Michael Schopper

: 1942 - Germany

The German bass-baritone, Michael Schopper, sang as a boy in the Regensburg Cathedral Choir, and studied at the Munich Academy of Music. He won First Prize at the German Radio’s International Competition (the only German singer so honoured, written in 1976), and the Bavaria Prize for Young Artists (1970).

Michael Schopper quickly developed a worldwide career. Concerts and tours have brought him a reputation in all of Europe, South and North America, Israel, and Japan; numerous radio (in concerts under the batons of Karl Richter and Fritz Reiner), television, and many recordings for major labels have documented his varied activities as well.

Michael Schopper has worked with conductors such as Karl Richter, Bruno Maderna, Leonard Bernstein, Nicolaus Harnoncourt, Gustav Leonhardt, and Reinhard Goebel; his repertory encompasses virtually the entire song production of the European Baroque and Romantic eras, a large number of operatic roles, and the entire oratorio literature from the Baroque to contemporary music.

Michael Schopper first appeared in Israel at the 1971 Abu Gosh Festival (Johannes-Passion (BWV 245) and Weihnachts-Oratorium (BWV 248)), and subsequently sang with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Ensemble, the Haifa Symphony (in Eliyaho by Georg Frideric Handel) and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as in many recitals, including one of lute-songs, which are his speciality. In the second half of the 1990’s he has collaborated with The Bach Ensemble and Joshua Rifkin on concert performances in Italy, Germany, Austria, England, and Australia.

Michael Schopper taught at the Munich Academy of Music, as well at the Academy for Early Music in Brixen/Bressanone. He is now Professor of Voice and Historical Interpretation at the Musikhochschule of Frankfurt am Main.