Elisabeth Graf (Contralto)

Born: Singen, (Southern) Germany

The German contralto, Elisabeth Graf, began her singing training at the Musikhochschule of Freiburg (main subjects singing as well as choral conducting), where she was pupil of Beate Heuer-Christen, and she continued with Arleen Augér in Frankfurt a.M. During her studies she performed regularly with Helmut Rilling in his Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart.

Already during her training period, Elisabeth Graf appeared as a concert singer, first in church concerts, and since 1990 as a free-lanced singer, soloist in oratorios and sacred vocal works in the centres of the German music life. Having passed her final degree, she accepted a contract with the Cologne Radio Choir where she sang also very often as a soloist. During these years she was successful in expanding both her field of concert activity and her very broad repertoire repertoire - from the Baroque era: Monteverdi and Heinrich Schütz, J.S. Bach and George Frideric Handel, through classical era: Haydn and Mozart to the 19^th century: L.v. Beethoven's Missa solemnis, Felix Mendelssohn's Elijah, Johannes Brahms's Alto Rhapsody, Dvorak's Stabat mater and Requiem, Bruckner's Te Deum, the Symphonies of Gustav Mahler, Edward Elgar's Dream of Gerontius, and to contemporary music.

Meanwhile, Elisabeth Graf is performing in most main concert halls in Germany, but also appearing in concerts and festivals in European music capitals (e. g. Switzerland, France, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Portugal) and other continents (South America, Israel, Canada, Japan and the USA), with Early Music Groups as well as Symphony Orchestras and renowned conductors as Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos (under him L.v. Beethoven’s 9^th Symphony), Vladimir Spivakov, Marcello Viotti, Hans Drewanz, Michel Corboz, Helmut Rilling, Christoph Schoener, Bruno Weil, among others. In addition, she has given numerous Lieder recitals with piano or organ.

Since 1999 Elisabeth Graf has taught at the "Hochschule für Musik und Theater" in Hanover/Germany.

Recordings: Calig-Verlag (Motets of Heinrich Schütz), Canterino (Messe As-Dur by Traugott Maximilian Eberwein, Cantata Exultemus Gaudeamus by Philipp Heinrich Erlebach), Thorofon (Mass by Jan Dismas Zelenka, Lied von der Glocke by Max Bruch). She has also appeared in numerous European radio and television broadcasts.

Source: Operissimo Website, English translation by Aryeh Oron (July 2001); Elisabeth Graf Website
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (July 2001, March 2009)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Christophe Gesseney

Alto

BWV 248

Werner Hümmeke

Alto

BWV 248

Wolfgang Kläsener

Alto

BWV 244, BWV 245 [1^st]

Frank Löhr

Alto

BWV 232

Erik Matz

Alto

BWV 236, BWV 243

Gerd-Peter Münden

Alto

BWV 244 [Selection]

Helmuth Rilling

Alto

BWV 29, BWV 195

Carsten Zündorf

Alto

BWV 248/1, 2, 5 & 6

Links to other Sites

Elisabeth Graf - Contralto (Official Website) [German/English/French]