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The German baritone, Benedikt S. Zeitner, received at the age of 5 his first piano lessons, at the age of 12 his first singing lessons and first stage experience: first on the stage of the Maria-Montessori-Gesamtschule Krefeld and the Musikschule Krefeld, then at the Vereinigten Städtischen Bühnen Krefeld / Mönchengladbach, and the Jungen Theater an der Ruhr, Mülheim (conductor: Roberto Ciulli). He was multiple winner of the competition "Jugend musiziert", in year 2001 1st Prize-winner in the category "solo singing" on regional, state and federal level. In 2000 he stayed for 3 months abroad as guest student at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole, Florence, in the singing class with Massimo Sardi.
From 2001 to 2003 Benedikt Zeitner was a member of the World Youth Choir and the World Chamber Choir, and made tours with them to Venezuela, USA, Europe, Korea and Japan, under conductors as Maria Guinand, Tônu Kaljuste, Johannes Prinz, Georg Grün, among others. In 2003 he completed his church music studies (choral conducting, organ, piano). Since 2003, he studies singing at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" in Berlin, first with Professor Scot Weir and now with Professor Heidrun Franz-Vetter, and also as member of the Lied class with Professor Wolfram Rieger.
In 2004 Benedikt Zeitner took part as chorister in the production of Arnold Schoenberg's Moses und Aaron at the Staatsoper "Unter den Linden" in Berlin, musical director Daniel Barenboim, director: Peter Mussbach. He also attended master-classes with Joachim Beyer, David Jones, Thomas Quasthoff and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. In 2005-2006 he also studied Philosophy and Roman literature at the Humboldt University in Berlin. In 2006-2009 he received training for medical practice with focus on homeopathy.
Already during his studies, Benedikt Zeitner appeared in the following opera productions: as Schreiber in Rosenfeld's Die Verweigerung (Ballhaus Naunynstr., Berlin - March 2004), as Masacco in Giovanni Battista Pergolesi's Il geloso schernito (Ballhaus Naunynstr., Berlin - July 2004); soloist in Ligeti's Artikulation Ligeti (Akademie der Künste, Berlin - September 2004); Hausarzt in Debussy's Der Fall des Hauses Usher (Neuköllner Oper, Berlin - April 2005); Hinzelmann in Benatzky's Im weißen Rössl (HfM "Hanns Eisler" Berlin - June 2005); Don Tabbarano in Treiber's Rokokomusical (Potsdam / Starnberger See - July 2005); soloist in Pasta Opera (Ballhaus Mitte, Berlin - since August 2005); Don Carissimo in Alessandro Scarlatti's La Dirindina (UdK Berlin - March 2006).
In 2005 Benedikt Zeitner founded the comic duo "Ass-Dur" with which he performs as a comedian and magician.
Benedikt Zeitner has an active concert career: his repertoire includes mainly J.S. Bach (Johannes-Passion (BWV 245), Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244), Weihnachts-Oratorium (BWV 248), various Cantatas). In his Lieder recitals he sings mainly Schubert (Die Schöne Müllerin, Die Winterreise, etc.) and Robert Schumann (Liederkreis Op. 39, Liederkreis Op. 24, Dichterliebe, etc). Lieder recitals and engagements have taken him to the Neuköllner Oper Berlin, the Staatsoper "Unter den Linden" in Berlin, the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Tonhalle Düsseldorf and the Opernhaus Bayreuth, among others. |
