Representation: World
Swiss baritone Manuel Walser studied singing with Thomas Quasthoff at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin, where he graduated with honours. He was awarded first prize and the audience prize at the international "Das Lied" competition in Berlin in 2013.
Manuel Walser was a permanent ensemble member of the Vienna State Opera for five seasons until 2019. In January 2018, he made his debut at the Berlin State Opera Unter den Linden as Harlequin in Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos. In February 2021, he made his debut in Strauss' Salome at La Scala in Milan, after which he appeared as Donner in a new production of Wagner's Rheingold at the Erl Festival in summer 2021. At the same festival he also made his role debut as Gunther in Wagner's Götterdämmerung in August 2023 and will return once more for the entire Ring cycle in summer 2024. In December 2022, Manuel Walser appeared as the narrator in a new production of Mozart's Magic Flute at the Opéra National du Rhin in Strasbourg and made his debut as Papageno in a concert performance of the same opera under the direction of Martin Wåhlberg in autumn 2023.
The baritone has long been a regular guest on the concert stage, having worked with renowned orchestras such as the Concertgebouw Orkest, Wiener Symphoniker, Staatskapelle Dresden, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Tonkünstlerorchester Niederösterreich, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, J. S. Bach Foundation, Concentus Musicus Wien and the Ensemble Pygmalion under conductors such as Anja Bihlmaier, Alfred Eschwé, Stefan Gottfried, Manfred Honeck, Martin Haselböck, Ton Koopman, Jonathan Nott, Raphaël Pichon, Andreas Spering and Jordi Savall.
Manuel Walser is particularly dedicated to the lied repertoire. Recitals have taken him to Barcelona, Paris, London's Wigmore Hall and the Schubertíada Vilabertran in the Pierre Boulez Saal, the Berlin and Vienna Konzerthaus, the Salzburg Festival, the Vienna Musikverein, Munich, Zurich, the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid and the Schubertiade Schwarzenberg.
Manuel Walser is a regular guest at the Wiener Konzerthaus, where he was featured as a "Great Talent" in 2019-2020. Highlights of the 2023-2024 season included Beethoven's Missa Solemnis and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, as well as Bach's St John Passion under Jordi Savall, Bach cantatas together with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra conducted by Kristian Bezuidenhout, Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with the Residentie Orchestra conducted by Andrew Grams, Schumann's Das Paradies und die Peri in the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie and Mendelssohn's Elijah in Ottobeuren. In summer 2024, he will perform Beethoven's Ninth Symphony this time at the Salzburg Festival. The 2024-2025 season will include concerts with Schumann's Der Rose Pilgerfahrt at the Vienna Musikverein, Schumann's Das Paradies und die Peri on tour with Jordi Savall, Bach's St Matthew Passion with the Gewandhausorchester in Leipzig and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with Jordi Savall at the Vienna Konzerthaus.
2024 | 2025
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Ludwig van Beethoven: Missa Solemnis op.123
Lina Johnson, Olivia Vermeulen, Martin Platz, Manuel Walser
La Capella Nacional de Catalunya, Le Concert des Nations
Conductor: Jordi Savall
Label: AliaVox, DDD, 2022
Johann Sebastian Bach: Kantaten Nr. 17
Manuel Walser, Bernhard Berchthold, Johannes Kaleschke, Annekathrin Laabs, Klaus Mertens, Sibylla Rubens et al.
Choir & Orchestra of the J. S. Bach-Stiftung
Conductor: Rudolf Lutz
Label: J. S. Bach Stiftung | 2017
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Complete Songs – Fanny Hensel, “The other Mendelssohn”
Susana Gaspar, Gary Griffiths, Manuel Walser, Kitty Whately
Piano: Malcolm Martineau
Label: Champs Hill Records | 2017
Johann Sebastian Bach: Matthäus-Passion
Manuel Walser, Charles Daniels, Peter Harvey, Joanne Lunn, Margot Oitzinger, Wolf Matthias Friedrich, Mirjam Berli et al.
Choir & Orchestra of the J. S. Bach-Stiftung
Conductor: Rudolf Lutz
Label: J. S. Bach Stiftung | 2015
Johann Sebastian Bach: Magnificat, BWV 243
Marie-Sophie Pollak, Soprano
Lucija Varsic, Soprano II
Annelie Sophie Müller, Alto
Werner Güra, Tenor
Manuel Walser, Bass
Claudio Vandelli, Conductor
Würth Philharmoniker
Symphonischer Chor Bamberg
Johann Sebastian Bach: St Mattew Passion, BWV 244
Francesca Aspromonte, Soprano
Valerie Eickhoff, Alto
Mauro Peter, Tenor (Evangelist)
Florian Sievers, Tenor (Arias)
Jonas Müller, Bass (Christus)
Manuel Walser, Bass (Arias)
Gewandhausorchester
Thomanerchor Leipzig
Andreas Reize, Conductor
Johann Sebastian Bach: St Mattew Passion, BWV 244
Francesca Aspromonte, Soprano
Valerie Eickhoff, Alto
Mauro Peter, Tenor (Evangelist)
Florian Sievers, Tenor (Arias)
Jonas Müller, Bass (Christus)
Manuel Walser, Bass (Arias)
Gewandhausorchester
Thomanerchor Leipzig
Andreas Reize, Conductor
Franz Liszt: Präludium und Fuge über den Namen BACH, S.260
Johann Sebastian Bach: Sinfonia aus der Kantate „Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal“ BWV 146
Johann Sebastian Bach: Tönet, ihr Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten, BWV 214
Johann Sebastian Bach: h-Moll-Messe BWV 232
Elisabeth Breuer, Soprano
Gunta Smirnova, Soprano
Valerie Eickhoff, Alto
Benedikt Kristjánsson, Tenor
Manuel Walser, Bass
Thomanerchor Leipzig
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig
Thomaskantor Andreas Reize, Conductor
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 8 in F major op. 93
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor op. 125
Lina Johnson, soprano
Olivia Vermeulen, mezzo-soprano
Martin Platz, tenor
Manuel Walser, bass
The Concert of Nations
La Capella Nacional de Catalunya, choir
Rehearsal: Lluís Vilamajó
Jordi Savall, conductor
Representation: World