With Bach’s Christmas Oratorio,
Michael Hofstetter
and the Recreation Orchestra, with outstanding soloists and the
Camerata Styria
, usher in the most splendid celebration of the year.
Content
"Rejoice, be glad!" three days before Christmas
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio is rarely performed so close to Christmas these days. With the Camerata Styria and Recreation, Michael Hofstetter ignites all the splendour of the choirs and the intimacy of the chorales. Aco Bišćević with his bright tenor brings the shepherds to the manger, where Maria Hegele sings the lullaby to the baby Jesus. But before that Damien Gastl blasts out his “Great Lord, O mighty King”.
The German mezzo-soprano Maria Hegele is a regular guest at the Volksoper Wien and has most recently performed at the Staatstheater Darmstadt, the Staatsoper Berlin and the Bregenz Festival. Her concert appearances have taken her to venues including the Gasteig, the Herkulessaal and Müpa Budapest. In 2025, she won second prize at the International Haydn Competition.
In both lyrical and heroic roles, the ‘haute-contre’ moves with his high, elegant French tenor. Whether at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, the Bach Festival in Lausanne or the Salzburg Festival - the Slovenian voice artist has shone since his studies at the Mozarteum with major opera roles as well as intimate recitals, whereby the Schubert admirer also enjoys accompanying himself on the piano.
The youthful, vital baritone left a lasting impression on the Styriarte audience at his brilliant "Don Giovanni" debut in 2020. Only a little later, in autumn 2020, he made the leap into the opera studio ensemble of his hometown of Strasbourg. In addition, the young Frenchman has already made guest appearances in oratorio productions by renowned German orchestras.
Masters rarely fall from the sky. Camerata Styria has achieved this rare feat under Sebastian Meixner's direction. Since its first concerts in 2020, the year it was founded, the young choir has delighted audiences with the splendour of its sound and dynamic richness.
The music teacher and computer scientist, whose main instrument is the piano, has a golden touch for leading groups of people in song. He proves this as co-founder of the youth choir nota bene as well as with his brand new ensemble, the Camerata Styria, which he formed from former members of the Landesjugendchor Cantanima.
Recreation is special in many ways: consisting of musicians whose nationalities range from Japan to Venezuela, most of the members received part of their training in Graz. After its formation in 2002, the collective has played in unique halls such as the Alte Oper Frankfurt and has worked with outstanding conductors.
The Munich-born conductor, born in 1961, has been a very close friend of Styriarte since his highly acclaimed work as chief conductor of the Recreation Orchestra (2012 - 2016). His excellence in the historical practice of baroque and classical music as well as his inspiring enthusiasm on the podium are in demand on the world's great concert and opera stages.
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