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The German lyric soprano, Andrea Wittchen, received at the age of 19 she a grant from the Norwegian State for a cultural study in Norway. Here she studied music, singing and theatre for two years. In the Netherlands she studied classical singing as a main subject at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht (1993-1998), with the coloratura soprano Marianne Blok, and mime/theatre at the Theaterschool van de Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Amsterdam (1990-1994). She successfully completed both programmes. She participated as a soloist in various master-classes: by Adelisa Tabiadon at the Belcanto Festival in Dordrecht, the Springiersbacher Meisterkurse in Germany, and the Nordfjord International Opera Workshop in Norway, conducted by the Norwegian-Italian soprano Elizabeth Norberg-Schulz and the Italian conductor Dante Mazzola, who is affiliated with the opera house La Scala in Milan.
Andrea Wittchen is a concert and opera singer and an experienced singing teacher. She has also worked as a movement actress (1998-2000) and singer in physical theatre based on Mime (May 2015). She has been giving concerts with various song and opera programmes in the Netherlands and abroad for many years. She has a very extensive and varied repertoire, both as a song singer and in oratorio and opera, and she feels a great fascination for the singing art of the age-old Italian bel canto, which she has explored for many years with her singing coach, the Dutch coloratura soprano Wilma Driessen.
Andrea Wittchen forms a musical duo with her husband, pianist Jack de Bie. They have been giving recitals with songs, arias and piano solo works since 1995. With their musical son, Alexander de Bie (b 2001), they also perform as Trio de Bie. Alexander de Bie has been studying concert organ and concert piano at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (MDW) since 2020. She currently lives in Amsterdam, the Netherlands |
