Carsten Wittmoser, bass baritone

Bass baritone Carsten Wittmoser initially studied economics at the University of his native city Essen before additionally taking up his singing studies with Hendrikus Rootering. During 1992 and 1993 he took part in master classes at Bayerische Staatsoper; and after various engagements with Staatsoper Stuttgart he joined their permanent ensemble in 1997 performing i.a. the roles of First Nazarene in Salome and Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia.

From 2000/2001 he was a member of the opera ensemble in Linz for two seasons, where his repertoire included a.o. Colline in La Bohéme, Don Alfonso in Cosí fan tutte and the Hermit in Der Freischütz.

In the 2004/5 season, he was a member of the ensemble of the Freiburg Opera where his roles included Lindorf, Coppelius, Doktor Mirakel und Dapertutto in Tales of Hoffmann, Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor and the Doktor in Wozzeck.

Furthermore Wittmoser performed at the Gergiev-Festival in Rotterdam, at Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, Orff Summer Festival in Andechs and at Volksoper in Vienna. In 2003 he made his debut at Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin as Landgraf in Tannhäuser and performed Daphne with the WDR Sinfonie Orchester i.a. in Köln alongside Renee Fleming and conducted by Semyon Bychkov. A recording of this production is on the market by the Decca label. He also sang Fafner in Rheingold under the baton of Dennis Russell Davies at Bruckner Festival in Linz and in 2006 he performed as König Marke in Tristan und Isolde in a concert performance at Volkstheater Rostock.

Carsten Wittmoser appears in concert and recital throughout the world with a wide repertory which includes works of Mozart, Bach, Haydn, Puccini, Beethoven and Brahms. He worked with Martha Argerich, Helmuth Rilling and made his debut at Wiener Musikverein in 2005 under the baton of Ton Koopman.

Throughout the seasons of 2005/06 until 2007/08 Carsten Wittmoser was a member of the Hamburgische Staatsoper. There his roles included Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro, Seneca in L’Incoronazione di Poppea, Hermit in Der Freischütz,  Crespel in Tales of Hoffmann and many others.

His successful participation in the Seattle Opera Wagner Competition in 2006 was followed by an invitation to sing Ramfis in Aida at Seattle Opera in 2008 – marking his debut in the US.

In 2009 Carsten Wittmoser sang Pogner in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Rocco in Fidelio at Tiroler Festspiele under the baton of Gustav Kuhn.

Since the season of 2009/10 Carsten Wittmoser has been enlarging his repertory by Heldenbariton and dramatic baritone roles. Thus, his current engagements include Germont in Traviata, Villains in Tales of Hoffmann and Pizarro in Fidelio at the Komische Oper Berlin whereas the opera house of Bremen invited him to sing Simone in Eine Florentinische Tragödie from Zemlinsky.

In September 2010 he will have his South American debut singing Germont in Traviata at the Opera of Bogotá.

kr 08/10