Christina Koch , Soprano lirico-leggera
|
Name: Christina Koch Date of birth: 15th of july 1976 Place of birth: Teheran (Iran) Nationality: German Residence: Cal Pascual s/n E-25287 Ardèvol de Pinós, Lleida (Spain) |
|
1. Musical background and first musical studies in Germany and Spain:
Christina grew up in Berlin , Germany.
At the age of 17 she started both classical and jazz voice training in Berlin until she finished high school with her Abitur-degree especializing in Music and English .
1997-2004:
With 19 years she moved to work and study in Catalonia, Spain, where she has lived ever since.
Vocal Jazz studies at Barcelona’s Taller of Musics and official medium degree for vocal jazz in 2003.
Courses in choir conducting , offered by the Catalan Choirs’ Association (FCEC), level A & B.
2002-2006:
Meanwhile classical voice training at the conservatory of Manresa (Spain ) and official medium degree with Margarida Lladó in 2006.
2. Studies at Superior Level and masterclasses
2006-2010:
Classical voice and opera studies at superior level at Esmuc –Music University of Barcelona . In 2010 she finished Esmuc with the highest degrees in the singing class of catalan Mezzo-soprano Mireia Pintó and a mention of honor in the signature Lied.
She performed “Dialogues des Carmelites” by F. Poulenc at the end of term, singing the role of the protagonist Blanche de la Force.
Her final paper at University deals with repertories at the frontier of classical music and jazz and musical theatre ( reflecting her own personal musical background) , investigating on compositions by G.Gershwin, L.Bernstein, K.Weill, to name just a few. The practical part of this paper consisted in creating and performing her own play: Porgy and Thea (2010) where she involved the mixed choir she has been conducting since 2000 and also a children’s choir of the conservatory of Manresa , a jazz big band, several actors and a dancer apart from herself.
Sholarships:
During the last two years of her career she was awarded two scholarships for voice students offered by the Victoria de los Angeles Foundation (2008,2009).
Masterclasses:
She assisted to Lied and Voice Masterclasses with
Dolors Aldea, Alan Branch , Mireia Pintó, Francisco Poyato, Josep Surinyac (Spain),
Mechthild Georg, Beate Heuer –Christen, Wolfram Rieger, Ruth Ziesak, (Germany)
Cynthia Sanner (USA)
And Lorna Anderson, Robin Bowman, Malcolm Martineau ( Christina was selected for CREAR -programme in 2012) , Ann Murray, David Roblou, and Ryland Davies ( Great Britain) .
Jazz, Gospel and Musical masterclasses with
Carme Canela , Ana Finger, Spain, Paul Farrington, (Great Britain )
Didier Likeng, (Belgium),Emanuel Djob (France,)
And Sheilah Jordan, Walt Whitman (USA)
Voicecraft and Foniatry
-logopedic lectures in UAB University of Barcelona with Cecilia Gasull, she received a mention of honour
– Voicecraft Courses (Jo Estill method) with Helen Rowson, Viv Manning and Paul Farrington.
3. Professional experience as a Singer
2001-2013:
Artsong recitals with Arçduo
Since 2001 she has been working with pianist and composer Trini Mujal as Arçduo, giving concerts in Spain, Austria and Germany .
Performances as a soloist in oratory :
-Vivaldi’s Gloria (2008 Merçé’s cathedral,Girona and
2013 Caixaforum, Barcelona),
-Purcell’s Te Deum ( 2009 Barcelona and its metropolitan area),
-Mozart’s Requiem (2011 Cathedrals of Cuenca and Toledo,
2013 Lleida,Tarragona and Cerdanyola del Vallès )
-She is now preparing Haydn’s Creation ( October 2013 Berlin, Germany)
Galas with repertory from opera and zarzuela and theatre productions:
-Händel and Mozart arias Christina performed as an invited soloist with the Chamber Youth Orquestra of Andorra (2010)
-She was the soloist in the educational programme CANTANIA of Barcelona’s Auditori concert hall (2010) performing a cantata about immigration and integration by Venezuelean composer Alberto Grau.
-She sang together with the Italian soprano Fiorenza Cedolins, Spanish Tenor Antonio Gandia and Catalan Baritone Josep-Ramon Olivé at
Nit de veus al claustre at the monastery of Sant Cugat , Spain (2011),
-At Liceu Opera , Barcelona, at the presentation of the film about the soprano Victória de los Angeles, “Brava Victória “ (2011)
-Les Miserables ( semistaged and reduced version ) at the Theatre of Badalona (2011) with the Company La Oca Underground
-Operetta – at of the Avignon Theatre’s Off Festival (2012), with the Catalan Company Cor de teatre.
-Les dames de Charlie
Together with sopranos E.Durà and G.Coma Christina created and performed a play that combines the story of 3 female secret agents and a lot of famous and not so well-known opera arias . Performances took place at l`atelier de l’òpera,Barcelona (2012) and soon at Teatre municipal in Castellar del Vallès
( October 2013 ).
With different vocal ensembles :
-Member of 4×4 sextet,( 4voices and 2 pianists performing German, Catalan and Argentinian repertory) .
In August 2014 they will be performing works by Brahms and Guastavino in Hokkaido ,Japan
-Productions with Catalan professional chamber choirs Cor de Cambra del Palau, Cor de Cambra de Granollers ,the Lieder Camera Choir and the female A capella group INCOGNITAS.
4. Recordings
De velles a noves cançons, Arçduo (2013)
In the recording for their 10th anniversary as a duo, Arçduo explore Catalan rooted folk-music as well as classical Artsong and Jazz ,all arranged and composed by T.Mujal.
Il piu bel nome: Christina Koch took part in the Chamber ensemble in A.Caldara’s Opera for GLOSSA Music ( El Concierto Español ,dir. Emilio Moreno ref.GCD 920310 )
Victória de los Angeles canta a J.Nin:
She is one of the Soloists appearing on the Cd ,edited by the Victória de los Angeles Foundation and COLUMNA MÚSICA (Victoria de los Ángeles Collection, VdA-6 ref.: 1CM0196 )
Recently she has been recording Art Songs by the famous cellist and composer Pablo Casals for COLUMNA MÚSICA , supervised by Casal’s widow and former director of N.Y. conservatory, the musician Marta Casals. (Release expected in 2013 )
5. Teaching experience
1999 – 2013:
– as a voice teacher at several music schools since 1999 .
-Recently at Conservatory of Badalona (2011)
– in the team of voice teachers for Orfeo Catalan choir at the Palau de la Música, Barcelona (2012)
– regularly invited vocal teacher and Phonetics coach at the stages of the Andalusian Youth Choir, (Sevilla 2012 with conductor and tenor Lluis Vilamajor, Malaga 2013 with London-based conductor Carlos Aransay)
German language and phonetics teacher with singing students and professional opera singers since 2006.
-Recently she coached the cast of “·3 Knaben “ at Liceu Opera, Barcelona
for the 2012 production of Mozart’s Zauberflöte.
Choir Conductor since 2001
Working with different mixed choirs, children, elderly people and gospel groups
6. Languages
Written and spoken fluently:
German (native speaker), English, Spanish and Catalan
She is, of course, used to sing in Italian and French, too
christinakochvox 