Oliver Widmer (Bass-Baritone)

Born: 1965 - Zürich, Switzerland

The Swiss baritone, Oliver Widmer, began his music studies at the Music Academy inn Basle with his father, Kurt Widmer, with whom he still works (2000). While continuing his studies in Basle he took part in Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau master class in Berlin from 1986 to 1989.

Oliver Widmer has been awarded prizes for the ARD Competition in Munich, the International Hugo Wolf Competition in Stuttgart and the Othmar Schoek Competition in Lucerne. As a result of winning those prizes he was invited at an early stage to participate in the Salzburg Festival and the Strasbourg Music Festival and he took part in concerts at the Musikverein in Vienna, at the San Francisco Symphony Hall and the Gewandhaus in Leipzig.

Oliver Widmer has given Lieder concerts in Europe and overseas including the Schubertiade in Feldkirch, Wigmore Hall in London, the Residenz in Munich, the Alte Oper in Frankfurt, the Festival in Touraine, the Louvre in Paris, the Konzerthaus in Vienna, the Aldeburgh Festival and the International Music Festival in Lucerne.

Oliver Widmer has been a member of the Opera House ensemble of Zürich since 1991 where he sang parts such as Oliver (Capriccio), Guglielmo (Cosi fan tutte), Harlekin (Ariadne auf Naxos), Figaro (The Barber of Seville) and Papageno (The Magic Flute).

Source: Liner notes to the 13-CD album ‘ Bach Made in Germany - Vol. V’ conducted by Ludwig Güttler (Dresden Classics, 2000)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (May 2001)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Ludwig Güttler

Bass

BWV 248

Nikolaus Harnoncourt

Bass

BWV 244

Links to other Sites

Oliver Widmer - baritone (Hyperion)
Oliver Widmer [German]
ARTE NOVA Classics: Oliver Widmer, Bariton [German]
Oliver Widmer (RB Artists) [German/English]

Oliver Widmer (Opernhaus Zürich) [German]
Oliver Widmer / Foto 1999
Così fan tutte - Oliver Widmer [German]