The German baritone, Thomas Berau, studied in the master-class of Professor Charlotte Lehmann at the Hochschule für Musik Würzburg. Studies in interpretation led him to Dr. Ernst Huber-Contwig, Hannover and to the class of Lied interpretation with Irwin Gage at the Hochschule für Musik Zürich. The singer won several prizes, including the Mozartfestwettbewerb in Würzburg, the Vienna International Music Competition and the International Competition Franz Schubert and the Music of the 20th Century.
After engagements at the Kammeroper Schloß Rheinsberg and at the Stadttheater Würzburg Thomas Berau is engaged at present at the Nationaltheater Mannheim since 1997. Being a lyric baritone he has interpreted all the great roles of his Fach, e.g. Don Giovanni as well as Marcello in Puccini’s La Bohème, Wolfram in Tannhäuser, Amfortas in Parsifal and Beckmesser in Meistersinger. Besides that he sang at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf, at the Bayerische Staatsoper Munich, the Staatsoper Wiesbaden, the Stuttgarter Staatsoper, the Staatsoper Hannover and at the Oper Basel.
Several Lieder recitals and concerts have brought Thomas Berau to Berlin, Munich, Zürich, Vienna, Gdansk and Paris. Apart from the traditional repertory he has a very strong interest in performing contemporary compositions. With great success he sang the Winterreise by Franz Schubert for a ballet production at the opera Nürnberg, accompanied by Moritz Eggert. This production received the Bavarian theatre prize.
Thomas Berau is in contact with several contemporary composers and was also performer of various world premiers. Moritz Eggert’s song cycle Krausseriana was dedicated to him. He has recorded several CD's and was a part in television and radio broadcasts. |