Guests

Gesine Adler was born in Leipzig. After having graduated in German and Musical Pedagogy she began to study chant at the Conservatory of Leipzig with Cornelia Melian and Maria Jonas. 2001 she became student of Marek Rzepka with whom she also did postgraduate studies. Gesine attended master classes with Jill Feldman and Andreas Scholl. Her Repertoire includes concert and ensemble literature from Renaissance up to early Classicall peroids. Gesinehas beeen working with ensembles like Telemannischen Collegium Michaelstein, Cappella Sagittariana Dresden (before: Ensemble für Alte Musik Dresden) and the Leipziger Barockorchester. She has been invited at the ensembles „amarcord“ and „Calmus Ensemble“ and gives regularly concerts with the Thomanerchor and Gewandhausorchester of Leipzig.

Rosario Conte studierte Gitarre, Laute, Theorbe und Generalbass bei Mario d'Agosto, Terrell Stone und Franco Pavan. Im Jahre 1991 erwarb er sein Gitarrendiplom und 2002 sein Lautendiplom am Konservatorium „N. Piccinni“ von Bari, beide mit Auszeichnung. Zwischen 2002 und 2004 studierte er bei Hopkinson Smith an der „Schola Cantorum Basiliensis“ (Basel).
Regelmässig tritt er als Solist und in kammermusikalischen Besetzungen bei wichtigen Festivals und Konzertreihen auf. Als Continuo-Begleiter spielt er mit den Orchestern wie La Lyra di Amphione,  La Confraternita de' Musici, Accademia Bizantina, Kammerorchester Basel, Freiburger Barockorchester,  Musica Inaudita, Zürcher Barockorchester, l’Amoroso,  Balthasar-Neumann-Ensemble und mit dem Ensemble La Tempesta.
Außerdem ist er Gründungsmitglied des „Ensemble Terra d' Otranto“, mit dem er das reiche und zum Teil unbekannte musikalische Repertoire des Apulischen Barocks wiederentdeckt und auf die europäischen Bühnen bringt.
Er hat für RAI3, „France Musique“ DR2 Kanale, ESPACE2, „Euroradio Konzerte“ und zahlreiche Labels aufgenommen.Rosario Conte ist Lautenlehrer am Konservatoriun “N. Piccinni” von Bari (I).

William Dongois first studied trumpet at the conservatoires of Rheims and Paris and then cornet with Bruce Dickey at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, where he graduated in early music studies in 1992. Whilst still a student, he regularly performed with the most renowned early music ensembles, including Hespèrion XX, Concerto Palatino, the Taverner Players, Concerto Vocale and the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra. He has taken part in numerous LP recordings and has performed at numerous early music festivals. Together with his ensemble Le Concert Brisé, William Dongois has made a series of CDs with titles including La Barca d'Amore (Renaissance music for solo cornett and basso continuo), La Golferamma and Musique Transalpine. With the recording „L’Age d’Or du Cornet á Bouquin“ he recently received the “Choc du Monde de la Musique”. William is teaching cornet and improvisation at numerous master classes throughout Europe and the world and is professor at the Conservatories of Geneva and Lyon.

Born in Berlin, Klaus Eichhorn studied Church music and harpsichord at the Musikhochschule Berlin. From 1972-1981 he was professor there fort he State and Cathedral Choir. Eichhorn is one of the founders of "Musikalische Compagney" and also founded in 1981 his ensemble “Capella Cantorum” . He has been realising concerts Concerto Palatino, Weser-Renaissance an others, radio and TV recordings document his activities during festivals and performances. Klaus Eichhorn is also a organ soloist and teaches organ and basso continuo playing in Halle/Saale. Since 1994 he is professor at the „Hochschule für Künste Bremen“ Klaus Eichhorn has been specialising in the sacred music from the 16th up to the 18th century.

David Erler is born in Auerbach/Vogtland. Until 2006 he studied chant with Maria Jonas and Marek Rzepka at the “Musikhochschule Leipzig”. Additionally he has been attending masterclasses with Andreas Scholl, Marius van Altena and the King’s Singers. As soloist he is working with Roland Wilson, Thomaskantor Georg Christoph Biller, Hans-Christoph Rademann, Matthias Jung, Lautten Compagney Berlin, L’arpa festante, Ensemble Alte Musik Dresden (Cappella Sagittariana), Capella Fidicinia, Batzdorfer Hofkapelle, „Sette voci“ and others. As a member of „Calmus Ensemble Leipzig“ and „Dresdner Kammerchor“ he gained experience in ensemble singing. David has been singing throughout whole Germany and many European countries and festivals. He can be heard on many CD and radio recordings in Germany and Europe.

Matthias Gerchen was born in Bremen and began while working as a doctor with his studies of chant Carl-Heinz Müller in Hannover. Afterwards he studies with Christoph Stephinger and-since many years- Margreet Honig (Amsterdam). Matthias Gerchen has been working in master classes with Ingrid Bjoner, Jessica Cash, Elio Battaglia and Josef Metternich.
With his repertory of the Renaissance until modern music Matthias Gerchen sings concerts throughout Europe and the world. As an opera singer he could be heard in works of Cavalli, Mozart and Rossini auf, recently he was the main character in Reinhard Keisers opera „Ulysse“ at the “Staatstheater Braunschweig”. Matthias Gerchen likes also very much performing “Lieder”. He was artist at many international festivals and is teaching at Hannover and Bremen. From 1997-2001 he was guest professor at the “Escola das Artes” at Porto/Portugal.

Cécile Kempenaers studied singing with Mireille Capelle and Rolande Van Der Paal at the Ghent Conservatory (KMC) in Belgium. At the Brabant Conservatory in Tilburg (The Netherlands) she attended lessons ‘Vocal ensemble singing’ with Rebecca Stewart. In addition she did masterclasses with Paul Hillier. Presently she is completing her studies with Margreet Honig (Amstardam) and Ingrid Voermans (Den Haag).
Over the past years Cécile Kempenaers has regularly participated in projects with Collegium Vocale Gent and the Huelgas Ensemble.  She has worked with conductors such as Philippe Herreweghe, Paul Van Nevel, René Jacobs, Ton Koopman, Paul Dombrecht, Erik Van Nevel, François Laserre and others. Cécile Kempenaers is also member of the ensembles “Zefiro Torna”, “De Vento” and “Les Rumeures Souteraines” and has participated in several music-theater productions, contemporary creations and cd recordings.

Sebastian Knebel first worked as organ maker in different churches in Berlin. After having studied at the Dresden Conservatory for Church Music he followed his studies at the Hochschule für Musik „Franz Liszt“ in Weimar. Sebastian also studies harpsichord with Ludger Rémy at the Folkwang-Hochschule in Essen. He has been attending master classes with Ton Koopman and Harald Vogel.
Sebastian Knebel is member of the „Telemannisches Collegium Michaelstein“ and works regularly as artistic director of the vocal consort “labia vocalia”. Besides his work with many ensembles and orchestras he is leading his own group „Dresdner Instrumental-Concert”. He gives solo concerts as organ, piano and harpsichord player and concerts tour have been leading him to France, Poland, England, Czech Republic, Switzerland and USA. Sebastian can be heard on numerous CD and radio recordings. In the presence he is employed as guest organ player at „Christ the King Lutheran Church“ Houston and collaborating there with „Bach Society Houston“.

Jose Pizarro, Tenor

Dominique Visse began his singing career at the age of 11 as a chorister in the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. At the same time he began studying the organ and flute at the Versailles Conservatory. In 1978 Dominique Visse founded the Ensemble Clément Janequin with whom he has made a series of benchmark recordings of French polyphonic chansons of the 16th Century. The following year he became one of the founding members of Les Arts Florissants and edited much of the ensemble's repertoire in its early years.
Since that time Dominique Visse has become one of the most popular lyric artists in the world of Baroque opera, working with René Jacobs, Jean-Claude Malgoire, Philippe Herreweghe, Ton Koopman, William Christie, Alan Curtis, Nicholas McGegan, Christophe Rousset, Ivor Bolton and Robert King, in the opera houses of Paris, Berlin, Cologne, Amsterdam, Lausanne, Tel-Aviv, Montpellier, Houston, Barcelona, Munich and others. Dominique Visse does not limit himself to Baroque and early repertoire. He has sung in Offenbach's Les Brigands, directed by Jérôme Deschamps and has recorded the role of La Marquise in Poulenc's Gendarme incompris for Decca. He also frequently performs contemporary music and has participated in Luciano Berio’s opera Outis at La Scala in Milan and at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
As well as his work in opera, Dominique Visse continues to perform and record with his Ensemble Clément Janequin. Dominique Visse performs recital programmes of music ranging from Machaut to Berio, via Dowland, Schubert, Offenbach, Massenet, Satie, Poulenc and Takemitsu. He has made more than fifty recordings, principally for harmonia mundi.