Claude Eichenberger (Mezzo-soprano)

Born: Switzerland

The Swiss mezzo-soprano, Claude Eichenberger, grew up in the cantons of Schaffhausen and Thurgau. After a teacher training and short professional activity, she entered the singing class of Professor Elisabeth Glauser at the HMT Bern, receiving her diploma in summer 2000. After a year of postgraduate courses in the program "Opera" at the HMT Zürich (Directors: Professor Martin Markun and Professor Peter Rasky), she attended the soloist class of Professor Elisabeth Glauser. She received soloist diploma with distinction and the Eduard-Tschumi-Preis in summer 2003. She also studied singing with Francisco Araiza, Brigitte Balleys and Carlos Chausson.

Claude Eichenberger continued as a duo with pianist Eva-Rubin Aroutiounian in Lieder form in the class of Irwin Gage and Esther de Bros at the HMT Zürich. She has acquired important vocal and artistic inspiration through collaboration with Brigitte Balleys (Switzerland), Joyce Maclean (USA), Klesie Kelly (Germany), Professor Jakob Stämpfli (Switzerland) and the conductors Olivier Cuendet, Anna Jelmorini, Rudolf Lutz, John Schläfli and Kaspar Zehnder. Claude Eichenberger is scholarship holder of the Friedl Wald-Stiftung and the Kiefer-Hablitzel-Stiftung; recipient of Schaffensbeitrages des Aargauer Kuratoriums. She won the first prize of Elvira-Lüthi-Wegmann competition in 2001 and the Kiefer-Hablitzel competition in 2002.

Claude Eichenberger has worked as freelance in the fields of Lieder (Yehudi Menuhin Festival Gstaad in summer 2003), oratorio (George Frideric Handel's Messiah, Israel in Egypt, La Risurrezione, J.S. Bach's Johannes-Passion (BWV 245), Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244), Mass in B Minor (BWV 232) and Weihnachts-Oratorium (BWV 248), Dvorak's Stabat Mater and Requiem, etc.) and opera (Penelope in Monteverdi's Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria at the Festival für alte Musik in Zürich 2002, Jocasta in Igor Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex at the Biennale Bern in autumn 2003, Mercedes in Georges Bizet's Carmen at the Opera Festival Avenches 2004).

In 2004-2006 Claude Eichenberger was a member of the International Opera Studio in Zürich, performing her first roles at the games at the Opernhaus Zürich, including Hansel in Hänsel und Gretel and Der Rosenkavalier. Other operatic roles were Mercédès in Carmen, Fenena in Nabucco, Jocaste in Oedipus Rex and Suzuki in Madama Butterfly. In 2006-2007 she sang Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin. Since the 2006-200 season she an ensemble member at the Stadttheater Bern, with roles including Prince in Cendrillon, Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Muse in Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier, and roles in Falstaff, Die Fledermaus and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Source: Stadttheater Bern Website & Chor Ispach Website, English translation by Aryeh Oron (October 2009)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (October 2009)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Rudolf Lutz

Alto

DVD: BWV 35, BWV 36, BWV 60, BWV 129, BWV 137, BWV 169, BWV 182

Links to other Sites

Stadttheater Bern: Claude Eichenberger - Mezzosopran [German]

Chor Ispach: Solisten [German]