Masterclass by the world-renowned mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig

29 October 2014 At the Mahler | Strauss Symposium the world-renowned mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig gives two masterclasses.

In 2014 the musical world celebrates the 150th anniversary of the birth of Richard Strauss (1864-1949). Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) were both decisive in the development of music during the end of the 19th century, the fin de siècle. The IVC organizes the Mahler | Strauss Symposium from Friday 31 October through Sunday 2 November at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. The world-renowned mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig gives two public masterclasses.

Visit the masterclasses by Christa Ludwig
On Friday 31 October and Saturday 1 November mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig hosts a public masterclass, accompanied by David Selig at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague (near station Den Haag Central). A day ticket for the symposium includes the masterclass and costs only € 20. You can also buy day tickets with discount. You want to visit all days of the symposium? Please note that we also sell passe-partouts. Click here for tickets.

Many great roles for Ludwig
Ludwig made her debut in 1946 at the age of 18 as Orlovsky in Die Fledermaus at Frankfurt, where she sang until 1952. She was a member of the Darmstadt Opera from 1952 to 1954, then sang the 1954–1955 season at the Staatsoper Hannover. She joined the Vienna State Opera in 1955, where she became one of its principal artists and was appointed Kammersängerin in 1962 and performed with the company for more than thirty years. In 1954, Ludwig made her debut at the Salzburg Festival as Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, and appeared there regularly until 1981. Ludwig made her Bayreuth Festival debut as Brangäne in Tristan und Isolde in 1966. In 1960, she performed as Adalgisa alongside Maria Callas as Norma, in Bellini's opera by the same title.

One of the audience's favourites
Ludwig made her American debut at the Lyric Opera of Chicago as Dorabella in Così fan tutte in 1959. That same year, she made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York as Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro and subsequently sang 121 performances in 15 different roles with the company until 1993. At the Metropolitan Opera, where she quickly became one of the audience's favourites, her repertoire included The Dyer's Wife in the Met's first-ever performances of Die Frau ohne Schatten, the title role and later the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier, Klytemnestra in Elektra, Ortrud in Lohengrin, Brangäne in Tristan und Isolde, Fricka in both Das Rheingold and Die Walküre, Waltraute in Götterdämmerung, Kundry in Parsifal, the title role in Fidelio, Didon in Les Troyens, Charlotte in Werther, and Amneris in Aida. She first appeared at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 1969 as Amneris in Aida.

Lieder repetoire & farewell tour
In addition to her opera performances, Ludwig regularly gave recitals of Lieder (together with the German pianist Sebastian Peschko and on occasion, Leonard Bernstein) and as a soloist with orchestras. Her performances of Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Wolf, Mahler and Strauss are much admired. She also sang Bach and performed and recorded most of his major vocal works. In 1993–1994, Ludwig gave a series of farewell recitals in many cities and made her farewell appearance at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, as Fricka in Die Walküre. Ludwig's final live operatic performance was Klytemnestra in Elektra for the Vienna State Opera in 1994.