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The German bass-baritone, Ulf Bästlein, studied singing, after a study of the classical philology and German (with graduation), with Professor Albert Meyerolbersleben at the Staatlichen Hochschule für Musik Freiburg. He won prizes in different singing competitions (such as VDMK Berlin as well as Nürnberg Master Singer competition). Especially as an oratorio singer he has made guest appearances in nearly all European countries, including several times at with the Flanders Music Festival (Belgium), at the Festival of Stresa (Italy) as well as at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival
In 1987 Ulf Bästlein began his stage career at the City Theatre Heidelberg, which led him to Augsburg, Hannover, Lübeck and the State Opera of Hamburg. He sang among other things Papageno, the Count in Le nozze di Figaro, Guglielmo in Cosí fan tutte, the Zar in Zar und Zimmermann, Dandini in Cenerentola as well as Eugen Onegin. His concert activity with religious works and Lieder recitals, which is documented by broadcast (SWF, NDR, BR, RB) and TV productions (ARD and ZDF), is equally important.
Ulf Bästlein's extensive repertoire ranges from Monteverdi to the Modern time (including some premieres with works of Halffter, Döhl and Sollima). He sang with conductors such as Donald Runnicles, Christof Prick, Bernhard Klee, Jesús López-Cobos, Helmuth Rilling, Marcello Viotti, Bruno Weil, and Jos van Immerseel. In 1995 he sang his first Don Giovanni in Switzerland and made different broadcast productions (SWF, NDR).
Since 1993, Ulf Bästlein teaches at the Musikhochschule Lübeck, since 1996 in addition at the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen. In 1999 he was appointed professor at the Musikhochschule Lübeck, and in 2000 likewise at the Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Graz.
Ulf Bästlein's CD debut with Heine Vertonungen 19th century found just as large acknowledgement in the technical achievement as its bringing in of Schubert’s Winterreise. In the following years further CDs appeared: Schubert: Nacht- und Todeslieder, Il Gedeone by Nicola Porpora (with the Wiener Akademie for CPO, Weinlieder aus drei Jahrhunderten' (Trunken müssen wir alle sein). Recently appeared a CD on the Naxos label with Schubert’s Lieder after Goethe texts. For Sony Classical he sang the baritone solo in L.v. Beethoven’s 9th Symphony (conductor: Jos van Immerseel). |
