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The German mezzo-Soprano, Annette Markert, studied singing with Professor Helga Förner at the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Hochschule für Musik in Leipzig from 1977 to 1983. She enhanced her studies through private lessons with Christa Nowak and Venceslava Hruba-Freiberger.
Annette Markert's first operatic engagement was in the Opera House of Halle, Germany from 1983 to 1990. She sang there the title roles in many works including Gluck’s Orpheus, Georges Bizet’s Carmen and Sextus in W.A. Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito. She specialized in the operas of George Frideric Handel, particularly titles roles such as: Oreste, Rinaldo and Floridante. The city of Halle twice awarded her the prestigious Händel Prize. From 1991 to 1996 she was a member of the Opera House of Leipzig, where she won critical acclaim in such roles as Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte, Olga in Eugene Onegin and Rosalie in Herchet’s Nachwache. With the reunification of Germany and the end to political impediments to traveling outside the former German Democratic Republic, Markert was now able to sing as a guest artists in such opera houses as the Theater Basle, and the Opera Châtelet of Paris in addition to the Staatsoper in Berlin.
Since ending her membership in the Leipzig Opera in 1996 Annette Markert has turned increasingly to recitals and concert performances. Her concert repertoire includes a full range of great choral works, including the J.S. Bach Passions, B Minor Mass (BWV 232), Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248), Felix Mendelssohn's Elijah and Paulus, L.v. Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, W.A. Mozart's Requiem, Haydn's Nelson Mass, Szymanowski's Stabat Mater, Frank Martin's Golgotha, Hanns Eisler's Deutsche Sinfonie, and Gustav Mahler's Des Knaben Wunderhorn.
Annette Markert's concert and operatic engagements brought her in collaboration with conductors such as Michael Gielen, Reinhard Goebel, Ludwig Güttler, Philippe Herreweghe, Michael Hofstetter, Marek Janowski, Armin Jordan, Ton Koopman, Kurt Masur, Nicholas McGegan, Helmuth Rilling, Kurt Sanderling, Peter Schreier and Lothar Zagrosek, and orchestras such as Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, La Chapelle Royale, Orchestre des Champs Elysées in Paris, Chamber Orchestra of St. Luke's, Virtuosi Saxoniae, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Musica Antiqua Köln, Tonhalle Orchestra Zürich and Wiener Philharmoniker.
Highlights in the last few seasons included the opening of the Salzburg Festival wirh F. Mendelssohn's Elias under Philippe Herreweghe as well as the Easter Festival in Vienna singing in J.S. Bach's St. John's Passion (BWV 245) with the Wiener Philharmoniker again under Philippe Herreweghe. St. Matthew Passion (BWV 244) of J.S. Bach with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under Kurt Masur followed which prompted her invitation to sing Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248) with the same ensemble and conductor in December 2000. In 1998 the title role of Tolomeo under Nicholas McGegan at the Händel Festival in Göttingen was proceeded by the invitation to star in Partenope in 2001.
Also included were concerts with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra of L.v. Beethoven's 9th Symphony under Kurt Masur. She appeared in Saintes for St. John Passion (BWV 245) under Philippe Herreweghe, as well as the Schubertiade Festival performances of Schubert's A-flat Major Mass under Peter Schreier. The Vienna Konzerthaus welcomed the artist for concerts in Frank Martin's Golgotha conducted by Herbert Böck. The Montreux Festival followed the busy summer, with September performances of Salve Regina by Johann Adolf Hasse under Reinhard Goebel with the Musica Antiqua Köln. Concerts with various other orchestras including the Orchestra of St. Luke's under Roger Norrington in New York's Carnegie Hall. Following a stunning success in the role of Ruggiero in G.F. Handels Alcina the season before, she returned to Theater Basel for performances of G.F. Handel's Giulio Cesare in the role of Sesto. She sang the same production in Hannover in 2002 but this time taking the title role.
The 1999-2000 season brought Annette Markert together with Ton Koopman and his Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra for performances and recordings of cantatas of J.S. Bach. This project was continued through spring 2000. Once again under Philippe Herreweghe, an extended European tour followed with L.v. Beethoven's Missa Solemnis. Various concerts of varied repertoire filled out the season with the Thomanerchor Leipzig and the Dresdner Kreuzchor. Conductor Armin Jordan invited 'her for a concert in Zurich and Michael Gielen conducts the Nelson Mass of Haydn and Szymanowski Stabat Mater with the artist in Vienna. The vigorous season was celebrated with returns to the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under Kurt Masur at the Canary Islands Festival in Tenerife and J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248) once again at Avery Fischer Hall at Lincoln Center, New York.
G. Mahler's Wunderhorn Lieder with the Royal Philharmonic of Antwerp followed as well as further concerts with the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra under Ton Koopman, performances of L.v. Beethoven's Missa Solemnis at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, recitals of Reiner Bredemeyer's Winterreise at the Expo 2000 in Hannover, J.S. Bach's B minor Mass (BWV 232) for the BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall in London under Roger Norrington and the Bach Festival in Melbourne Australia, under Philippe Herreweghe rounds out the full season.
A host of CD productions and recordings included J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248) with Ludwig Güttler, harmonia mundi France productions of W.A. Mozart's Requiem, F. Mendelssohn's Paulus under Philippe Herreweghe, from Decca Hanns Eisler's Deutsche Sinfonie, with Lothar Zagrosek conducting as well as Frank Martin's Golgotha under Herbert Böck, and the J.S. Bach's cantatas conducted from Ton Koopman on Erato label. |
