Markus Schaefer

About Markus Schaefer

Markus Schäfer studied church music and singing in Karlsruhe and in Düsseldorf with Armand McLane. Following further studies in the opera studio in Zurich, he made his debut there and began his first engagement. There followed periods as a member of the ensemble at the Hamburg State Opera and at the German Opera on the Rhine in Düsseldorf. Guest appearances and concert tours have led to performances with many of the leading orchestras, opera houses, and festivals. As a lyric tenor, he has acquired an impressive reputation performing roles in Mozart’s operas, as the Evangelist in the Passions by J. S. Bach, and in the great oratorios of the 19th century.

He has worked with conductors such as René Jacobs, Sigiswald Kuijken, Frans Brüggen, Fabio Luisi, Paul McCreesh, and Philippe Herreweghe. As a song interpreter, Markus Schäfer has enjoyed great success in New York (Lincoln Center), in Vienna, at the Schubert Festivals in Feldkirch and in Schwarzenberg, at Wigmore Hall in London, and the Heidelberg Spring Festival.

His CD recordings have received many prizes (including a Grammy for Harnoncourt’s St. Matthew Passion), and radio productions document the broad spectrum of his repertoire, which in addition to Baroque, Classic and Romantic works, includes premiere performances of works by contemporary composers (particularly Wolfgang Rihm and Wilhelm Killmayer). Since 2008, Markus Schäfer has been a voice professor at the Hochschule for Music, Dance, and Media in Hanover.

www.tenor-markus-schaefer.de