Nicole Pieper (Mezzo-soprano, Contralto)

Born: Hildesheim, Lower Saxony, Germany

Thge German mezzo-soprano/contralto, Nicole Pieper, studied at Detmold College of Music under Gerhild Romberger, Thomas Quasthoff and Martin Christian Vogel. Private classes with Caroline Stein and chamber singer Harald Stamm and master-classes with Juliane Banse, Christa Ludwig, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Cord Garben and Christoph Prégardien have also provided her with important artistic impulses. She was awarded a scholarship at the Handel Academy in Karlsruhe and is a grant-holder at the Werner Richard - Dr. Carl Dörken-Foundation. She was a prize winner at the federal state vocal contest in Nordrhein-Westfalen and was a finalist at the federal level in Berlin.

Nicole Pieper has performed in a number of renowned concert halls in Europe, Russia and South America; among these the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Old Opera in Frankfurt, St. Petersburg and Danzig Philharmonic, Laeiszhalle in Hamburg, Gulbenkian in Lisbon, Grand Casino in Basle, State Opera of Hannover as well as a number of international festivals such as the MDR Musiksommer and the Schlosskonzerte in Bruehl.

Nicole Pieper has worked with conductors such as Howard Arman, Fabio Bidini, Gudni A. Emilsson, Matthias Grünert, Thomas Hengelbrock, Kay Johannsen, Rudolf Kelber, Jun Märkl, Thomas Neuhoff, Christoph Schoener, Andreas Spering, and Ariel Zuckermann. Her concert performances include numerous recitals with well known ensembles such as the MDR Sinfonieorchester Leipzig, State Hermitage Orchestra, Baltic Philharmonic of Gdansk, Kölner Kammerorchester, Cologne Bach Society, Capella Augustina, Concerto con Anima, North-Western German Philharmonic, State Orchester of Lower Saxony, Hamburger Camerata and the Ensemble Musica Viva Stuttgart.

Nicole Pieper gained operatic experience in the course of various productions by the State Theatre of Detmold and the Detmold School of Opera. Her operatic repertoire includes, among others, Orfeo in Orfeo ed Euridice, Dido in Dido and Aeneas, Sesto in W.A. Mozart's La clemenza di Tito, Hänsel in Engelbert Humperdinck's Hänsel and Gretel and the 3rd Lady in the W.A. Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. Her repertoire encompasses music from the Baroque era to contempory works; but she feels an especial affinity to concert works and art-song.

Nicole Pieper's recording of Hans Werner Henze’s Apollo et Hyazinthus, in cooperation with Jörg-Peter Mittmann and the Ensemble Horizonte, is available from Wergo. In addition to this, she has performed in a number of productions for radio.

“The absolute discovery of the evening was Nicole Pieper. The singer’s rendering of the Agnus Dei was deeply affecting.”
“A.’s decision to hire singer Nicole Pieper was a great success. The alto singer performed the well-known aria “Bereite Dich Zion“ from J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio in her pleasantly dark timbre with extraordinary flexibility and transparency. Her vocal range was especially convincing, from langorous depths to effortless heights.”

Sources:
Nicole Pieper Website (2017-2018 season)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (January 2018)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Matthias Grünert

Alto

[V-5] (2017): BWV 245

Stefan Kordes

Alto

[BT1-1] (2020, Video): BWV 170, BWV 54, BWV 169
[BT1-2] (2020, Video): BWV 146, BWV 55 [ripieno]
[BT2-2] (2021, Video): BWV 2, BWV 185
[BT2-3] (2021, Video): BWV 166, BWV 165
[BT3-2] (2021, Video): BWV 106, BWV 198
[BT4-1] (2022, Video): BWV 144, BWV 159
[BT4-2] (2022, Video): BWV 181
[BT4-3] (2022, Video): BWV 22, BWV 23
[BT6-1] (2023, Video): BWV 176, BWV 135
[BT6-2] (2023, Video): BWV 20, BWV 75
[BT6-3] (2023, Video): BWV 167, BWV 168

Links to other Sites

Nicole Pieper - Mezzosopran / Alt (Official Website) [German/English]
Nicole Pieper on Facebook