Andreas Scholl

Andreas Scholl
Gerda Arendt · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Andreas Scholl
Birth date	1967-11-10
Birth place	Eltville, Hesse, West Germany
Occupation	Countertenor, teacher
Years active	1989–present

Andreas Scholl is a German countertenor renowned for his interpretations of Baroque and early music repertoire. He has performed with major ensembles and conductors across Europe and North America, and has recorded extensively for major labels. His career spans opera, concert, recording, and pedagogy, influencing a generation of singers and historicist performance practice.

Early life and education

Scholl was born in Eltville, Hesse, in what was then West Germany, into a family with strong musical roots in the Rheingau region. As a boy treble he sang with the choir of the Mainz Cathedral and received early tuition that connected him to traditions represented by institutions such as the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main and the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg. He later studied at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel, where teachers included the lutenist and continuo specialist Anthony Rooley and the vocal pedagogue Richard Levitt. During his formation he encountered repertory from composers associated with the Baroque era such as George Frideric Handel, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Henry Purcell, and was influenced by practitioners linked to the early music revival like Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Johann Rosenmüller, and Gustav Leonhardt.

Career and performances

Scholl's professional debut followed invitations from ensembles in the Netherlands, France, and Italy, leading to collaborations with period-instrument groups like Concerto Köln, The English Concert, Ensemble Zefiro, and Les Arts Florissants. He has worked under the baton of conductors including René Jacobs, William Christie, Christoph Rousset, Paul McCreesh, and John Eliot Gardiner, and has appeared at festivals such as the Salzburg Festival, the Aix-en-Provence Festival, the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, and the Festival d'Île-de-France. His operatic roles have been staged at houses including the Berlin State Opera, the Royal Opera House, Opernhaus Zürich, and the Metropolitan Opera, in productions that engaged directors connected to Peter Sellars, Robert Wilson, and Christof Loy. Scholl has also given recitals in venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Wigmore Hall, and the Concertgebouw, often partnering with instrumentalists like Christoph Poppen, lutenists from the lineage of Julian Bream, and continuo players tied to the Freiburger Barockorchester.

Repertoire and recordings

Scholl's repertoire emphasizes cantatas, oratorios, and operatic arias from the Baroque and early Classical periods, with signature works by Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Claudio Monteverdi, Antonio Vivaldi, and Domenico Scarlatti. He has recorded major cycles and albums for labels historically linked to early music, collaborating with producers and ensembles associated with Harmonia Mundi, Deutsche Grammophon, and Virgin Classics. Notable projects include recordings of Bach cantatas and the St Matthew Passion with conductors from the Bach revival movement, Handel operas and oratorios in Renditions reflecting the Historically Informed Performance approach, and recital discs of arias and songs by composers such as Franz Schubert arranged for countertenor. His discography features partnerships with instrumentalists and ensembles connected to Les Arts Florissants, the Academy of Ancient Music, and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, as well as participation in recordings overseen by artists like Ton Koopman and Gustav Leonhardt.

Teaching and masterclasses

Alongside performing, Scholl has held teaching appointments and given masterclasses at conservatories and universities tied to early music pedagogy, including institutions in Basel, Frankfurt am Main, and the Royal College of Music in London. He has served on juries for competitions such as the ARD International Music Competition and festivals associated with pedagogues from the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis network. His masterclasses attract students from regions served by academies like the Tanglewood Music Center, the Juilliard School, and the Conservatoire de Paris, and he has mentored singers who have gone on to careers with ensembles such as Les Arts Florissants and the Freiburger Barockorchester.

Awards and recognition

Scholl's recordings and performances have been honored with prizes linked to institutions and awards including the ECHO Klassik, honors from the Bach Academy, and accolades from media outlets such as Gramophone (magazine) and BBC Music Magazine. He has received invitations to be Artist-in-Residence at festivals like Salzburg Festival and has been the subject of critical studies published by presses associated with early music scholarship, referencing figures such as Heinrich Schütz and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. Peer recognition has come from collaborations with leading conductors and ensembles of the early music scene, and he is frequently cited in bibliographies on countertenor practice alongside singers like Alfred Deller and James Bowman.

Personal life and legacy

Scholl lives and works between cultural centers in Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, maintaining connections to the choral traditions of the Rheingau and the performance networks of Basel and London. His impact is evident in the renewed presence of the countertenor voice in opera houses and concert halls in cities like Vienna, Paris, Berlin, and New York City, and in the curricula of conservatories such as the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin. His legacy is linked to the broader early music revival spearheaded by ensembles and figures like Les Arts Florissants, The English Concert, and Nikolaus Harnoncourt, and he remains a reference point in discussions of Baroque interpretation, recording practice, and vocal technique.

Category:German countertenors