Born in Bavaria in 1977, Wilhelm Schwinghammer was musically trained as a member of the world famous boy’s choir and own specialized high school of the Regensburger Domspatzen. He
then studied with Harald Stamm at the University of Arts in Berlin and perfected his education in master classes with Kurt Moll, Marjana Lipovsek and others. While still a student,
he joined the Frieder Bernius Chamber Choir in Stuttgart (1999-2004), was a finalist at the German Bundeswettbewerb (2004) and gained crucial experience at Philippe Herreweghe’s
Collegium Vocale in Gent. He performed in Haendel’s Saul under René Jacobs and is part of the Sette Voci Ensemble together with Peter Kooij.
In 2003 the young bass was engaged for the International Opera Studio with several productions at the Hamburg Opera, including performances of Parsifal in the famous Robert Wilson
production and John Neumeier’s Jubiläumsballett with excerpts of the Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem and the Magnificat. In 2005, as a highlight of his young career he made his debut at
the Salzburg Festival, singing Dr. Grenvil at the side of Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón in La Traviata staged by Willy Decker. This production has been live recorded to
be shown both by the Austrian as well as the German TV and is now available as DVD and CD. Wilhelm Schwinghammer will return to Salzburg in 2011 for Simon Rattle’s/Stefan Herheim’s
Salome – concert performances of the same piece are also planned in Berlin Philharmony.
Since the beginning of the 2006/20067 season Wilhelm Schwinghammer has joined the permanent ensemble of the Hamburg Opera with a number of new roles, including Masetto/Don Giovanni,
Colline/La Bohème, Lodovico/Othello as well as Theseus in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.For the opening of the jubilee season of Theater der Stadt Kiel, Wilhelm Schwinghammer
has sung the role of Rocco next to Adrienne Dugger and Scott MacAllister (sept. 2007), followed by a new production of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio under the baton of A. de
Marchi.
The season 2008/09 included roles such as Colline/La Bohème, Speaker/The Magic Flute, Eremit/Freischütz, Don Basilio/Barbiere and Sparafucile/ Rigoletto at Hamburgische Staatsoper.
Also, he has made his role debut as Kaspar/Freischütz and has sung at Schubertiade Schwarzenberg.
In the 2009/10 seasons, the following roles are scheduled for Mr. Schwinghammer at Hamburg State Opera: Il re(Aida), Leporello, Sarastro,Figaro, Eremit and many others.
At ARD Musikwettbewerb 2009, Wilhelm Schwinghammer has just won the 2nd award and the audience award.
Conductors:
He has sung and will sing under conductors such as Carlo Rizzi, Nicola Luisotti, Peter Schneider, Sir Neville Marriner, Stefan Soltesz, Simone Young, Helmut Rilling , H. Chr.
Rademann and many others.
Opera repertory a.o.:
Britten A Midsummer Night’s Dream/Theseus – Beethoven Fidelio/ Rocco - Donizetti La fille du Régiment/Corporal – Eötvös Tri Sestri/Kulygin - Haendel Alcina/Melisso – Lortzing Zar
und Zimmermann/Lord Syndham - Mozart Die Zauberflöte/Sarastro,Sprecher; Don Giovanni/Leporello,Masetto,Commendatore ; Le nozze di Figaro/Figaro– Puccini Tosca/Angelotti,
Sagrestano; La Bohème/Colline - Rossini Barbiere/Basilio - Strauss Rosenkavalier/Polizeikommissar; Salome 1.Nazarener,2.Soldat -Tchaikovsky Eugen Onegin/Saretzki -
Verdi La Traviata/Grenvil, d’Obigny; Othello/Lodovico; Rigoletto/Sparafucile; Aida/Il Re – Wagner Die Meistersinger/Nachtwächter; Parsifal/2.Gralsritter; Tristan und
Isolde/Steuermann - Weber Freischütz/Eremit and Kaspar.
