  g(11696700)a(1393595))
omwidmer@bluewin.ch
www.OliverWidmer.com
| | Widmer Oliver | | baritono |    
Oliver Widmer was born in Zürich. He began his vocal studies at the Music Academy in Basel with his father, Kurt Widmer, with whom he is still working together very closely. In addition to his studies in Basel he also participated in Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau's masterclasses in Berlin at the Academy of Art and completed his studies as a member of the International Opera School in Zürich. 1987, Oliver Widmer was awarded with the first prize at the ARD Competition Munich, followed by several other prizes and awards such as the International Hugo Wolf Competition Stuttgart and the Othmar Schoeck Competition in Lucerne.
Subsequently, he was invited for song recitals and concerts at many international festivals, including the Salzburg Festival, Festival de Musique de Strasbourg and the Wiener Festwochen. His busy concert schedule includes many song recitals both in Europe and overseas, as for example at the Schubertiade Schwarzenberg, the Wigmore Hall in London, the Philharmonie in Berlin, the Musée d'Orsay and the Louvre in Paris, the „Fêtes Musicales en Tourraine", the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, the Residenz in Munich, the Alte Oper Frankfurt, the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Lincoln Center New York and the Aldenburgh Festival with partners as Vladimir Ashkenazy, Hartmut Höll, Graham Johnson, Geoffrey Parsons, Andràs Schiff and Roger Vignoles.
Besides a strong focus on songs, Oliver Widmer also became a much sought-after concert and oratorio singer. He has been working with all important Swiss orchestras as well as the Berlin Philharmonic, the Radio Symphony Orchestras of Berlin, Munich and Stuttgart, the European Chamber Orchestra, the Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Baltimore Orchestras under conductors such as Dutoit, Frühbeck de Burgos, Gardiner, Harnoncourt, Henze, Hogwood, Koopman, Rilling, Schreier and Welser-Möst. His concert repertoire includes J.S. Bach's Oratorios and Passions, Mahler, Mozart and Schubert, but also music of the 20th Century. He recently performed works by Heinz Holliger as well as Berthold Goldschmidt's LES PETITS ADIEUX at the International Festival of Music in Lucerne.
Since 1991, Oliver Widmer is a full member of the ensemble of the Zurich Opera House where he has performed the most important parts of a lyric baritone: Guglielmo/COSÌ FAN TUTTE, Papageno/ZAUBERFLÖTE, Masetto/DON GIOVANNI and the Count Almaviva in LE NOZZE DI FIGARO, Olivier/CAPRICCIO, Harlequin/ARIADNE AUF NAXOS, Dr. Falke/DIE FLEDERMAUS, Don Fernando/FIDELIO, Figaro/IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA, Dandini/LA CENERENTOLA, Belcore/L'ELISIR D'AMORE, Malatesta/DON PASQUALE, Valentin/FAUST and Mercutio/ROMEO AND JULIET. At the Teatro Bellini in Catania he appeared in Korngold's DIE TOTE STADT and at the Festival in Salzburg he performed in Monteverdi's L'INCORONAZIONE DI POPPEA and in the Mozart-Pasticcio L'OMBRA FELICE.
During the 1999/2000 season, Oliver Widmer performed with great success Guglielmo in a new production of Mozart's COSÌ FAN TUTTE under Nikolaus Harnoncourt at the Zürich Opera House, Strauß' SIMPLICIUS/Melchior under Franz Welser-Möst, Bach's ST.MATTHEW'S PASSION under Riccardo Chailly in Milano, Haydn's ARMIDA with Nikolaus Harnoncourt in Vienna's Musikverein, Haydn's MARIAZELLERMESSE in Stainz for the Styriarte Festival, Mendelssohn's ELIAS under the baton of Fabio Luisi, Haydn's HARMONIEMESSE with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Nikolaus Harnoncourt as well as a recording of ST.MATTHEW'S PASSION under Nikolaus Harnoncourt for TELDEC. Among the highlights of the season 2000/01 were performances at the Opera House in Zürich as Rocco/FIDELIO, Masetto/DON GIOVANNI, Dandini/LA CENERENTOLA as well as several concerts such as Gerd Kühr's PALIMPSEST at the Vienna Musikverein with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, a re-invitation to sing ST.MATTHEW'S PASSION with Riccardo Chailly in Milano and recitals in Antwerp and Hamburg.
Recently, he could be heard as Herr Fluth/DIE LUSTIGEN WEIBER VON WINDSOR under Heinrich Schiff, as Barbier/DIE SCHWEIGSAME FRAU under Christoph von Dohnány and as Poeta/IL TURCO IN ITALIA together with Cecilia Bartoli under the baton of Franz Welser-Möst at the Zürich Opera House. Besides, Oliver Widmer sang concerts with Mozart's DER SCHAUSPIELDIREKTOR and Salieri's PRIMA LA MUSICA with Nikolaus Harnoncourt at the Mozartwoche Salzburg 2002 and with Bach's ST.MATTHEW'S PASSION under Riccardo Chailly in Milano.
Recordings include Mozart's DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE, Schreker's DIE GEZEICHNETEN (Decca), Holliger's SCHNEEWITTCHEN (ECM), Bach's CHRISTMAS ORATORIO for Berlin Classics under Ludwig Güttler, Johann Strauß' SIMPLICIUS (EMI), Pfitzner's DIE ROSE VOM LIEBESGARTEN / Sangesmeister (CPO, both under Franz Welser-Möst), as well as Haydn's PAUKENMESSE, SALVE REGINA, HARMONIEMESSE and SCHÖPFUNGSMESSE and Schumann's GENOVEVA under Nikolaus Harnoncourt for TELDEC.
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