Mechthild Bach is a German

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

and a professor at the Hochschule für Musik Trossingen.

Biography and career

Bach was born in Limburg an der Lahn, where she was a member of the Limburg Cathedral's girl choir from a very young age. After her

abitur ''Abitur'' (), often shortened colloquially to ''Abi'', is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen year ...

, she began her studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main, under Elsa Cavelti's tutelage. During her time there she also made her operatic debut at the Staatstheater Darmstadt. Since then, Bach has performed in such opera houses such as the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, the Nationaltheater München, and the Theater der Stadt Heidelberg, with conductors Reinhard Goebel, Peter Neumann, Ton Koopman, and Helmuth Rilling, among others. Additionally, she has performed the soprano parts in Mahler's symphonies, as Antigona in

Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...

's '' Admeto'', and as Alice Ford in Verdi's '' Falstaff''. She has also performed with the

Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart is a foundation in Stuttgart, founded by Helmuth Rilling in 1981 to foster international concerts and workshops, namely Musikfest Stuttgart, dedicated especially to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach in relati ...

, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and the Berlin Philharmonic. Bach is a professor at the .

Awards

* 1986: A grant from the

Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes The German Academic Scholarship Foundation (German: , or ''Studienstiftung'' for short) is Germany's largest and most prestigious scholarship foundation. According to its statutes, it supports "the university education of young people who, on ac ...

* 1993: Innsbrucker Radiopreis für Alte Musik, for her album ''Thomaskantoren vor Bach'' with Cantus Cölln * 2002: Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik, for her recording of

Zelenka Zelenka (feminine: Zelenková) is a Czech surname, Czech and Slovak surname. The name stems from the adjective "zelený" (green). Notable people with the surname include: People Zelenka * Eric Zelenka, senior worldwide product marketing manager at ...

's ''Missa Dei Patris'', with Frieder Bernius

References

External links

Official Website

on Bach Cantatas Website {{DEFAULTSORT:Bach, Mechthild 21st-century German women opera singers German operatic sopranos Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts alumni Studienstiftung alumni Living people 1949 births