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The German baritone and counter-tenorm Hagen Matzeit, had has an apprenticeship as an electrician, before he studied singing as a baritone with Bernd Riedel in Berlin, he also took classes in directing with Ruth Berghaus, Peter Konwitschny and Harry Kupfer. In 1999, the Richard Wagner Association and the Komische Oper Berlin granted him a scholarship.
Hagen Matzeit has been a frequent guest at the Komische Oper Berlin for several years. As a baritone he participated in productions such as Zwei Berliner in Paris and Der Buerger als Edelmann, he sang Pistol in Verdi`s Falstaff directed by Andreas Homoki and was Dancairo in Harry Kupfer`s staging of Carmen, he appeared as Sid in Albert Herring, Nathanael in The Tales of Hoffmann, Hofnarr in Das Maerchen vom Zaren Saltan (Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov) and as 5th Clown in Henze`s opera Koenig Hirsch. In 2005 - now as a counter-tenor - he made his muscial debut at the Komische Oper as Anthony in Sweeney Todd and in the 2006-2007 season he guested in the Komische Oper's 'Concerts for the New Year', this was followed with great success in the seasons of 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 by Aegeus in a new production of George Frideric Handel`s opera Theseus and the two gangster parts - alternately - in Kiss me Kate. In the role of Harry in Robin Hood, an opera for children staged by Andeas Homoki, Hagen had the opportunity to show his talent as a singer, actor and comedian as well.
In 2011-2012 (with a revival in 2012-2013) Hagen returned to the Komische Oper Berlin as Elviro in G.F. Handel’s Serse. This part was rearranged especially for him, who is singing it by switching from the baritone to the counter-tenor register. In 2012-2013 Hagen guests in this same production as well at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Duesseldorf. (Director: Stefan Herheim, Conductor: Konrad Junghänel).
Engagements in the ancient music fields have been leading Hagen to further renowned venues: In 2009, he appeared in the title role of the opera Argenore by Wilhemline von Bayreuth, directed by Axel Köhler, at the Markgräfliches Theater Bayreuth. In the 2010-2011 season, he performed the title-role in G.F. Handel’s Admeto at the Leipzig Opera and Goffredo in G.F. Handel’s Rinaldo at the Cologne Opera. In 2011-2012, he sang the title role in the Lautten Compagney Berlin’s production of G.F. Handel’s Rinaldo under Wolfgang Katschner. At the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music 2012 he appeared as Armillo in the opera La Stellidaura Vendicante by Francesco Provenzale under the baton of Alessandro de Marchi. In 2012-2013, he performs Ruggiero in G.F. Handel’s Alcina at the Halle Opera. Besides his activities in the opera fields Hagen is a frequent member of the renaissance-ensemble Tresonanz.
Besides engagements at the Schauspiel Frankfurt, Nationaltheater Mannheim, the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Teatro Capitol de Toulouse, Hagen has been invited to sing at the Hollandfestival in Amsterdam, at the Arts Music Brussels and the Melbourne Australian International Festival.
In contemporary music he has appeared in the leading role of Hans Scholl in Die Weisse Rose by U. Zimmermann at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, in the title role of J. Rihm’s Jakob Lenz at the De Singel in Antwerp, Opéra de Bastille Paris and subsequently at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires. At the Schwetzinger Festspiele 2008 he was engaged as a counter-tenor for the role of Fürst Clearte in the world premiere of the opera HYBRIS/Niobe by Adreana Hölszky. At the festival Ruhrtriennale 2010 he appeared in the role of Madschnun in the world premiere of Samir Odeh Tamimi’s work Leila und Madschnun, staged by Willy Decker. In the opening production of the Aix-en-Provence Festival 2011 Hagen made his debut in the leading role of Aymar in the world premiere of Oscar Bianchi’s opera Thanks to my Eyes - staged by Joël Pommerat- with the Ensemble Modern under Franck Ollu (Live transmission by ARTE TV). In 2012, Hagen appeared in this same production at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, Festival Musica Strasbourg, Fondation Gulbenkian in Lisbon and other places. As well in the 2011-2012 season, the counter-tenor sang the title role in the world premiere of the opera Jakub Fluegelbunt by Miroslaw Srnka at the Semperoper in Dresden (Saxonian State Opera). In 2013, he appears in the German premiere of Torsten Rasch’ opera Die Herzogin von Malfi (The Duchess of Malfi) at the Chemnitz Theatre. In 2006, Hagen sang and played in the highly successfull Casanova-revue at the Friedrichstadtpalast Berlin and in the 2007 Christmas-revue Jingle Bells, in both as a baritone and a counter-tenor.
Hagen Matzeit has worked under renowned conductors such as Vladimir Jurowski, Yakov Kreizberg, Vicente de Laranága, Fabio Luisi, Alessandro de Marchi, Franck Ollu, Alejo Perez, Kyrill Petrenko, Peter Rundel, Federico Maria Sardelli, Andreas Schüller, Peter Tomek and Achim Zimmermann as well as with directors such as Willy Decker, Sabine Hartmannshenn, Stefan Herheim, Andreas Homoki, Axel Köhler, Harry Kupfer, Tobias Kratzer (Team ATEF), Jürgen Nass, Alexander Paeffgen, Benedict von Peters, Carolin Petrick, Joël Pommerat and Erik Sleichim.
Together with his brother Friedemann Matzeit, Hagen Matzeit composes music for film, tv and theatre, compositions include the stage music for the productions Iphigenie in Aulis and Leben ein Traum for the Nationaltheater Mannheim, Der Sturm for the Puppentheater Halle and Die Vögel for the Deutsches Theater Berlin. |
