Biographies & programs
26.5.24
17:20
Johanna Will
Germany
Nils Basters
Germany
Program
Franz Schubert
Im Frühling D 882 (Schulze) - 1R
Franz Liszt
Oh quand je dors D 282 (Hugo)
Tre Sonetti di Petrarca, S 270
1. Pace non trovo - 1R
Robert Schumann
Myrthen, Op.25
1. Widmung (Rückert)
Hugo Wolf
Spanisches Liederbuch
12. In dem Schatten meiner Locken (Anonymous/Heyse)
Edvard Grieg
En svane Op.24, Nr.2 (Ibsen)
Henri Duparc
1. L’invitation au voyage (Baudelaire) - 1R
9. Chanson triste (Lahor)
Erich W. Korngold
Four Shakespeare Songs, Op.31
1. Desdemonas Song - 1R
Media
Johanna Will
Soprano
Year of birth:
1991
German soprano Johanna Will was born in Munich and grew up in Dresden. Early instrumental lessons provided her entry into music, and at the age of 11 she began singing lessons at the Heinrich Schütz Konservatorium in Dresden. Several master classes with Professor Kurt Widmer (Basel) led to private studies with him beginning in 2012. Following her Abitur she studied Romance languages at the Technical Universität Dresden.
From 2015-2018 Johanna studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg in the class of Professor Carolyn Grace James, where she earned her Bachelor of Music degree. Highlights of her studies in Hamburg include the role of the Hexe in Hänsel and Gretel and the soprano solo in Zemlinsky's Lyrische Symphonie with the Hamburger Symphoniker.
In 2018 a full scholarship to the Mannes School of Music brought Johanna to New York City. After completing her Master’s degree with Ruth Falcon (†2020), she extended her academic training under Professor Arthur Levy and was awarded a Professional Studies Diploma in Voice in 2022, each with highest distinction.
She currently works with Professor Gerald Martin Moore (Director of Yale Opera) and coaches with Kamal Khan (NYC). Master classes have contributed a great deal to Johanna’s development as a singer; among others she has worked with KS Brigitte Fassbaender, Magreet Honig, Klesie Kelly-Moog, Gerd Uecker and KS Franz Grundheber and was a scholar in the Summer Academy Mozarteum Salzburg, the International Master Classes Vaduz and the Junge Musiker Stiftung Bayreuth. Already in 2012 she was awarded the Rolex scholarship to attend the Georg Solti Te Kanawa Accademia di Bel Canto, where she worked with Angela Gheorghiu, Richard Bonynge and Dennis O'Neill.
Nils Basters
Pianist
The pianist Nils Basters from Hamburg likes to change his styles. Whether as a song accompanist, chamber musician, performance artist or educator - he wants to bring music to people in a variety of ways. Chamber music and song accompaniment are Nils Basters' great passion; he has formed a permanent duo with the soprano Johanna Will since 2016. In 2020 he also founded the piano duo Basters-Katsaros with the pianist Stephanos Katsaros. He also regularly collaborates with the clarinetist Roman Gerber. Another focus of his artistic work is interdisciplinary work in the border area between music, theater and performance. In this context, Nils Basters regularly works with the stage director Aileen Schneider. Nils Basters has been leading a piano class at the Hamburg State Youth Music School since 2020. Several of his students have now found their way to various German music universities. Nils Basters studied at the Hamburg University of Music and Theater and at the Vienna University of Music with professors Anna Vinnitskaya and Martin Hughes. In 2019 he completed his concert exam with Prof. Péter Nagy at the Stuttgart University of Music and Performing Arts. He received further artistic inspiration, among others. by Konrad Elser, Emmanuel Ax, Matthias Kirschnereit, Pavel Nersessian, Brigitte Fassbender, Tanja Becker-Bender and Burkhard Kehring. In 2013, Nils Basters won first prize at the Elise Meyer Competition in Hamburg and was a semifinalist at the renowned Concours International De Piano Clara Haskil. In 2015 he won third prize at the Troisdorf International Piano Competition. In 2016 he received first prize for piano accompaniment in the Maritim Competition, awarded by the Franz Wirth Memorial Foundation.