Frauke Haasemann (Contralto)

Born: November 25, 1922 - Rendsburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Died: April 15, 1991 - Princeton, New Jersey, USA

The German contralto Frauke Haasemann studied music and particularly church music at the Evangelischen Kirchenmusikakademie (Evangelist Church Music Academy) in Herford (Westphalia), where she passed her examinations as a church musician. She had additional singing studies at the Folkwang College of Music Essen and at the College of Music Hanover.

In 1951 she began her career as an international concert and above all oratorio soloist, whereby she dedicated herself especially to the music of the Baroque period. She was the soloist of the Westfälischen Kantorei, with which she undertook extended tours in Europe, North America and Asia under the conductor Wilhelm Ehmann. Frauke Haasemann did not draw only as an oratorio and a Lieder singer, but was also considered as authority in the choir directing. Thus she prepared the Westminster Symphonic Choir for its appearances in New York and Philadelphia and co-operated with prominent conductors of her artistic generation.

She worked in Hannover as well as in the USA in various educational institutes. She published several works in this area, thus Handbuch der chorischen Stimmbildung (1984), Voice Building for Choirs (1981), Group Vocal Technique (1990).

Source: Großes Sängerlexikon, [Kutsch/Riemens] (c) Verlag K.G. Saur (München, 1997-2000), English translation by Aryeh Oron (April 2003)
Contributed by Thomas Braatz (March 2003); Manfred Krugmann (Dates, May 2011)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Wilhelm Ehmann

Alto

BWV 4, BWV 37, BWV 76, BWV 182
Some Bach-Schemelli Songs BWV 439-507

Gerd Reinfeldt

Alto

[CR-17] (1959, Radio recording): BWV 17

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