Born: Zürich, Switzerland

The Swiss soprano, Franziska Hirzel, studied at the Musikhochschule der Stadt Basel and the Internationales
Opernstudio Zürich. Her main teachers were Prof.Paul Lohmann, Cathy Berberian, and Kammersängerin Erna Westenberger.

Franziska Hirzel has concertized on many European stages as well as at the Salzburg Festival, Holland Festival, and Flanders Festival, Beethoven International Festival in Bonn, Prague Autumn Festival, Brno, Bratislava and Rheingau Music Festival. Her extensive concert and opera repertoire ranges from Rameau to contemporary composers. The soprano's co-operation as Eurydice with Pina Bausch in a production of Gluck's Orpheus und Eurydice took her to the Opèra Garnier in Paris and to the Teatro Carlo Fenice in Genova. The French first performance of Manfred Gurlitt's Wozzek, in which she played the part of Marie, was awarded the Grand Prix de la Critique. She also sang this role in the Italian fist production at the Teatro Regio in Turin.

Franziska Hirzel has performed on a number of CD productions, including a recording of Schoenberg's Moses und Aron with the Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam under Pierre Boulez, a release of Krenek's Karl V on the occasion of the 100^th anniversary of the composer's birth and in co-operation with the Beethoven International Festival in Bonn, and the latest one a recording of Benjamin Britten's Illuminations under Roman Kofman with the Kiev Chamber Orchestra. Her recording of Christus.by Franz Liszt got the German Music Prize "Echo Klassik 2007" for the best surround recording. She also got "Diapason d'or" for the recording of Zeus and Elida by Stefan Wolpe (Decca). She has also recorded works by Penderecki, Schreker, etc.

"Franziska Hirzel actually does a wonderful job with some very difficult music--and really makes us sit up and take notice when she floats that high B-flat in "Phrase", allowing it to trail downward in a lovely little glissando. It's beautiful, and her intensity and expressive range are truly first-class throughout..." Classics Today, David Vernier

Source: Bits & pieces from various websites; the Artist (September 2007)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (December 2006); Franziska Hirzel (September 2007)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Neithard Bethke

Soprano

BWV 244

Links to other Sites

Franziska Hirzel - Sopran (Official Website) [German/English]

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