal culture to lively poetic interpretations. The basic ensemble includes 6 vocal soloists a cappella or accompanied by the basso continuo and can vary depending on the programme (4-13 singers).
Invitations to festivals all over Europe speak for the international appreciation of Ensemble Polyharmonique. These include the Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht, the Bachfest Leipzig, Meer Stemmig Gent, Musica Divina Mechelen, Les Nuits de Septembre Liège, the Trigonale Klagenfurt, the Thüringer Bachwochen, the Händelfestspiele Halle, the Tage der Alten Musik Regensburg, the Heinrich Schütz Musikfest, the Köthener Bachfesttage and many more.
For the repertoire with instrumental accompaniment, such as the oratorios, masses and cantatas by J.S.Bach, Dieterich Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu nostri, Claudio Monteverdi’s Marian Vespers or the Messiah by G.F.Händel, renowned baroque orchestras could be won as partners, among them the {oh!} Orkiestra Historyczna from Katowice, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, the Wrocław Baroque Orchestra, L’arpa festante, Arte dei Suonatori and the La Folia Baroque Orchestra.
In addition to the well-known repertoire of EARLY MUSIC, the Ensemble Polyharmonique is dedicated to discovering unknown works of the 17th and 18th centuries.
So far, the CDs “Musicalische Seelenlust” with music by Thomaskantor Tobias Michael (1592-1657) were released in 2015, and “Cavalli-Requiem” with works by Francesco Cavalli (1602-1676) and Alessandro Grandi (1577-1630) in 2016 (both on Raumklang Records).
In 2017, the world premiere recording of the “Chor-Music auff Madrigalmanier” by Andreas Hammerschmidt (1611-1675) was released, and in 2019 the full-length oratorio-like St Mark Passion in Italian by Johann Georg Künstel (c1645-1694).
In October 2020, the recording of the “Geistliche Chor-Music 1648” by Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672) was released, which was awarded a Diapason d’Or.
The “HISTORIA NATIVITATIS – a Christmas Oratorio after Heinrich Schütz – SWV 435″ (1585-1672), as well as the “Twelve Madrigal Consolation Songs” by Wolfgang Carl Briegel (1626-1712) were released in 2021/22 on the cpo label.
The CD “Dresden Vespers” with the Wrocław Baroque Orchestra was released in February 2022 on the Accent label. The Vespers Psalms by Johann David Heinichen (1683-1729) were received with great positive response by the international press.
In October 2022, the CD “Ad Vesperas” with first recordings of sacred vocal works by Lambert de Sayve (1549-1614) will be released on the Belgian label Musique en Wallonie. From November 2022, another sounding treasure, “Bach Family”, will be available on the cpo label.Ensemble Polyharmonique auf Youtube: “Andreas Hammerschmidt – ‘Ach Jesus stirbt'”
