The German contralto, Ulrike Zech, studied church music in Greifswald and then singing at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber in Dresden with Professor Christiane Junghanns. After the solo exams, she took part in master classes with Brigitte Fassbaender, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Hartmut Höll. This was followed by an engagement at the Landestheater Thüringen Altenburg-Gera.
While still a student, Ulrike Zech began an active concert career. Dresden is a focus of her work. She performs regularly with the Dresdner Kreuzchor, Dresdner Kapellsolisten, Dresdner Philharmonie, members of the Staatskapelle Dresden and Dresdner Barockorchester. She has also sung in concerts with the Merseburger Hofmusik, Monteverdi-Chor Hamburg and Kammerensemble Neue Musik Berlin.
Ulrike Zech has appeared in renowned venues as the Berliner Philharmonie, Dresdner Philharmonie, Leipziger Gewandhaus and WDR Köln. Extensive concert tours have taken her to South America, Japan and Europe. She has worked with conductors such as Marek Janowski, Kreuzkantor Roderich Kreile, Gewandhausorganisten Michael Schönheit und Frauenkirchenkantor Matthias Grünert. She has a particularly close working relationship with the Frauenkirchenkantor Matthias Grünert. In addition to concerts together outside of Dresden, she can be heard regularly at the Dresden Frauenkirche.
Ulrike Zech worked many years as a singing teacher with the Dresdner Kreuzchor. She has built the Kammerchor der Frauenkirche together with Matthias Grünert, working as a vocal coach. Through her proprietary methodology, they formed the ensemble recognized for a good sound body.
A hallmark of Ulrike Zechs work is their versatility, insatiable curiosity and a willingness to break boundaries of repertoire and genre. So she manages to give her audience access to the Renaissance, classical and romantic to contemporary music. She also participated in some CD, radio, and television productions.
Ulrike Zech lives in Dresden. In the near future she can be heard in J.S. Bach's oratorios, among other works. |