Raphaël Pichon debuts with Bach’s Mass in B minor

An explosion in my head
Portrait of Raphaël Pichon 

As a young countertenor, Raphaël Pichon sang under such distinguished conductors as Jordi Savall, Gustav Leonhardt and Ton Koopman. He was twenty-two in 2006 when he founded his own ensemble, Pygmalion, and their performances soon drew international attention. He makes his debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker this December.

Biography

Raphaël Pichon

“The sound must be like life – and life is extreme,” says Raphaël Pichon. With a fresh perspective on music, the Paris-born specialist in historical performance practice aims to “let the power of old works explode,” while ensuring that every new interpretative approach remains rooted in the intention “to serve the composer’s original message.” Indeed, Pichon’s interpretations sound opulent, monumental, and powerful – yet at the same time transcendent, airy, and light, with a bright and transparent sonority that allows every detail to emerge clearly. Raphaël Pichon studied violin, piano, singing, choral conducting, and orchestral conducting at various conservatories in his native Paris. He began his career as a countertenor, performing with leading figures such as Jordi Savall, Gustav Leonhardt, and Ton Koopman.

Nikola Hillebrand

After completing her studies in Munich with Fenna Kügel-Seifried and spending two festival seasons in Glyndebourne, Nikola Hillebrand became a member of the ensemble at the National Theatre Mannheim. Since autumn 2020, the soprano has been part of the ensemble of the Semperoper Dresden, where she can be heard in major roles of her repertoire such as Konstanze (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier), Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel), and Adele (Die Fledermaus). Hillebrand is also in international demand as a concert singer. As the winner of the international competition “Das Lied,” she has furthermore established a distinguished reputation as a Lied interpreter.

Xenia Puskarz Thomas

Australian mezzo-soprano Xenia Puskarz Thomas studied at the Queensland Conservatorium of Griffith University and at the Juilliard School in New York. She has also completed the Young Artists Program at Opera Queensland and was a member of the Opera Studio at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, supported by numerous scholarships. Xenia Puskarz Thomas achieved her international breakthrough in 2024 at the Salzburg Festival, where she was acclaimed for her portrayal of Aglaja in Krzysztof Warlikowski’s production of Mieczysław Weinberg’s The Idiot, conducted by Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla.

Beth Taylor

Beth Taylor studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and at the Open University in Milton Keynes. Winner of the 2018 Gianni Bergamo Classical Music Award and a finalist in the 2023 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, she has participated in masterclasses with Sarah Connolly, Susan Graham, Sir Thomas Allen, and Dame Emma Kirkby. Engagements have taken the young Scottish mezzo-soprano—who made her Carnegie Hall debut in May 2025—to the Glyndebourne Festival, the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, and to the Deutsche Oper Berlin, as well as to the Opéra de Lyon and the Brussels opera house La Monnaie / De Munt.

Huw Montague Rendall

Huw Montague Rendall studied at the Royal College of Music in London. In 2016, he was a Jerwood Young Artist at the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, and the following summer he took part in the prestigious Young Artists Programme of the Salzburg Festival. The baritone is also a graduate of the International Opera Studio Zurich. Guest engagements have taken him to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, and to the festivals in Glyndebourne, Salzburg, and Aix-en-Provence. In the past season, Huw Montague Rendall made his debut in Ambroise Thomas’s Hamlet at the Komische Oper Berlin.

Christian Immler

After his musical training as an alto soloist with the Tölzer Knabenchor, Christian Immler studied with Rudolf Piernay at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. The bass-baritone achieved his breakthrough in 2001 when he won the Nadia and Lili Boulanger Competition in Paris. Since then, he has enjoyed an international career as an opera, oratorio, and Lied singer, and he teaches at the Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences in Zurich. In addition, Christian Immler is a member of the faculty at the International Summer Academy of the Mozarteum in Salzburg and has served on the juries of numerous renowned singing competitions.

RIAS Kammerchor

The RIAS Kammerchor is regarded as one of the finest choirs in the world. The long-established ensemble, which celebrated its 75th anniversary in the 2023/24 season, is renowned for its precision and homogeneity. With vibrant musicality and a masterful balance between melodic flow and textual clarity, this multinational ensemble sets standards in nearly all areas of vocal music—from historically informed interpretations of Renaissance, Baroque, and Romantic repertoire to sophisticated world premieres that redefine the possibilities of contemporary choral music.