Max Ciolek is a Germantenor, conductor and composer. He is the founder of VokalEnsemble Köln. As a singer, he is noted for his recordings ofBach works, particularly theEvangelist in hisPassions, but he has recorded music from all periods of classical music and has appeared internationally.
Max Ciolek | |
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| Occupation | Classicaltenor |
| Organizations | VokalEnsemble Köln | ensemble vocaliter |
Born inDortmund, Ciolek first studied church music. He was "discovered" as a soloist when he sang in a choir for Bach'sMass in B minor, and stepped in as the tenor soloist for a singer who was ill.[1] He received voice training as a member ofThe King’s Singers, working with Alastair Thompson. He studied voice formally at theAkademie für Alte Musik Bremen withJohn Potter and at theMusikhochschule Köln withMechthild Georg. He took master classes withEmma Kirkby andChristoph Prégardien.[2] His repertory ranges fromGregorian chant tocontemporary andavant-garde.[1]
Ciolek is noted for interpreting theEvangelist in Bach's Passions and oratorio. In 1999, he performed the part in a recorded concert of Bach'sSt Matthew Passion as part of the festival Musikwochen Weserbergland, with choirs and orchestra of theMarktkirche, Hameln [de], alongside Hans-Christian Hinz as thevox Christi,Veronika Winter, Gabriele Binder andGotthold Schwarz, conducted byHans Christoph Becker-Foss.[3] In 2002 he was the Evangelist in a recording of Bach'sChristmas Oratorio atSt. Michael, Aachen [de], withWolfgang Karius conducting theAachener Bachverein and the Hamburger Barockorchester on period instruments, alongside Sabine Schneider, Christine Wehler and Raimund Fischer.[4] In 2003 he was the Evangelist in a recorded performance of Bach'sSt John Passion as part of the Bach-Tage Wuppertral, withWolfgang Kläsener conducting theKantorei Barmen-Gemarke and the orchestra of the Immanuelskirche.[5]
In 2000 Ciolek performed Bach's Mass in B minor withLa Petite Bande conducted bySigiswald Kuijken, a production which went on tours to Australia and South America.[2] The soloists,Elisabeth Hermans,Midori Suzuki, Patrizia Hardt,Petra Noskaiová,Knut Schoch,Jan van der Crabben andStephan MacLeod, also formed the choir (OVPP).[6]
Ciolek is the founder of the chamber choirs VokalEnsemble Köln and ensemble vocaliter.[7]
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