Ulf Bästlein, Bass-Baritone- The German bass-baritone Ulf Bästlein studied classical philology and German literature, completing a Ph.D. before commencing vocal studies with Prof. Albrecht Meyerolbersleben at the Music Academy in Freiburg. There he graduated from the “concert exams” with Distinction.
In 1987 the bass-baritone began his stage career at the State Opera in Heidelberg. Since then he has been engaged in - among others - Augsburg, Hannover, Lübeck and at the State Opera in Hamburg, where he demonstrated his vocal and stage qualities in Mozart roles such as Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, and the title role in Don Giovanni, as well as roles such as the Zar in Zar und Zimmermann, Dandini in La Cenerentola and the title role in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin with great success. Equally important are his concert performances of both sacred and secular works and song recitals, documented in radio (SWF, NDR, BR, RB) and television (ARD and ZDF) broadcasts.
Ulf Bästlein was awarded prizes in several singing competitions, including the VDMK competition in Berlin and the Nuremberg Mastersingers Competion. He has performed in almost all European countries and is a regular guest at various international music festivals, including the Flandern Music Festival in Belgium, the Stresa Festival in Italy, the Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele, Schleswig-Holstein, Herrenchiemsee and Rheingau Music Festivals in Germany and the Styriarte Festival in Austria.
Ulf Bästlein’s broad repertoire encompasses works from Monteverdi to the present, including many world premiere performances of works by composers such as Halffter, Döhl, Radulescu and Sollima. He has sung under conductors including Donald Runnicles, Christof Prick, Bernhard Klee, Jesus Lopez Cobos, Helmuth Rilling, Marcello Viotti, Bruno Weil, Jos van Immerseel and Frieder Bernius. Both his debut-CD recording of 19th Century songs to texts by Heine and his recording of Schubert’s Winterreise (on the label ars musici) received considerable press acclaim. Numerous further recordings demonstrate the versatility of Ulf Bästlein’s creative work: Schubert Nacht- und Todeslieder (ars musici), Il Gedeone by N. Porpora (with the Wiener Akademie for the label cpo), Beethoven’s Symphonie no. 9 (under Jos van Immerseel for Sony Classical), Aci e Galatea (under Frieder Bernius for Orfeo), wine songs from three centuries (“Trunken müssen wir alle sein”), and Schubert songs to Goethe texts (Naxos). Both his CD with songs to poems by Theodor Storm (with pianist Charles Spencer for the label Dabringhaus und Grimm) and his recording of Schumann’s Dichterliebe (Hänssler) were released in September 2004. In 2009 the label Gramola has released the world premiere recording of songs by Anselm Hüttenbrenner with Ulf Bästlein and Charles Spencer and in 2014 the recording of Hebbel Lieder.
Ulf Bästlein was appointed as Vocal Professor at the Music Academy in Lübeck, Germany, in 1999, and has held a professorship in Singing at the University for Music in Graz, Austria, since 2000. Ulf Bästlein gives regular masterclasses in Germany and abroad.
In 1987 the bass-baritone began his stage career at the State Opera in Heidelberg. Since then he has been engaged in - among others - Augsburg, Hannover, Lübeck and at the State Opera in Hamburg, where he demonstrated his vocal and stage qualities in Mozart roles such as Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, and the title role in Don Giovanni, as well as roles such as the Zar in Zar und Zimmermann, Dandini in La Cenerentola and the title role in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin with great success. Equally important are his concert performances of both sacred and secular works and song recitals, documented in radio (SWF, NDR, BR, RB) and television (ARD and ZDF) broadcasts.
Ulf Bästlein was awarded prizes in several singing competitions, including the VDMK competition in Berlin and the Nuremberg Mastersingers Competion. He has performed in almost all European countries and is a regular guest at various international music festivals, including the Flandern Music Festival in Belgium, the Stresa Festival in Italy, the Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele, Schleswig-Holstein, Herrenchiemsee and Rheingau Music Festivals in Germany and the Styriarte Festival in Austria.
Ulf Bästlein’s broad repertoire encompasses works from Monteverdi to the present, including many world premiere performances of works by composers such as Halffter, Döhl, Radulescu and Sollima. He has sung under conductors including Donald Runnicles, Christof Prick, Bernhard Klee, Jesus Lopez Cobos, Helmuth Rilling, Marcello Viotti, Bruno Weil, Jos van Immerseel and Frieder Bernius. Both his debut-CD recording of 19th Century songs to texts by Heine and his recording of Schubert’s Winterreise (on the label ars musici) received considerable press acclaim. Numerous further recordings demonstrate the versatility of Ulf Bästlein’s creative work: Schubert Nacht- und Todeslieder (ars musici), Il Gedeone by N. Porpora (with the Wiener Akademie for the label cpo), Beethoven’s Symphonie no. 9 (under Jos van Immerseel for Sony Classical), Aci e Galatea (under Frieder Bernius for Orfeo), wine songs from three centuries (“Trunken müssen wir alle sein”), and Schubert songs to Goethe texts (Naxos). Both his CD with songs to poems by Theodor Storm (with pianist Charles Spencer for the label Dabringhaus und Grimm) and his recording of Schumann’s Dichterliebe (Hänssler) were released in September 2004. In 2009 the label Gramola has released the world premiere recording of songs by Anselm Hüttenbrenner with Ulf Bästlein and Charles Spencer and in 2014 the recording of Hebbel Lieder.
Ulf Bästlein was appointed as Vocal Professor at the Music Academy in Lübeck, Germany, in 1999, and has held a professorship in Singing at the University for Music in Graz, Austria, since 2000. Ulf Bästlein gives regular masterclasses in Germany and abroad.
