INTERNATIONAL MASTERCLASS

FRIEDER BERNIUS

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The work of Frieder Bernius has received great acclaim throughout the world; he is internationally in demand as both a conductor and a teacher. Frieder Bernius is the artistic director of the Kammerchor Stuttgart, Barockorchester Stuttgart, Hofkapelle Stuttgart and the Klassische Philharmonie Stuttgart. The cornerstone of his exceptional career rests in the creation of the Kammerchor Stuttgart in 1968, which he soon turned into one of the leading ensembles of its kind.
 
The creation of the Barockorchester Stuttgart and the Klassische Philharmonie Stuttgart in 1991 is testament to the stylistic versatility of Frieder Bernius. Whilst the Barockorchester concentrates on playing 18th century music on period instruments, the Klassische Philharmonie performs 19th to 21st century pieces with modern instrumentation. The bringing to life of the Hofkapelle Stuttgart in 2006 finally dedicated an ensemble to the music of the 19th century.
 
Whether conducting vocal works by Monteverdi, Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Faure and Ligeti, the incidental music of Mendelssohn or the symphonies of Haydn, Burgmüller and Schubert, Bernius consistently aims for stylistic authenticity, together with a distinctive and personal sonority. He is devoted to the rediscovery of 18th-century operas just as much as premièring the works of contemporary composers, and has a particular interest in the musical history of south-west Germany.
 
Frieder Bernius has given concerts at all major international festivals, directed the World Youth Choir on several occasions, been invited to four World Choral Music Symposia and is continually involved with the National Youth Choir of Switzerland.  He has guest conducted the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and the Stuttgarter Kammerorchester and since 1999, has maintained close ties with the Streicherakademie Bozen. Between 2000 and 2004 he participated in the Ruhr Trienniale, regularly works with the SWR-Vokalensemble and since 1998 has been an honorary professor at the Musikhochschule Mannheim.
 
In 1987, Bernius launched the International Festival of Early Music in Stuttgart (since 2004 under the name of Festival Stuttgart Barock), transforming the regional capital into a centre of historically-informed performance practice and a place of much-revered rediscoveries of forgotten musical treasures. Frieder Bernius' work is documented on many audio recordings and CD albums, so far totalling 100 recordings and 40 international CD awards. Bernius completed an edition of Mendelssohn’s ‘Sacred Works’ to commemorate Mendelssohn’s anniversary year in 2009.
 
Frieder Bernius was awarded the Bundesverdienstkreuz am Bande and the Verdienstmedaille of the State of Baden-Württemberg, in 2004 he received the Schwäbisch Gmünd Prize for European Church Music and in 2009 was honoured by the City of Leipzig with the Bach Medal.