The German conductor and tenor sunger, Holger Speck, is the founder, conductor and artistic director of the Vocalensemble Rastatt and Les Favorites Barockorchester. He has developed a distinguished international reputation as a charismatic musician who is capable of bringing to life the aesthetic details of the sound particular to different periods, while communicating emotive content to the listener. His keen sense of sound assures the unmistakable tonal quality of his ensembles. His compelling, lively, and profound interpretations are regularly praised in specialist publications. He has conducted at famous festivals and concert halls such as the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Philharmonie Mulhouse, Händelfestspiele Karlsruhe, Europäische Musikfest Stuttgart, Schwetzinger Festspiele, Festival Europäische Kirchenmusik Schwäbisch Gmünd, and SWR RheinVokal Festival.
Holger Speck has won prizes at both national and international competitions with the Vocalensemble Rastatt. His CD recordings have met with international acclaim (Gramophone Magazine, American Record Guide, Fanfare, Fono Forum, L’Orfeo, Pizzicato, Diapason, Classicstoday etc.). He frequently collaborates with artists such as Anne Le Bozec (Piano), Reinhold Friedrich (Trumpet), Wolfgang Meyer (Clarinet), and Veronika Skuplik (Violin).
Holger Speck is professor at the Hochschule für Musik in Karlsruhe and also in demand as a singer, as a guest conductor, and as a lecturer at seminars for conducting and interpretation with European ensembles. Among his pupils: Carmen Buchert (Soprano), Sophie Harr (Soprano). He is an acknowledged expert and committed exponent of music performed in differing contexts and various styles. The public and the music press have attested to his ability to render enlightening, lively interpretations within the fitting historical context. He is also noted for his special aesthetic of sound. From 2007 to 2009 he was the “artist in residence” at the Festival Les Dominicains in France. |