Biography

A native of Dresden, Jörg Hempel became a member of the Dresden Kreuzchor at the age of ten. In the following years, he continued his vocal studies with well-known teachers and coaches in Germany and Italy. He also has taken part in master classes with distinguished artists ranging from Theo Adam, Brigitte Fassb‰nder, Irwin Gage and Graham Johnson to Thomas Quasthoff, Peter Schreier and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf.

Hempel won first prize at the Antonin Dvorák Competition in the Czech Republic when he was just twenty-two.He made his London debut in 1996, as a participant in the Young Song Makers Public Concert directed by Graham Johnson.

Hempel currently appears in recital throughout Germany and Italy, and also as soloist in choral performances with such conductors as Nicholas McGegan and Helmuth Rilling. He has appeared with orchestras in Austria, Israel, Denmark, France, Italy, Poland and Switzerland, and has been engaged at several European opera houses.

Hempelís opera repertory includes the roles of Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte, Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro, Demetrius in A MidsummerNightís Dream, Ramiro in The Spanish Hour and the Prison Warden Frank in Die Fledermaus. His performances have been broadcast over radio and television.

Jörg Hempel made his North American debut with the Houston Symphony in November 1999 in Bachís B minor Mass, conducted by Peter Schreier, followed by performances of the Saint Matthew Passion in San Francisco and Chicago. He returned to the United States this past February for recitals in Boston and Chicago.