Sæsonens musikere
Szymon Nehring
Szymon Nehring is one of the most gifted and promising pianists of the younger generation in Poland. He is the only Pole to win the First Prize at the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition in Tel Aviv, one of the most important piano competitions in the world.
He has performed with orchestras such as the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, the NFM Wrocław Philharmonic, the Israel Symphony Orchestra, the Bamberger Symphoniker, L’Orchestre Philharmonique de Marseille, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, the Calgary Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century, collaborating with conductors including Jerzy Maksymiuk, Jacek Kaspszyk, Grzegorz Nowak, Pablo Heras-Casado, Karina Canellakis, Giancarlo Guerrero, Omer Meir Wellber, John Axelrod, Lawrence Foster, David Zinman and Krzysztof Penderecki.
The artist performed at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, Barcelona’s Palau de la Música Catalana, Konzerthaus Berlin, Copenhagen’s DR Koncerthuset, Vienna’s Musikverein, and Munich’s Herkulessaal and Prinzregententheater.
In 2019 he was invited to join the Programme of the Orpheum Foundation, as part of which he performed with Tonhalle Zurich Orchestra under the baton of David Zinman. In 2020 he made his debut at the Berlin Philharmonic.
Ann Petersen
Danish Ann Petersen is a well-known international Soprano and is notable for her performances especially in the German repertoire of R. Wagner and R. Strauss. She has been singing at many of the major Opera Houses such as: Wiener Staatsoper, Staatsoper Berlin, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Teatro alla Scala di Milano, Teatro Colôn de Buenos Aires, Opera National de Paris, Teatro Real de Madrid, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden and the Bolshoi Theatre Moskow.
Ann Petersen recently performed Salome with Claus Gut and Sokhiev at the Bolshoi Theatre (Febr./March and in May 2021) as well as Ariadne/ Ariadne auf Naxos at the Theâtres de la ville de Luxemburg with Katie Mitchell and Lawrence Renes (April 2021)
Highlights in 2019/ 2020 included Turandot (her debût) with Alexander Verdernikov and Isolde/ Tristan und Isolde with Lothar Königs at the Royal Opera Copenhagen 2019. Concert with Radio France de Paris “Wesendonc Lieder” and “Liebestod”. She also sang Isolde at La Monnaie de Bruxelles with Alain Altinoglu and Ralf Pleger (May 2019) as well as in Bologna (jan. 2020) with Juraj Valcuha). Leonore/ Fidelio at the Royal Opera in Copenhagen (sept. 2020).
Highlights in 2017/ 2018 included Beethoven 9. Symph. in Tel Aviv (2018), Isolde/ Tristan und Isolde in Kassel (2018), Ellen Orford/ Peter Grimes in Monte Carlo with José Curâ ( 2018), Isolde/ Tristan und Isolde at Opera de Lyon with Häenchen, and at the NCPA in Beijing, directed by Mariusz Trelinski ( 2017), “Vier Letzte Lieder” by R. Strauss with Orchestra National de Radio France Paris, Gala Concert at Bolshoi Theatre (2 act. Tannhäuser) and Minnie (her debût)/ Fanciulla del West in Copenhagen (2017).
Highlights in season 2015/2016 included Elsa/ Lohengrin in Hamburg conducted by Nagano, Freia/Das Rheingold at Semper Oper Dresden conducted by Thielemann, Senta/ Der Fliegende Holländer in Copenhagen, debut as Salome also at the Royal Danish Opera in Stefan Herheims regie. Further engagements in 2015/2016 included the Marschallin/ Der Rosenkavalier at Wiener Staatsoper conducted by Adam Fischer, Leonore/ Fidelio in Taiwan, Kaiserin/ Frau ohne Schattenin Copenhagen and Gutrune/ Götterdämmerung at the Staatsoper Berlin conducted by Daniel Barenboim.
Clara Thomsen
Danish soprano Clara Cecilie Thomsen studied at the Royal Danish Opera Academy, following her studies there with Susanna Eken. Her musical foundations were laid in the Copenhagen Girls’ Choir, after which she enrolled as an undergraduate at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen.
At the Festival of Lyric Arts at Aix en Provence, Clara participated in the Festival Academy’s Mozart Residency, a renowned course for the cultivation of Mozart interpretation.
Clara had her Royal Danish Opera debut in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro (Barbarina) in 2017. Since then she has sung roles as Konstanze (season 2019/20, The Danish National Opera), Gilda (season 2020/21, The Danish National Opera) Donna Anna and Musetta
(season 2021/22, The Royal Danish Opera).. At the Royal Opera Clara has lately participated in The Handmaid’s Tale as Moira, in Così fan tutte as Fiordiligi as well as The Governess in Brittens Turn of the Screw and Pamina in The Magic Flute directed by Bariie Kosky during 2023-24 season.
Clara has received several awards, including Copenhagen Opera Festival’s Opera Talent Award 2018, Leonié Sonning’s Talent Award 2019 and Carl Nielsen Talent Award 2019, Anmelderingen’s Talent Award 2019 and Aalborg Opera Award 2020.
Since 2021 Clara has been a member at the soloist ensemble at Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen.
In 2017 Clara made her debut as a soloist, with the Tonkünstler Orchestra at the world famous Musikverein in Vienna. Clara has also sung with orchestras as The Danish National Symphony Orchestra, latest as 1 Blumenmädchen in Parsifal. She has appeared as a soloist in many different Oratory’s, passions and cantatas. Most recently J.S. Bach’s John and Matthew passion, Mozart’s Requiem and in Handel’s Messiah.
Clara has worked with some of the leading figures on the northern European music and opera scenes. She has appeared under conductors including Paolo Carignani, Julia Jones, Michael Schønwandt, Michael Boder, and has worked with stage directors Kasper Holten, John Fulljames, Ulrich Peters among others. In 2021 Clara performed a lied concert at the Tiroler Festspiele together with Helmut Deutsch.
Orhan Yildiz
Orhan Yildiz was born in Samsun, Turkey. He began his vocal studies at the Mersin Conservatory under the tutelage of the Polish tenor Roman Werlisnki, before joining the prestigious Studio of de Opéra de Marseille where he refined his vocal technique with mezzosoprano Yvonne Minton. In the 2022/23 season, he will sing Il conte Almaviva (Le Nozze di Figaro), Giorgio Germont (La Traviata) and create the role of Dieter Urban in the new opera Die letzte Verschwörung composed by Moritz Eggert and staged by Lotte de Beer, all at the Volksoper in Vienna. Celebrated for his warm and virile baritone voice and his compelling acting, Orhan Yildiz has captivated the Viennese audiences as an ensemble menber of the Wiener Staatsoper from 2018-2020 in roles as Dandini (La Cenerentola), Belcore ( Elisir d’Amore), Valentin (Gounod’s Faust) and Marcello ( La Bohème). Recently Orhan Yildiz has been focussing on the Verdian repertoire, having debuted the roles of Ford in Falstaff at Malmö Opera in a new production by Lotte de Beer, conducted by Steven Sloane; and Amonasro in Aida – performances across Denmark with the Danish National Opera as well as with Staatstheater Braunschweig. In future seasons he will be adding more Verdian roles to his repertoire, including Germont (La Traviata), Renato ( Un ballo in maschera), Rodrigo Marchese di Posa /Don Carlo). Yildiz is a prize winner of the 2012 Francisco Vinas Competition in Barcelona, the 2004 Belvedere Competition in Vienna and the 2002 Siemens Voice Competition in Istanbul and was a finalist of the renowned Operalia competition.
Nicolai Elsberg
Nicolai Elsberg (b. 1989). Danish bass. Holds a Bachelor in contemporary music from The Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen (2014). Back then he was lead singer of the critically acclaimed Danish band, Spillemændene, and collaborated and toured with the world famous indie-group, Efterklang. With the feeling that the microphone was limiting his voice, Elsberg moved from rhythmic music into the world of classical singing and opera.
From 2016 Nicolai studied classical singing at The Royal Danish Academy of Music with the renowned Susanna Eken as voice teacher.
In 2019 he was invited for the Vocal Residency at Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. Later that summer he sang the role of Il Commendatore (Don Giovanni) and Colline (La Bohème) at The Copenhagen Opera Festival.
Nicolai graduated in the summer of 2020 to join the soloist ensemble at The Royal Danish Opera (RDO). Despite the pandemic, Elsberg has in 2020 been fortunate to do three productions at RDO: Plutone (L’Orfeo), Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte) and Watchman & Masquerade Master in the Carl Nielsen-opera, Masquerade, where he also jumped in as a cover and sang the main role of Jeronimus.
Elsberg‘s rich sonorous voice has also caught the attention of contemporary composers such as Karsten Fundal and Rasmus Zwicki, who has written respectively an opera and an oratorio specifically for Elsbergs rare serious bass.
In 2020 Nicolai received three talent prizes from his home country: The Copenhagen Opera Festival Talent Prize, The Léonie Sonning Talent Prize and The Queen Ingrid Honorary Grant.
In June 2021 Nicolai represented Denmark in the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition as one of the 16 singers chosen from a record high number of applicants. In October he sang in the Operalia Competition at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.
In the 2021-22 season Nicolai will sing Colline, Il Commendatore and Mozarts Requiem at RDO as well as both News Editor and Doctor in The Nose by Shostakovich.
Future engagements holds a number of house debuts including Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, Opéra de Lausanne and Opéra National du Rhin.
Ida Nystad
Ida er uddannet fra Musikakademiet i Krakow i Polen hos professor Miroslaw Herbowski, hvor hun blev kandidat med udmærkelse i oktober 2019. Efter hendes kandidateksamen blev hun optaget på post-graduate studier, svarende til dansk solistklasse, hos pianist og professor Mariola Cieniawa ligeledes på Musikakademiet i Krakow. Hun afsluttede sine solistklassestudier ved en koncert-eksamen i oktober 2021. Før studierne i Krakow studerede hun blandt andet på MGK hos professor Anne Øland, hos pianisten Nina Kavtaradze og hos pianist Susanne Germer.
Ida har givet koncerter over hele verden; i mange byer i Polen og Danmark, i Italien, Letland, USA, Canada, Tyskland og i Østrig, hvor hun har spillet i Wien adskillige gange blandt andet i Altes Rathaus Baroksal i Wiens centrum. I 2019 turnerede hun på Island med koncerter i Reykjavik, Akranes og Borganes.
Ida Nystad er prismodtager i den internationale klaverkonkurrence Music Without Limits i Litauen. Hun har modtaget mange invitationer fra musikfestivaler og koncertsteder i både indland og udland; Thisted Musikforening, Sorø Internationale Musikfestival, Musikfestival på Sardinien arrangeret af Associazione Culturale Artecrazia, Opus Festival i Århus samt festivaler i Polen blandt andet Bela Bartók Festival og Music of the North Festival. Ida har desuden givet koncert i prestigefyldte koncertsale som Odeon i Odense, Florianka i Krakow, Hietzing’s festsal i Wien og musikuniversitetets koncertsal i Rzeszów.
Ida Nystad er ligeledes en erfaren og eftertragtet kammermusiker og siden 2020 medarrangør af koncertrækken Løvehave Koncerter – en kammermusikfestival med internationalt anerkendte musikere fra ind- og udland støttet af blandt andre Louis-Hansen Fonden, Solistforeningen af 1921 og Augustinus Fonden.
Ida har deltaget i masterclasses hos internationalt anerkendte pianister som Ilja Scheps, Jacob Leuschner, Lilya Zilberstein, Alexandra Zvirblyte, Irina Osipova og Konstanze Eickhorst. Ida er modtager af stipendier og legater blandt andet fra Karen og Arthur Feldthusens Fond, Inge Hasselbach-Larsens Mindelegat og Augustinus Fonden.
Magnus Wenzel Most
Magnus Wenzel Most dimitterede december 2016 som kandidat fra Musikakademiet i Krakow hos professor Miroslaw Herbowski med udmærkelse. Februar året efter blev han optaget på post-graduate studier på akademiet fortsat hos professor Miroslaw Herbowski, som han afsluttede april 2019. Magnus gennemførte sin bacheloruddannelse 2011-2013 på Det Kongelige Danske Musikkonservatorium hos Bohumila Jedlickova. Før konservatoriet studerede han på MGK hos Bella Zapolski. Magnus har desuden taget Masterclasses hos internationalt anerkendte pianister som Jacob Leuschner, Sergejs Osokins, Ilja Scheps og Mariola Cieniawa.
Magnus er 2. prismodtager i den internationale klaverkonkurrence “Paolo Serrao” i Italien. Han har givet koncerter i store dele af Europa herunder solo-recital i Wien i Hietzings Festsal, koncertturné på Island i Reykjavik, Akranes og Borganes og klaver-recital på Sardinien i Cagliari i det gamle og berømte universitetsbibliotek hos Associazione Culturale Artecrazia. Han har givet koncerter i Polen blandt andet til musikfestivalen Music of the North i koncertsal Florianka i Krakow, i Zywiec’ og Lancuts koncertsale, Nowy Saczs kunstgalleri, Rzeszóws musikuniversitet og på Krakows Musikakademi. I Danmark har han spillet koncerter bl.a. på Nationalmuseet i København, Carl Nielsen Museet i Odense, Christians kirken, Kulturhus Kappelborg i Skagen og Det Kgl. Danske Musikkonservatorium. Magnus er en alsidig og eftertragtet kammermusiker, han samarbejder blandt andet med musikere fra DR symfoniorkestret, danner klaverduo med pianist Ida Nystad og har opført en stor del nyere og moderne polsk musik blandt andet for klaverkvintet. Magnus har modtaget flere stipendier og legater herunder fra Frimodt-Heineke Fonden, William Demant Fonden og Karen og Arthur Feldthusens Fond. Medarrangør af Løvehave Koncerter: En koncertrække med internationalt anerkendte musikere fra ind- og udland.
Mathias Hammer
Mathias Hammer (f. 1982) er pianist, musikformidler, radio- og TV-vært. Mathias er uddannet af professor Anne Øland ved Det Jyske Musikkonservatorium med debut fra solistklassen i 2011. I 2010 blev han tilknyttet DR’s P2, og siden da har han været vært ved DR Symfoniorkestrets Torsdagskoncerter og koncertintroduktioner. Sideløbende har Mathias stået i spidsen for en lang række programmer på P2 og skabt podcast-serier om bl.a. Carl Nielsen, Niels W. Gade og Beethoven. Siden 2023 har Mathias desuden været vært på P1’s Kulturpodcast Anmelderne. På TV har Mathias siden 1. sæson i 2016 været holdkaptajn i Den Klassiske Musikquiz. Desuden har han været vært i ”Live fra Højskolesangbogen”, ”På bølgelængde med Mathias Hammer”, ”Orkestret flytter ind” og ”DR2 Klassisk”. Den folkelige sang har altid ligget Mathias’ hjerte nær. Fra 2017-2020 var han medlem af Højskolesangbogsudvalget, der redigerede den 19. udgave af Højskolesangbogen. Som foredragsholder har Mathias i to årtier formidlet den klassiske musik og den folkelige fællessang. Som konferencier har han været fast vært på festivaler som Tivoli Sommerklassisk, Stjernestunder, Hindsgavl Festival, Copenhagen Opera Festival, Frederiksværk Musikfestival, Festival & Friends og Haydn Festivalen. Mathias har arbejdet sammen med landsdelsorkestrene i Aarhus, Odense, Aalborg og Sjælland, samt ensembler som DR Symfoniorkestret, Underholdningsorkestret, Ensemble Midtvest, Esbjerg Ensemble og Trio con Brio. Mathias har gennem hele sin karriere fastholdt sit fokus på musikpædagogik og formidling af klassisk musik for børn. Både som klaverpædagog og siden 2017 som fast vært på de populære børnekoncerter i Hellerup Kammermusikforening.
Zapolski Kvintetten
Zapolski Piano Quintet blev dannet i 2021, og er bestående af Sufiya Taufik, Selma Teilman, Julia Pamina Smith, Anoushka Ingemann og Valdemar Wenzel Most. Siden begyndelsen har de studeret under Alexandre Zapolski. De er alle tilknyttet Jacob Gades Talentprogram, hvor de bl.a. får lejlighed til at optræde på kammermusikforeninger og festivaler i hele Danmark. De har optrådt på bl.a. Odsherred kammermusikforening, Schubertiaden, Den Danske Strygerkvartets akademi på Lundsgård og Det Kongelige Teater. I 2022 vandt de guldmedalje ved Den unge Kammermusikkonkurrence i Århus.
Løvehave Festivalorkester
Løvehave Festivalorkester er sammensat af ti professionelle strygere fra tre af Danmarks bedste orkestre – Danmarks Radio Symfoniorkester, Det Kgl. Kapel og Copenhagen Phill.
Oplev et brag af en koncert og efterfølgende utrolig lækker sensommermenu sammensat af kok Thomas Nielsen.
