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Michael Schneider is representative of one of the most versatile artistic personalities in the field of authentic performance practice.
As the director of La Stagione Frankfurt he has made a name for himself through his performances and recordings of opera, oratorio and symphonic works from the Baroque and Classic. With his ensemble he has been a regular guest at venues such as the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Alte Oper Frankfurt, Palau Barcelona, Palais des Beaux-Arts Brussels and at important international festivals such as the Händel Festivals in Göttingen and Halle, the Bachfest Leipzig, Festivals for Early Music in Vienna and Utrecht and the important festivals of Schwetzingen, Ludwigsburg and Schleswig-Holstein.
In recent years Michael Schneider has been a guest conductor with the North West German Philharmonie, Magdeburg Philharmonie, MDR Chamber Philharmonie Leipzig, Cappella Coloniensis, Zürcher Kammerorchester and Israel Chamber Orchestra.
Michael Schneider's career as one of the leading recorder and traversflute player began in 1978 after his success at the ARD competition in Munich. Concurrently to his engagements as a conductor he has continued performing as a chamber musician with Camerata Köln and as a soloist with La Stagione Frankfurt and other ensembles.
Michael Schneider was awarded a professorship in 1980 at the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin and since 1983 has been active in a leading position at the Hochschule in Frankfurt, where he initiated a special course for the interpretation of Early Music. He has given master-classes nationally and internationally at for example the Jerusalem Early Music Workshop, the Paris Conservatoire, the Conservaatorium in Stockholm and the Summer Academy in Innsbruck.
One of the important aspects of the work of Michael Schneider is the rediscovery of neglected masterpieces. Within his concept of "Unerhörtes hörbar machen" ( bringing to life that which has not yet been heard). Among theses interesting discoveries have been the oratorio La Colpa, il Pentimento e la Grazia by A. Scarlatti and the Stabat Mater by F.I. Beck both of which have been produced for CD. Further recordings with La Stagione Frankfurt include operas by George Frideric Handel, Georg Philipp Telemann, Holzbauer, Gluck, Haydn and Benda, oratorios by Stradella, G.P. Telemann and Scarlatti and symphonic works by Abel and Beck. As a recorder virtuoso he has recorded almost the entire repertoire for this instrument. In 2000 Michael Schneider was awarded the Telemann Prize by the city of Magdeburg for his achievements with the work of this composer. |
