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After studying music education and voice with coloratura soprano Sylvia Geszty, Marlis Petersen began her operatic career in 1994 at the Städtische Bühnen Nürnberg, followed by an engagement at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in 1998. Since 2003, she has performed internationally as a lyric soprano, gaining acclaim above all for her portrayal of Berg’s Lulu, which she sang in ten different productions across Europe and the U.S., including at the Bavarian State Opera and the Metropolitan Opera – both available on DVD. Her key roles include the Marschallin (Der Rosenkavalier), Marietta (Die tote Stadt), Strauss’s Salome, and major contemporary roles such as Aribert Reimann’s Medea (world premiere 2010, Vienna State Opera) and Jörg Widmann’s Arche (2017, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg). Petersen is also a sought-after concert artist, appearing with renowned orchestras and baroque ensembles worldwide. Upcoming roles include Emilia Marty (The Makropulos Affair) and her first Wagner parts. In recent years, she has devoted herself passionately to the art of song, giving acclaimed recitals both solo and with her vocal quartet, at venues such as the Schubertiade Schwarzenberg, Pierre Boulez Saal, Carnegie Hall, Vienna’s Konzerthaus, and London’s Wigmore Hall. Her song trilogy DIMENSIONEN presents a unique, immersive approach to Lied programming. In the 2019/20 season, Petersen was named “Singer of the Year” for the fourth time by Opernwelt for her role as Marietta in Munich, and received the 2020 Opus Klassik Award for her CD INNENWELT.

Photocredit: Yiorgos Mavropoulos

Markus Däunert, a German violinist, soloist, concertmaster and chamber musician, was born in East Berlin and studied at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin and the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Weimar.  He became known as a founding member and concertmaster of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra (1997–2005), with whom he worked under conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Simon Rattle and Bernard Haitink.  He has been guest concertmaster with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and Ensemble Modern.  In 2002, Däunert co-founded the Lucerne Festival Orchestra under Claudio Abbado.  As a soloist and chamber musician, he has performed with artists such as Martha Argerich and Christian Zacharias and has appeared at festivals including the London Proms and the Salzburg Festival.  He is also a recording artist and has contributed to numerous productions for labels such as Deutsche Grammophon and Decca.  His recordings with the Aldeburgh Strings, including works by Britten and Strauss, have received acclaim. 

Born in Meißen, pianist Stephan Matthias Lademann studied at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden, where he developed a lasting focus on art song accompaniment. Since the 2000s, Vienna has been his artistic base. As a partner of Siegfried Jerusalem and collaborator with singers such as Diana Damrau, Edita Gruberova, and René Pape, he is internationally recognized as a leading Lied pianist. He has performed at major venues including the Wiener Musikverein, Salzburg Festival, Carnegie Hall, and Teatro alla Scala. His recordings include works by Gustav Mahler and the award-winning “Dimensionen” trilogy with Marlis Petersen. He is Professor of Lied and Oratorio Interpretation at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.

Photocredit: Shirley Suarez