Britta Schwarz

Born in Neubrandenburg (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern), the singer Britta Schwarz began her vocal studies at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin and later moved to Dresden to study with Prof. Christian Elßner and Prof. Hartmut Zabel. She then received a four-year engagement at the Dresden State Opera Studio (Semper Opera).

She won prizes at international competitions in Karlovy Vary (Antonin Dvorak), Zwickau (Robert Schumann) and London (Walter Gruner).

In numerous concerts with renowned orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, the Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and the Cappella Andrea Barca, she has been able to showcase her extensive repertoire with great success. She has worked with such renowned conductors as Philippe Herreweghe, Milan Horvat, Michel Plasson, Helmuth Rilling, Kent Nagano, Jörg-Peter Weigle, Bruno Weil, Marek Janowski, Peter Schreier and Gustavo Dudamel.

The many years of intensive collaboration with Sir András Schiff were very inspiring.

In 2000 she initiated her own song cycle LIED ZWEITAUSEND in Dresden (12 different song recitals) with great success, a highly acclaimed continuation with three evenings took place in 2003, as well as seven evenings in 2007 and three concerts in 2012.

Concerts and recitals have taken Britta Schwarz to almost every country in Europe, Israel, Japan, Canada, the USA and South America. She has also performed at international festivals, including the Spoleto Festival in Charleston (USA): Spoleto Festival in Charleston (USA), Utrecht Early Music Festival, Dresden Music Festival, Blyth Valley Chamber Music (England), MDR Music Summer, Rheingau Music Festival and the Passau European Weeks, as well as the Menuhin Festival Gstaad. She was once again a guest at the Lucerne Festival in 2014, performing Ludwig van Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis under the direction of Sir András Schiff.

Britta Schwarz has devoted herself intensively to baroque music for many years. This has led to many encounters with important baroque ensembles, e.g. the Freiburger Barockorchester, Cantus Cölln, Musica Antiqua Köln, Concerto Köln, the Batzdorfer Hofkapelle, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, the Rias Kammerchor and a very stimulating and formative musical collaboration with such renowned musicians as Reinhard Goebel, Marcus Creed, Pierre Cao, Gustav Leonhardt, Ludger Rémy, Hans-Christoph Rademann and, most recently, very intensively with Gewandhaus organist Michael Schönheit and the cantor of the Frauenkirche Dresden Matthias Grünert.

Important chamber music partners are Nora Koch (harp), Pauline Sachse (viola), the pianists Daniel Heide and Oliver Pohl, as well as Christine Schornsheim (fortepiano) and the organist Jörg Reddin.

In January 2001 berlin classics released the first solo CD with secular Italian baroque cantatas. Two further solo albums have since been released: Chorales from the Schemelli Collection (Querstand 2017) and Schubert’s “Winterreise” (Rondeau 2019).

With the ensemble frauenkirche under the direction of Matthias Grünert, complete recordings of the Christmas Oratorio, the Mass in B minor and the St. Matthew Passion by J. S. Bach have been released on the berlin classics label.

2022 saw the release of a highly acclaimed long-playing record “Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt” (“Only those who know longing”), a fascinating crossover project between jazz and classical music.

Britta Schwarz has been teaching at the Carl Maria von Weber University of Music in Dresden for several years, where she leads the oratorio interpretation course.

In October 2015, she was appointed honorary professor at the Hanns Eisler School of Music.