Tag Archives: Tenor

Teachers: 

Stylistic versatility, authentic sound, and the synthesis of word and music form the fundamental pillars of singing for the tenor Wolfgang Klose. He received decisive artistic impulses from Thomas Heyer, Mario Hoff, and Konrad Jarnot, as well as in masterclasses with Francisco Araiza, Julie Kaufmann, and Kurt Widmer.

On the opera stage he has appeared in several lyric roles, including Tamino (The Magic Flute), Symon (The Beggar Student), and Pylades (Iphigenia in Tauris). In addition to independent productions, engagements have taken him, among others, to the Handel Festival in Halle, the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, and the stages of the City of Cologne.

His particular passion, however, is concert singing. His broad repertoire ranges from Monteverdi to contemporary modern works, with a focus on the cantatas and oratorios of the Baroque and Classical periods. As a guest at numerous festivals and concert venues in Germany and abroad (Gewandhaus Leipzig, Cologne Philharmonie, Essen Philharmonie, Tonhalle Düsseldorf, Beethovenhalle Bonn, Wrocław Philharmonic, and many others), he performs equally with symphony orchestras and period-instrument ensembles, collaborating with renowned conductors.

In 2013, the Association of German Concert Choirs awarded him first prize at the Podium of Young Vocal Soloists. Radio and CD recordings document his artistic work, including releases with WDR, rbb, SWR, as well as Carus Verlag, Virgin Classics (formerly EMI France), and cpo.

A graduate of the Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf, he has been teaching successfully in courses since 2008 and at university level since 2010. After teaching assignments at various universities, he has led a voice class at the hmt Rostock since 2015. His students have achieved success in competitions and already appear as soloists on concert and opera stages.

In addition, he serves as a competition juror.

Christian von Gehren completed his studies in conducting and piano with distinction at the music universities in Karlsruhe and Copenhagen. His work as a conductor has taken him to major European orchestras such as the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig, and the Munich Radio Orchestra, as well as to opera houses in Paris, Marseille, Nice, Copenhagen, Wiesbaden, and Leipzig.

He has also conducted at festivals in Bregenz, Birmingham, and Bergen. In 2016 he made his conducting debut in Shanghai with Orff’s Carmina Burana. From 2017 to 2020, Christian von Gehren was chief conductor of the Jönköping Symphony Orchestra in Sweden, with which he performed a wide symphonic repertoire from Mozart and Beethoven to Richard Strauss, Claude Debussy, and Gustav Mahler. In the operatic field, he most recently conducted Bernstein’s On the Town and Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia there.

He also has a strong interest in the oratorio repertoire: most recently he conducted Bach’s Christmas Oratorio in Jönköping and the St John Passion in Essen. Work with young orchestral musicians is equally important to him: from 2009 to 2015 he was Musical Director of the Orff Academy of the Munich Radio Orchestra, an international orchestral academy that accompanied a production each summer at the Carl Orff Festival in Andechs. As chief conductor in Jönköping, he supported collaborations with the music universities in Gothenburg and Malmö in the fields of orchestral work and contemporary music. He is also active as a song accompanist and regularly gives masterclasses in the fields of Lied, opera, and oratorio, for example at the music universities in Oslo and Odense.

As a pianist, he has accompanied masterclasses by Christa Ludwig, Renata Scotto, and Ulf Bästlein.

From 2000 to 2003 he directed France’s largest state opera studio, the Centre National d’Insertion Professionnelle d’Artistes Lyriques. Since 2016, Christian von Gehren has taught orchestral conducting at the Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf. Since 2022 he has also been affiliated with the HfMDK Frankfurt through teaching in the field of music theatre. In 2025, the Robert Schumann Hochschule appointed him professor.

Dates: 

Arrival: Monday, July 27, 2026, until 12 pm
Closing concert: Friday, July 31st, 2026, 6:30 pm
Departure: Saturday, August 1st, 2026, until 12 pm

Course Description:

The voice is the instrument most closely connected to the human body and therefore capable of transporting emotions unfiltered and most directly to the audience. Etymologically, there is a direct translation to  personare (latin for through sounding); in Hebrew there is even the same word for soul and throat.

For five days we will be working on throat skills which will help to make these connections hearable. Additionally to working on stylistic differences of the epochs, diction and interpretation impulses the fun of making music is of great importance as well!

Our master class is intended for all who are searching for new impulses in singing and interpreting – e.g. as a preparation for attending universities or for a check-up for (midterm) exams – we will work individually in three units each day and actually strengthen the instrument “voice”.

The interpretation of the repertoire will increase in authenticity by working out and improving individual qualities.

The masterclass will be accompanied by Prof. Christian von Gehren.

Repertoire:

Concert and opera arias, as well as art songs from the baroque era to contemporary music

Accommodation:

Students are hosted on a shared room basis in a beautiful villa on the bank of the Rhine river.

Meals:

A kitchen is available for cooking; groceries can be bought in a nearby supermarket. Group shopping is advised. A different team can do the cooking daily, which can be organize in situ.

Rooms:

Committed to the spirit of romanticism, all masterclasses offered by the Sankt Goar International Music Festival and Academy unite everything under one roof: living, learning, eating and sleeping. That is why participants will be hosted on a shared room basis.

For further impression, please visit our venue site.

Audition information and registration:

In order to be accepted, you must meet one of the following criteria:

(a) be recommended by Mr. Klose, or
(b) submit an unedited video audition (YouTube link) for review.

In addition, you must complete and submit our application form and pay a €40,- application fee.

Registration Deadline: June 27, 2026

Tuition:

Course fee (incl. accommodation): €590,-