Prof. Ulrich Vogel

Ulrich Vogel was born in Annaberg (Erzgebirge), and received his first piano lessons at the age of six. Until taking his A-levels, he attended the Schumann-Konservatorium in Zwickau (Förderklasse Klavier); he then studied conducting with Kurt Masur, as well as piano and composition at the Musikhochschule Leipzig. During this time, he was successful in conducting, chamber music, and improvisation competitions.

Following his first employment at the Semperoper Dresden, he worked as principal répétiteur (with conducting duties) at the Oper Leipzig / Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, later as Kapellmeister, between 1988 and 1998.

Since 1998, Ulrich Vogel has been working as a freelance conductor, directing ensembles such as the Rundfunkorchester Berlin and Leipzig, the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, the "Bilkent Symphony Orchestra" (Turkey), the "Sarasate Orchestra" (Spain), the "Pro Arte Orchester Wien", the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, the Jenaer Philharmonie, the Staatskapelle Weimar, as well as the "Orquestra Sinfonica da Bahia" (Brazil). Between 2000 and 2005, he was principal guest conductor at the opera festival in Salvador (Brazil)—a role in which he conducted the festival’s first production of Wagner's "Parsifal". He was also invited to prepare the new production of Wagner’s Ring cycle at the Opernhaus Zürich between 2000 and 2003.

In addition to his activities as a conductor, Ulrich Vogel has been a Lied pianist and chamber musician for many years, giving concerts with renowned vocal and instrumental soloists at the Berlin Philharmonie, the Konzerthaus Vienna, the Semperoper, the Munich Philharmonie, the Leipzig Gewandhaus, and the Schauspielhaus Berlin. He has toured throughout Europe, to the USA, South America, and Asia, and has produced CD and radio recordings of nineteenth- and twentieth-century repertories. His own song cycles were edited and produced by the MDR (broadcasting house) in 2000.

As visiting professor, Ulrich Vogel held masterclasses in Lied and chamber music at conservatoires in Lissabon, Granada, Oslo, St Petersburg, Boston, Seoul, and Sao Paolo. Since 2003, he has been a regular adjudicator at international competitions, and has offered joint masterclasses in Lied performance together with Peter Schreier.

He was appointed as professor at the Departments of Conducting and Opera répétiteur studies at the University of Music FRANZ LISZT Weimar in 2003.