At the beginning of her career, Soprano Katrin Küsswetter focused on Early Music with Rosemarie Jakschitsch (HfM Trossingen and Stuttgart). Under the tutelage of the renowned Birgit Ströbel-König (Nuremberg) and KS Claes-Håkan Ahnsjö (Munich) she soon expanded her vocal range to lyrical coloratura soprano, however. With her versatile, brilliant voice and an outstanding broad repertoire now she covers the entire spectrum from Early Baroque to Classical Modernism. She supplemented her training by taking part in several masterclasses with Jessica Cash, Klesie Kelley-Moog, Frances Pappas, Anna Reynolds, and Richard Wistreich. Already during her studies, she engaged in active concert work, both as a concert soloist and as a solo ensemble member of various international vocal ensembles, frequently performing abroad in Europe. Even today, she is regularly engaged for the interpretation of rediscovered early works, as well as for contemporary music productions. Also, she has performed the premieres of numerous renowned contemporary composers. Therefore, vocal chamber music from all eras is of her particular interest. With her two ensembles, “Barocke Sinneslust” and “Classic meets Jazz”, she isn´t shy of testing and overcoming artistic boundaries between different genres in an unconventional way.
Additionally, she´s made a name for herself with W.A. Mozart´s virtuosic stage music. In 2019, she released her first solo CD featuring Mozart’s great concert arias. Her stage repertoire comprises such leading roles as Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute and Konstanze in The Abduction, among others. Her operatic roles also include G.F. Handel’s “Cleopatra,” J. Offenbach’s “Olympia,” “Zerbinetta” in R. Strauss’s “Ariadne auf Naxos,” and L. Bernstein’s “Cunegonde” (excerpt).
Katrin Küsswetter regularly performs as a soloist in prestigious international festivals, including the Ansbach Bach Week, the Stuttgart Bach Festival, the Innsbruck Early Music Festival, the Bayreuth Easter Festival, and the Balthasar-Neumann Music Days. She also sang for many seasons at the Bayreuth Festival. She has worked with internationally renowned conductors, namely Helmut Rilling, René Jacobs, Lars U. Mortensen, Hartmut Keil, Christoph U. Meyer and Sebastian Weigle. She has also performed with well-known period instrument ensembles such as the Neue Nürnberger Ratsmusik, La Banda, Augsburg, and La Ciaccona, Munich, and major orchestras such as the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra. In 2024, she will be performing with the renowned recorder player and Opus Classic Award winner Maurice Steger and Anne Röhrig, founder of the extraordinary ensemble Alta Ripa.
Her musical dedication and her adventurous spirit in rediscovering forgotten music have been repeatedly recognized with various grants, including those from the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and Arts and the Bavarian Association of Musicians. Recently, she released her widely acclaimed cd “Arias & Motets – Last Heroes”, which includes the world premiere recording of all Otto Arie Sacre by G. Giordani, supported by a scholarship from the German Music Council. After just 12 months, it was re-released by the international label Rondeau® at the end of 2023. Numerous live recordings and video productions with BR, WDR, SWR, and Arte further demonstrate her versatility.
Katrin Küsswetter is a full member of the German Association of Singing Teachers (BDG) and the German Musicians Association (DTKV). It is a pleasure to her to teach singing at several institutes in the greater area of Nuremberg and to support students at all levels of education.