Regina Jakobi (Mezzo-soprano)

Born: Mannheim, Germany

The German mezzo-soprano, Regina Jakobi, studied first school music at the Musikhochschule of Mannheim, and continue to study musicology at the University of Heidelberg and the Freien Universität (Free University) of Berlin with Welf-Eckart Wiencke and Herbert Brauer. Then followed singing studies with Professor Elsa Cavelti and diploma at the Opernstudio Basel, as well as master-classes with Laura Sarti (London) and Daniel Ferro (Juilliard School, New York).

Upon completing her education Regina Jakobi was hired by theatres in Biel, Basel and Montpellier. She has made concert appearances at the Berlin Bach Days, the Bach Festival of Madeira, the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music and the Basel Music Forum, among others. She taught singing at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis from 1984 to 1992. During this time she often co-operated with René Jacobs, who gave her the opportunity to participate in several baroque operas, in which she sang rarely performed parts (Theater Montpellier, Basel, Innsbruck).

In 1991 Regina Jakobi won the first prize at the international singing competition of Swiss' Lyceums and received invitations for concerts and Lieder recitals in Switzerland, in Germany and all over Europe (with the conductors: Armin Jordan, René Jacobs, Jürg Henneberger, Laurent Wagner, Mario Venzago). The Basler Theater engaged her for productions of Renate Ackermann and Jossi Wieler; at the Opernhaus Zürich she sang in "Invocation" under Beat Furrer in a production of Christoph Marthaler.

Regina Jakobi's concert repertoire covers works from the Renaissance to contemporary compositions. She has taken part in the major oratorios by Bach, Mozart, Bruckner, Frank Martin and Cherubini. Numerous broadcast productions and live-concerts with various European-broadcasting corporations document her versatility.

A much-acclaimed programme with Schiller-Vertonungen of Reichardt and Zumsteeg with Ulrich Eisenlohr at the Hammerflügel was awarded with the "Audiophile Reference, best of 1998". For the new Deutsche Schubert-Lied-Edition on Naxos she recorded Schiller-Lieder by Franz Schubert. At the Swiss Expo 02, accompanied by James Alexander, she gave a Lieder recital in the context of "Libretto". In October 2004 she sang the role of Mutter in Shih's Vatermord at the Berliner Kammeroper.

Source: Liner notes to the CD ‘J.S. Bach: Messe in h~moll’ conducted by Jörg Straube (Thorofon, 1990); The Artist (February 2005), English translation by Aryeh Oron (February 2005)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (April 2002), Regina Jakobi (February 2005)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Christian Grube

Alto

BWV 106

Jörg Straube

Soprano

BWV 232

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