Juliane Berg (Mezzo-soprano, Contralto)

Born: Dortmund, Germany

The German mezzo-soprano and contralto, Juliane Berg, has been singing since her sixth year of life. Already in the children's choir, she took solo tasks (Paul Hindemith: Wir bauen uns eine neue Stadt, Benjamin Britten: The little chimney sweep). She began her studies at the University of Freiburg with the subjects of Slavic, German and English; In 1987, at the Musikhochschule in Freiburg and studied singing with Professor Brigitte Münz. In 1995 she completed her postgraduate studies for soloist diploma at the Konservatorium Bern with Elisabeth Glauser, Switzerland "with distinction". She also attended master-classes with Brigitte Fassbaender and Anna Reynolds, among others, the latter at the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart under the direction of Helmuth Rilling. In 1994 she was a scholarship holder of the Richard Wagner Association. In 1996 she won the Euregio Singing Competition. First radio and CD recordings followed in 1996-2000.

Already during her studies, Juliane Berg took over teaching tasks: she directed children's choirs, was a lecturer in children's choir courses at the Federal Academies in Wolfenbuettel and Trossingen and directed seminars for children at the University of Koblenz-Landau and the University of Siegen. From 1992 to 2002, she was a teacher for voice and singing at the University of Münster / Westphalia. Since 2003 she teaches at the University of Siegen. In 2002 and 2003, supported by the DAAD, she was a guest lecturer in master-classes for Lieder and Oratorio singing at the Instituto de Música of the Pontificia Universidad Católica in Santiago, Chile.

Juliane Berg's extensive repertoire, which covers both alto and mezzo-soprano parts in masses, oratorios, operas and Lieder programs (including modern works and rarities), brought her concert engagements and festival participation in Germany and abroad, including Netherlands, Poland, France and Switzerland to Japan and South America. She has appeared at festivals as Opernfestspiele Bad Hersfeld (1999), Festival "Scuntrada" in Pontresina, Switzerland (soloist singer in summer 2000), Europäisches Klassik-Festival Ruhr, Semanas Musicales Frutillar, Chile, and Silesia Festival / Poland. She has taken part in concerts conducted by Hans-Michael Beuerle (Freiburger Bachchor), P. Schumann (Heidelberger Kantorei), U. Haspel (Universitätschor Münster); Ch. Schoener (St. Michael Hamburg), K. Reiners (Birnauer Kantorei), U. Weissert (Alpirsbacher Klosterkonzerte), F. Fröschle (Oratorienchor Ulm), M. Faig (Bachchor Koblenz), S. Heinrichs (Festspiele Bad Hersfeld), Michael Kobelt and Howard Griffith, Zürich.

Source: Juliane Berg Website & Kemmerkonzerte Lüttinghof Website (2001), English translation by Aryeh Oron (April 2009)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (April 2009)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Johannes Hömberg

Alto

BWV 245

Links to other Sites

Juliane Berg - Mezzosopran / Alt (Official Website) [German]

Kemmerkonzerte Lüttinghof: Juliane Berg (Mezzosopran/Alt) [German]