Cast

Volker Krafft

Birthplace:
Tubingen, Germany

Studies:
Conducting and piano at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Leipzig as well as conducting, pianoforte and harpsichord at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam

Prizes:
First Prize at the Wigmore Hall/Kohn Foundation International Song Competition together with Dominik Köninger (2011)

Relation to the Hamburg State Opera:
Solo repetitor since the 2012/13 season, additionally musical assistant to the General Music Director (since the 2017/18 season)

Repertoire:
Focus on the German repertoire (Wagner, Strauss etc.), Italian repertoire, Mozart; special predilection for song and chamber music

Career Stages:
Musikalische Komödie/Oper Leipzig, Theater Hagen, Royal Opera Covent Garden London

Stages:
Schleswig-Holstein Festival, Aldeburgh Festival, Oper Leipzig, Theater Hagen, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, National Concert Hall Dublin, Mozartfest Würzburg, Opéra de Lille, Wigmore Hall London, et al.

Cooperation with orchestras:
Member of the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester and Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra, collaboration with Concerto Köln, Accademia Bizzantina, et al.

Performances

• „Muss denn in diesem Land immer alles politisch sein?“
• Das Tagebuch der Anne Frank

Baritone

Nicholas Mogg

Birthplace:
Manchester, United Kingdom

Studies:
International Opera Studio, Hamburg State Opera; National Opera Studio, London; Royal Academy of Music, London; Clare College, University Cambridge

Masterclass:
with Sir Simon Keenlyside, Christian Gerhaher, Malcolm Martineau, Brigitte Fassbaender, Gerald Finley, Sir Thomas Allen

Relation to the Hamburg State Opera:
Ensemble member of the Hamburg State Opera since the 2022/23 season
Was Member of the International Opera Studio of the Hamburg State Opera from 2019/20 to 2022/23

Prizes:
Royal Over-Seas League Singers’ Section; Richard Lewis/Jean Shanks Award

Roles:
Don Giovanni (Don Giovanni), Guglielmo (Così fan tutte), Ned Keene (Peter Grimes), Aeneas (Dido and Aeneas), Dandini (La Cenerentola), Steward (Flight), Herr Peachum (Die Dreigroschenoper), Melisso (Alcina), Jupiter (Orphée aux Enfers), et al.

Stages:
Hamburg State Opera, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Wigmore Hall, Philharmonie de Paris, Het Concertgebouw, Festival Aix, Elbphilharmonie, Theater Lübeck

Cooperation with directors:
Keith Warner, Herbert Fritsch, Tim Albery, Orpha Phelan, Richard Jones

Cooperation with conductors:
Robin Ticciati, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Ton Koopman, Sir Roger Norrington, Yoel Gamzou, Francesco Ivan Ciampa, Alan Gilbert, Kent Nagano

Performances

• Carmen
• Boris Godunov
• Jubiläumsgala: 30 Jahre Internationales Opernstudio
• La Bohème
• Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute)
• 2nd chamber concert
• Manon
• „Muss denn in diesem Land immer alles politisch sein?“
• Les Contes d'Hoffmann
• Don Pasquale
• Don Pasquale (concerted)
• La Fanciulla del West (The Girl of the West)
• Salome
• Così fan tutte
• Ariadne auf Naxos
• L'elisir d'amore
• La Traviata
• Tristan und Isolde (Tristan and Isolde)

photo: linden.shots

Soprano

Marie Maidowski

Birthplace:
Berlin, Germany

Studies:
Bachelor in singing and music theater with KS Prof. Julie Kaufmann at the Berlin University of the Arts Master in concert singing with KS Prof. Christiane Iven at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich

Master class:
19th Lotte Lehmann Week in Perleberg (2016)
Masterclass with Prof. Marga Schiml in Switzerland (2019)
Masterclass with Prof. Gabriele Lechner in Baden near Vienna (2020)

Prizes:
Scholarship from the Young Musicians Foundation in Mühlheim (2018) Scholarship from the Cusanuswerk study grant (since 2020) Finalist at the German National Singing Competition in the Junior Competition category (2020) Scholarship from the German Stage Association (2023) Staetshuys Fund Prize and Van Amelsvoort Prize for the best interpretation of a work by a female composer at the International Vocal Competition 2023 in `s Hertogenbosch with Lied Duo partner YoungSeob Jeon
Audience and jury prize at the HIDALGO Song Prize 2023 with Lied Duo partner YoungSeob Jeon

Relation to the Hamburg State Opera:
Member of the International Opera Studio of the Hamburg State Opera from the 2024/25 season

Important parts:
Susanna (The Marriage of Figaro), Nurse (Alzheim), Barbarina (Le nozze di Figaro), Silvia (L'isola disabitata), Lovis (Der Baumgeist), Papagena (Die Zauberflöte), Daphne Colgate (Georgia Bottoms), et al.

Stages:
Staatstheater Cottbus, Philharmonie Luxembourg, Cuvilliéstheater Munich, et al.

Cooperation with directors:
Frank Hilbrich, Bernarda Horres, Tomo Sugao, Maximilian Berling, Isabel Hindersin, et al.

Cooperation with conductors:
Errico Fresis, Johannes Zurl, Johanna Soller, Aris Blettenberg, Henri Bonamy, Gad Kadosh, et al.

Find further information about Marie Maidowski here.

Performances

• Boris Godunov
• Jubiläumsgala: 30 Jahre Internationales Opernstudio
• Elektra
• Dollhouse
• Hänsel und Gretel (Hansel and Gretel)
• Ariadne auf Naxos
• „Muss denn in diesem Land immer alles politisch sein?“
• Ariadne auf Naxos (concerted)
• Il trovatore
• Parsifal
• Le Nozze di Figaro
• Konzert des Internationalen Opernstudios
• Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute)
• The great silence

photo: Jörn Kipping

Tenor

Aaron Godfrey-Mayes

Birthplace:
Mansfield, United Kingdom

Studies:
Mascarade Emerging Artist (2022-2023)
Mascarade Opera Studio (2021-2022)
Advanced Diploma, Royal Academy Opera
Master of Arts, Royal Academy of Music
Bachelor of Music, Royal Academy of Music

Master class:
Allan Clayton, Royal Academy of Music
Dennis O’Neill, Royal Academy of Music
Carmen Santoro, Mascarade Opera Studio
Ann Murray
Ian Partridge, Royal Academy of Music

Prizes:
1 st place, Royal Academy of Music Pavarotti Prize
3 rd place & Wil Keune Mozart Prize, Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition
1 st place, David Clover Festival of Singing Recital Prize
19 th century Italian opera prize, Mozart Singing Competition
Prize winner, Richard Lewis/Jean Shanks Award
1 st place, Nottinghamshire Masonic Music Association Bursary

Relation to the Hamburg State Opera:
Member of the International Opera Studio of the Hamburg State Opera since the season 2023/24

Important parts:
Don Ramiro (La Cenerentola), Ferrando (Così fan tutte), Flute (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Alì (Adina), Albert Herring (Albert Herring), Triquet (Eugene Onegin)

Stages:
Teatro La Fenice, Garsington Opera, Nevill Holt Opera, Königliches Kurtheater Bad Wildbad, et al.

Cooperation with directors:
Oliver Mears, Marie Lambert-Le Bihan, Noa Naamat, Douglas Boyd, Paul Curran, Federico Grazzini, Pedro Ribeiro, Jean-Romain Vesperini, et al.

Cooperation with conductors:
Philippe Herreweghe, Trevor Pinnock, Iain Ledingham, Luciano Acocella, Jonathan Santagada, Douglas Boyd, Sian Edwards, Peter Robinson, Matthew Scott Rogers, Nicholas Chalmers, Dionysis Grammenos, Tom Seligman, et al.

Performances

• Jubiläumsgala: 30 Jahre Internationales Opernstudio
• Dollhouse
• La Bohème
• Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute)
• „Muss denn in diesem Land immer alles politisch sein?“
• Les Contes d'Hoffmann
• Auf in den Urwald!
• Il trovatore
• La Traviata
• Tristan und Isolde (Tristan and Isolde)
• Die dunkle Seite des Mondes
• Salome
• Konzert des Internationalen Opernstudios

photo: Jörn Kipping

Soprano

Tahirah Zossou

Birthplace:
Trinidad and Tobago

Studies:
Bachelor's and Master's degree (singing) at the Royal Academy of Music, London Great Britain

Relation to the State Opera:
1st soprano in the Hamburg State Opera Chorus

Solo-parts:
Ilia (Idomeneo), Despina (Così fan tutte), Due Conversa 1 (Suor Angelica), Maria (Der Diktator)

Performances

• „Muss denn in diesem Land immer alles politisch sein?“

photo: Jürgen Ohneiser