Christian Gerhaher and the Berliner Philharmoniker, a ten year-long artistic collaboration: Since his debut with the orchestra in December 2003, when he sang the baritone solo in Benjamin Brittenʼs War Requiem, Gerhaher has taken part in a series of spectacular concerts, such as the performances of Robert Schumannʼs Paradise and the Peri, Carl Orffʼs Carmina Burana, and Peter Sellarsʼ staging of Johann Sebastian Bachʼs Matthew Passion. The Bavarian-born artist can also be heard in the latter two works in the 2013/2014 season – as the orchestraʼs artist in residence.

Bach, Schubert, Mahler, Fauré and Orff
In his role as artist in residence, Christian Gerhaher will also present a number of other exciting projects: at the beginning of the season, he sings Mahlerʼs Songs of a Wayfarer under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle. He also takes the title role, a character driven by the search for meaning and a thirst for knowledge, in Robert Schumannʼs Scenes from Goetheʼs Faust, a role with which he – according to the critic of the Frankfurter Rundschau – “sends one shiver after another down the spine” of the audience. Then of course there is Bachʼs St. John Passion, in which Gerhaher takes on the roles of Pilate and Peter. Fans of the more intimate song recital should not miss his interpretations of Schubertʼs song cycles Die schöne Müllerin and Die Winterreise, both based on poems by Wilhelm Müller. The baritone and his accompanist Gerold Huber will themselves introduce the audience to the world of ideas and sounds of the poet and the composer in a lecture and discussion. Together with members of the Scharoun Ensemble, the singer will conjure up very different musical spheres in Gabriel Fauréʼs cycle La Bonne Chanson, based on poems by Paul Verlaine.

Unique artistic partnership
With his warm, lyrical timbre and his clear diction, Christian Gerhaher is often compared to his idol Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, and Gerhaher received valuable advice and inspiration in master classes from him and other great singers, including Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Inge Borkh. According to the artist himself, the guarantor for his success as a lieder singer is his long-time accompanist Gerold Huber. The two of them met in their youth in Bavaria, have grown together as a duo and celebrate international success not only with their concert performances, but also with their frequently award-winning recordings.