CHRISTOPH von WEITZEL - Baritone

"Weitzel's song interpretation penetrates into the existential. It is not only the beautiful singing that is

interesting, but also the sense of words intensified by the music, with which fundamental emotional situations

are described." What Gerhard Rohde writes about the singer in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reflects

Weitzel's concern: Starting from the word to fathom the music, to deal intensively with the meaning in order

to rediscover the true and the beautiful.

Christoph von Weitzel's warm baritone is not only a sensual experience due to the volume of sound and

fullness of the words. His musical presence is also supported by his physical appearance: with his "hero's

chest and lion's curls" (Info 3), he completely fulfils the classical idea of a charismatic singer. His successful

project "Opera for the Homeless - Winterreise - Lieder werden zur Großen Oper" also lives entirely from

Weitzel's strength to carry a "one-man opera" on his own.

Christoph von Weitzel completed his vocal studies with Professor John Lester (USA) and Barry Mora at the

Frankfurt Opera. There, during the sensational Gielen era, the budding singer experienced a wide range of

valuable musical and artistic stimuli through his daily experience of the opera business beyond his studies.

His participation in Elisabeth Schwarzkopf's Lied masterclass, and in particular his work with Kammersänger

Walter Berry, shaped his artistic development.

"The Happy Wanderer" - Robert Schumann

Engagements have taken him to the Salzburger Landestheater, the Vogtland Theater Plauen and the

Mainfranken Theater Würzburg as a permanent member.

He has sung as a guest at the operas in Frankfurt, the Nuremberg Opera, the theatres in Zwickau and

Regensburg and the "Alte Oper" in Frankfurt, among others. Christoph von Weitzel has performed as an

opera guest and in recital at opera festivals in Austria, Italy, England, Spain, the Czech Republic, Denmark,

Poland, New Zealand and South Africa. His opera roles are „Conte Almaviva“ and „Figaro“ in Mozarts „Le

nozze di Figaro“, „Wolfram“ in R. Wagners „Tannhäuser“, „Scarpia“ in G. Puccinis „Tosca“, „Rigoletto“ in G.

Verdi ́s „Rigoletto, and many more just to mention a few.

CDs, Television, Radio

Radio (e.g. M. Durufé's Requiem) and television productions as well as CD recordings with works by

contemporary H. Schmidt, "Winterreise" (F. Schubert) and the complete opera recording of the part

"Helwich" ("Der Schmied von Marienburg", Siegfried Wagner), "Schläft ein Lied in allen Dingen – The most

beautiful German popular songs", "Macht hoch die Tür- The most beautiful German Christmas songs", "The

most beautiful songs of East Prussia (Ostpreussen)" and "Dem Wasser zu singen" document his artistic

work.

Social issues, "Opera for the homeless"

Former Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmid and former Federal President Christian Wulff, among others, are

patrons of Christoph von Weitzel's project "Opera for the Homeless - Winterreise – Songs become Grand

Opera", in which the staged version of this work serves as a medium to raise awareness of the increasing

plight of homeless people and the work of their helpers.

With this project, he made a name for himself far beyond the world of music in West Germany.

"Opera for Shelter" in Berlin Central Station 

Christoph von Weitzel's concert repertoire spans the European music literature of four centuries, as well as

contemporary composers such as Gerhard Schedl, Wilfried Hiller, Franz Ersamus Spannheimer and Hartmut

Schmidt.

Above all, however, is the song:

He made a name for himself particularly with the staged versions of Schubert ́s song cycles and the

development of new forms of presentation and formats of song recitals. The Frankfurter Rundschau wrote

about Weitzel's interpretation of Winterreise: "With his powerful voice, he brings the melancholy, disillusioned

undertone of this Schubertian end-time work to life in a stirring way".

He is particularly involved in the development of new forms and formats for recitals. In addition to the staged

song recitals, he has also developed commented song recitals such as "Schläft ein Lied in allen Dingen -

Christoph von Weitzel sings and comments on the most beautiful German folk songs", in which interesting

information on the respective theme and the stories contained therein is conveyed in a dramaturgically

narrative process.

Christoph von Weitzel is creative in the development of new formats of song recitals.

Lieder recitals regularly take him to numerous German and European concert halls and festivals such as

Frankfurt (Alte Oper), Munich (Gasteig), Berlin (Palais am Festungsgraben), Aberdeen (Haddo House),

Hamburg (Laeizehalle), Mozartfest Würzburg, Mosel Musikfestival, Hohenloher Kultursommer, Fränkischer

Sommer, Schubertiade Roskilde Denmark, in Italy and many others. As well as to other continents such as

New Zealand and South Africa. He is the founder and director of the festival: "Dein LIED Internationales

Festival des Liedes", www.dein-lied.com and the „Orangerie-Konzerte Schloss Unternzenn“,

www.orangerie-konzerte.de.