Matthias Rexroth

Matthias Rexroth was raised in Coburg and completed studies as an oboist, playing professionally before discovering his countertenor voice. He usually refers to himself as an Altus (In English, a "Male alto").Heinrich Becker, "Matthias Rexroth Temperament für die Bühne", Orpheus, March–April 2003, pp. 10-11

Rexroth studied at the Musikhochschule Karlsruhe, the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, and privately with Marilyn Horne. In 1999 he received a stipend award from the cultural foundation of the state of Baden Württemberg.

Andreas J. Wiesand, Handbuch der Kulturpreise 4, Arcult Media, 2001. {{ISBN|978-3930395248}}

Rexroth was a professor of voice at the Warsaw Opera Academy of the national theater (2014-2020) Teater Wielki{{Cite web|url=https://teatrwielki.pl/en/ludzie/matthias-rexroth/|title = Matthias Rexroth}} and gives masterclasses at such places as the Berlin Hans Eisler Musikhochschule, the Meistersingerakademie in Neumarkt,{{Cite web|url=https://meistersingerakademie.com/faculty&sa=U&ei=nl1vU8qIO8jf8AHInIHoAg&ved=0CCgQFjAC&usg=AFQjCNGumWHmzZ4PwjSuuUgA0XniGBgHcA|title = IMA - Internationale Meistersinger Akademie}} Frankfurt Opera, Kyoto City University of Arts, Duszniki Zdroj,{{Cite web|url=https://ma.vdu.lt/menine-veikla/tarptautiniai-meistriskumo-kursai|title = Tarptautiniai meistriškumo kursai|date = 17 February 2019}} Daegu, Novosibirsk, Staatstheater Stuttgart, Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe,https://hfm-karlsruhe.de/veranstaltungen/archiv/ilja-korol-matthias-rexroth-interpretation-von-barockarien-mit-basso-continuo Teatro Nacional Santiago (Fundación Ibáñez Atkinson )https://www.operala.org/en/fundacion-ibanez-atkinson-masterclass-eytan-pessen-y-matthias-rexroth/ the Kaunas Music Academy,{{Cite web|url=https://www.tiketa.lt/LT/xxiv_pazaislio_muzikos_festivalis_margas_dainu_rastas_21250|title=XXIV Pažaislio muzikos festivalis Margas dainų raštas}} Volksoper Wien,https://www.bundestheater.at/documents/284/Volksoper_Wien_Gesch%25C3%25A4ftsbericht_202324.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwi4wqzwheGMAxXSQPEDHWsGHyU4ChAWegQIFRAB&usg=AOvVaw1PGxm0ggQkoXAZ-XyVt0fX as well as masterclasses for ENOA.{{Cite web|url=https://www.enoa-community.com/matthias-rexroth|title = Enoa}} Among his students are Hannah Fheodoroff,https://www.volksoper.at/volksoper_wien/ensemble/opernstudio_ensemble/Fheodoroff_Hannah.en.php Ewa Tracz,https://festiwal.nifc.pl/en/2019/artysta/30082 Nils Wanderer,https://www.salzburgerfestspiele.at/a/nils-wandererhttps://www.westfalenclassics.de/menschen/nils-wanderer/ and Jasmin White.https://queenelisabethcompetition.be/en/laureates/jasmin-white/5229/

Rexroth was hired by Pamela Rosenberg for his debut at the Staatsoper Stuttgart with Purcell's King Arthur in 1999.Klaus Zehelein, Editor, „Anders“, raumzeit3 Verlag, {{ISBN|978-3981100761}} (2006), A year later, in 2000, followed Apollo in Legrenzi's opera La divisione del mondo at the Schwetzingen Festival with Thomas Hengelbrock.Bernhard Hermann, Peter Stieber, Ein Arkadien der Musik: 50 Jahre Schwetzinger Festspiele, 1952-2002 Verlag: Metzler (2002) {{ISBN|978-3476019073}} s. 246 His first major concert appearance was the internationally televised Bach-year 2000, Bach's Mass in B minor from the Leipzig Thomaskirche with Thomaskantor Georg Christoph Biller, the Thomanerchor and the Gewandhaus Orchestra.J.S. Bach: Mass in B minor, Universal Music Classics & Jazz, 2001, ASIN: B003TXPUN2{{#tag:ref|Rexroth’s appearance in this concert is discussed effusively by a character named ‘Andre’ in a novel by Roland Schreyer.Roland Schreyer, Akte St. Nikolai, B.O.D (2010) {{ISBN|978-3839157114}}|group=n}}

Also in 2000, Rexroth won two competitions, both wins as first countertenor ever: the 37th Francisco-Viñas in Barcelona - first prize in the category Male voices, as well as ‘best counter-tenor’Bernd Krause, "Der Stuttgarter Countertenor Matthias Rexroth gewinnt den Gesangswettbewerb in Barcelona", Stuttgarter Zeitung, 1 February 2000 and the 19th 'Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition' in Vienna, winning the first prize and eight additional prizes.Peter Jarolin, "BÜHNE-Sonderpreis – ein Porträt des Siegers", Wiener Bühnen, September 2000, p. 39Barbara Rett, [http://www.mitbestenempfehlungen.com/hans-gabor-belvedere/ "Hans Gabor Wettbewerb geht online"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601035952/http://www.mitbestenempfehlungen.com/hans-gabor-belvedere/ |date=2013-06-01 }},

Barbara Rett's online blog, 7 July 2012. Retrieved 21 August 2013

In 2001 the Cologne Philharmonie nominated Matthias Rexroth for the "Rising Star" award, with a tour of major European concert houses.Christopher Morley, Financial Times (London), 28 January 2002 In 2003 he represented Germany in the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00f8102/profiles/germany-matthias-rexroth Cardiff Competition website] also Graeme Kay's blog (see "additional sources" below)

Matthias Rexroth has collaborated frequently with the conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt in roles such as Unulfo in Handel's Rodelinda at the Theater an der Wien,Opera News, July 2011 Hamor in Handel’s Jephtha, Didymus in Handel’s Theodora[http://www.musikverein.at/monatszeitung/show_artikel.php?artikel_id=452 Vienna Musikverein, Monatszeitung, Meistersinger aus Nürnberg] retrieved 10 July 2013 and Purcell’s Ode to St. Cecilia at the Vienna’s Musikverein and the Styriarte festival in Graz. Notable concerts include those with the Vienna Philharmonic under Riccardo Muti, Fabio Luisi with the Accademia di Santa Cecilia Rome, and Danish National Symphony Orchestra,{{Cite web|url=https://www.dr.dk/radio/p2/p2-koncerten/p2-koncerten-torsdagskoncert-med-luisi-carmina-burana|title=P2 Koncerten | Torsdagskoncert med Luisi & Carmina Burana | DR LYD}} Nicola Luisotti and Donato Renzetti{{Cite web|url=https://www.ottopagine.it/ce/cultura/130957/alla-reggia-la-magia-dei-carmina-burana-di-carl-orff.shtml|title=Alla Reggia la magia dei Carmina Burana di Carl Orff|date=21 July 2017}} with the Orchestra del Teatro di San Carlo in Naples and Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos with the Wiener Symphoniker, the ORF Radiosymphonieorchester and Vladimir Fedoseyev.{{Cite web|url=https://bachtrack.com/review-rso-fedoseyev-schnittke-shostakovich-musikverein-january-2016|title=The RSO and Fedeyosev blaze through Schnittke and Shostakovich}} Rexroth performs recitals regularly, at the Berlin Philharmonie, Prinzregententheater in Munich,Klaus Kalchschmid, "Matthias Rexorh Gefeiertes Debut", Süddeutsche Zeitung, 21 November 2005 Bad Kissingen,Ahnert, Saale Zeitung, 28 June 2011 and with pianists Semion Skigin,Dirk Aschendorf, (Engl. "Wahnfried's first Counter", WAT, 4 October 2008 Matteo Pais, Mariusz Kłubczukhttps://www.coburg-kongress.de/de/?id=198%3Aqcoburgs-finestq&catid=1%3Averanstaltungskalender {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.np-coburg.de/leben/tipps/np/tipps-np/In-Kuerze;art126812,5693165|title = Veranstaltungstipps: In Kürze - Neue Presse Coburg}} and Eytan Pessen.Recital review: Albrecht Schmidt, "Jeder Ton ein Ereignis, Matthias Rexroth singt, dass einem der Atem stockt", Damstädter Echo, 15 April 2002

Matthias Rexroth has also been a judge for the 10th Stanislaw Moniuszko competition.{{cite web |url=http://szymanowski-competition.com/en/competition/przebieg-konkursu/ |title=Competition stages - Karol Szymanowski International Music Competition |website=szymanowski-competition.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181022044049/http://szymanowski-competition.com/en/competition/przebieg-konkursu |archive-date=2018-10-22}} He has conducted the Georgisches KammerorchesterSandra Hummel, "Grandios: Matthias Rexroth und die Georgier im Festsaal", Donau Kurier, 30 September 2010 and the "Ensemble del' Arte" in Ingolstadt.Josef Heumann, "Eine Stimme, die Emotionen weckt", Donaukurier, 20 January 2013{{Cite web|url=https://www.augsburger-allgemeine.de/neuburg/Ensemble-del-Arte-feiert-25-Jaehriges-id55980646.html|title = Ensemble del Arte feiert 25-Jähriges}} In 2010 Rexroth appeared in a book of cooking recipes by famous opera singers Die Oper kocht by Evelyn Rillé and Johannes Ifkovits.Rillé, Evelyn and Johannes Ifkovits, Die Oper kocht (The Opera Cooks), Opera Rifko (2010) {{ISBN|978-3-9502956-1-0}}

File:Rexroth Matthias 012 jpg.jpg

Rexroth sang the title roles in Handel's Giulio Cesare (directed by Stefan Herheim) at the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet in Oslo in 2005,Ingrid Gäfvert, Opera News, 5 February 2005 Gluck's Ezio with the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf in 2007, and Handel's AdmetoBrooke Bryant, "Admeto re di Tessaglia by George Frideric Handel; Howard Arman; Matthias Rexroth; Romelia Lichtenstein; Mechthild Bach; Tim Mead; Raimund Nolte", Notes, Second Series, vol. 66, No. 3 (March, 2010), Music Library Association, pp. 621-622 at the Handel Festival, Halle. For his performance of Admeto, Rexroth was nominated "Best Singing Actor" for the 2007 German theatre prize Der Faust.Article: "Deutscher Theaterpreis, Rexroth mit Admeto nominiert", Neue Presse, Coburg, 28 September 2007 He performed the title role of Handel's Ottone in Halle in 2011.Review in Opernwelt (magazine), August 2011 Other Handel roles include Athamas in Semele in Essen, Arcane in Teseo in Opern- und Schauspielhaus Frankfurt and Staatsoper Stuttgart, Armindo in Partenope (under Christophe Rousset)Ulrich Weinzierl, Die Welt, 24 February 2009 and Tolomeo in Giulio Cesare in Frankfurt (2013-5).Hans-Klaus Jungheinrich, Frankfurter Rundschau, 4 December 2012Claus Ambrosius, Opernwelt'', February 2013

Apart from Handel repertoire, Matthias Rexroth performed Corindo in Antonio Cesti's Orontea under Ivor Bolton (2014) at the Frankfurt opera, Nibbio in Giambattista Martini's L'impresario delle Isole Canarie at the Semperoper Dresden (2014) (where he also performed various roles in Purcell's King Arthur -2014), Telemann's Der geduldige Socrates with René Jacobs at the Festwochen der Alten Musik in Innsbruck and at the Staatsoper Berlin, Ottone in Monteverdi's Poppea at Hamburg State Opera, Oberon in Britten's Midsummer Night's Dream at the Staatstheater Darmstadt.Orpheus magazine, 8 September 2002 Ozia in Almeida's La Giuditta in Frankfurt,Barbara Röder, "Giuditta, una opera sacra", Scherzo (magazine), N.255, September 2010 p. 39 Musico in Donizetti's Le convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali at the Staatsoper Stuttgart,Götz Thieme, Kunst und Wahnsinn, Stuttgarter Zeitung, 24 March 2001 and Strauss’ Die Fledermaus in the Aalto Theatre in Essen under Stefan Soltesz,Radio review by Ulrike Gondorf, dradio.de, December 12, 2011 and Alfonso in Francesco Cavalli's Veremonda.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/64ef5562-105b-11e6-91da-096d89bd2173|title=Veremonda, l'amazzone di Aragona, Schwetzinger Festspiele, Rokokotheater, Schwetzingen, Germany — review|newspaper=Financial Times|date=3 May 2016|last1=Apthorp|first1=Shirley}}

Concert appearances with the Vienna Philharmonic, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Radio Televisione Española Madrid, Staatsorchester Stuttgart, Santa Cecilia orchestra, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin,[https://www.akamus.de/veranstaltung.cfm?VERID=395 Online at akamus.de] Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, Concerto Köln,Matthias Boll, "Die klangvoller Rückkehr eines Stars", FN, 17. January 2007, p.4 Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart,Review of Handel's Messiah with Helmuth Rilling, Stuttgarter Zeitung, 12 December 2005 the Berliner Philharmoniker Scharoun EnsembleChristine Gehringer, "Ein Klang wie aus höheren Sphären", Badisches Tagblatt, 14 June 2003 Orchestra Montis realis,Giancarlo Satragni, La Stampa, 10 November 2006, p.57 and the festivals of Schwetzingen, Innsbruck,Klaus Kalschmid, "Telemann Der Geduldige Sokrates", Opernwelt (magazine), October 2007 Ludwigsburg, Rheingau, Baden-Baden and Shanghai.

The composer Wolfgang Rihm wrote Kolonos (“Oedipus auf Kolonos”)[http://www.universaledition.com/KOLONOS-2-Fragmente-von-Hoelderlin-nach-Sophokles-fuer-Altus-Countertenor-kleines-Orchester-Wolfgang-Rihm/komponisten-und-werke/komponist/599/werk/13176 Information on the work] on universaledition.com for Rexroth, performed and recorded by the SWR and the Rossini in Wildbad opera festival in 2008, and with Constantin Trinks in Darmstadt.[https://www.nmz.de/artikel/rossini-und-rihm-in-wildbad Ausgabe: 10/08 - 57 online review] Jahrgang[http://www.echo-online.de/freizeit/kunstkultur/musik/konzerte/Ein-einzelner-Ton-wird-zum-Ereignis;art8472,1343417 Online review on echo-online.de]

Recordings with all major broadcasting companies in Germany have taken place. These include: Bayerischer Rundfunk, Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk, Hessischer Rundfunk, Norddeutscher Rundfunk, SFB, Südwestrundfunk, ORF and Deutsche Welle.

• 2001: J.S. Bach Mass in B minor, Universal Music Classics & Jazz ASIN: B003TXPUN2
• 2004: Rossini Tancredi, Nef ASIN: B0002CPFCE Roman Fryscheisen, "Tancredi mit Counter Matthias Rexroth und beiden Finale Fassunge", Opernwelt (magazine), August 2004
• 2004: Solo recital: Stimme der Könige, Matthias Rexroth NEF ASIN: B0001TSYZS
• 2007: Händel, Admeto, Arthaus ASIN: B000M2EBTC
• 2007: Gluck's Ezio
• 2008: CPE Bach Magnificat / Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes, ASIN: B001GHD43G
• 2011: Telemann Germanicus, CPO, ASIN: B005UU066S
• 2012: Handel Teseo, Carus, 2012, ASIN: B002QEIQVI
• 2012: Mozart Ascanio in Alba, K. 111 (Excerpts) Ars Produktion ASIN: B008Y1VLGE

• Heinrich Becker, "Matthias Rexroth Temperament für die Bühne", Orpheus, March–April 2003, pp. 10–11 (In German)
• [https://www.ndr.de/ndrkultur/programm/rexroth101.html Live interview on NDR] (In German)
• [http://www.der-neue-merker.eu/matthias-rexroth 2008 interview] retrieved June 2013. (In German)

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Notes

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Additional sources

• Beeks, Graydon, Rexroth's performance in Admeto in the [http://americanhandelsociety.org/documents/Summer2006.pdf "Report from Halle 2006"] in Newsletter of The American Handel Society, Volume XXI, Number 2, Summer 2006
• Kay, Graeme [https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/blogradio3/authors/Graeme_Kay "This evening, the German singer Matthias Rexroth made history by being the first counter-tenor to take part in the competition"], 23 June 2003, on bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 27 June 2003
• Rillé, Evelyn and Johannes Ifkovits, Die Oper kocht (The Opera Cooks), Opera Rifko (2010) {{ISBN|978-3-9502956-1-0}}

• {{official website|http://www.matthiasrexroth.com/}}
• [https://archive.today/20130820090513/http://www.semperoper.de/oper/premieren/ensemble/details/4542.html Biography on the Semperoper Dresden website] retrieved July 2013

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Category:Operatic countertenors

Category:Living people

Category:German performers of early music

Category:Schola Cantorum Basiliensis alumni

Category:1970 births

Category:Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe alumni

Category:German countertenors

Category:21st-century German male opera singers