Akemi Murakami, born in Japan, studied piano at the Kyoto University of Music and Art and with Prof. Felix Gottlieb at the Freiburg University of Music. She received her diploma at the University of Music and Theater Munich after studying with Prof. Helmut Deutsch and Prof. Donald Sulzen, Prof. Céline Dutilly, Prof. Siegfried Mauser and Fritz Schwinghammer. Masterclasses with Helmut Deutsch, Graham Johnson, Wolfram Rieger, Ian Bostridge, Julius Drake, Christian Gerhaher, Gerold Huber, Thomas Quasthoff and Justus Zeyen complete her education.

Murakami is a laureate and finalist of many important competitions, including »Schubert and the Music of Modernity« (Lied duo) in Graz.

She played at the Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg in 2010 and debuted at the Max Reger Days in Weiden in 2012. Additionally she was promoted by Yehudi Menuhin “Live Music Now” Foundation. She is an official companion for the ARD music competition and at the »Liedakademie Vienna« with Angelika Kirchschlager.
With her duo partner Andreas Burkhart Akemi Murakami has already performed numerous Liederabende. She is the initiator and artistic director of the cycle»LIEDERLEBEN« in Munich.

Äneas Humm made his debut at Bremerhaven Theatre at the age of 18 in the opera “Kommititonen! Young Blood” by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.

At the moment, the  singer studies at the Hochschule für Künste Bremen with Krisztina Laki. He is also influenced by Thomas Mohr, David Thorner and Dora Kutschi-Doceva as well as the pianists Judit Polgar and Babette Hierholzer. It is very important for him to work with the director and conductor Thomas Albert under whose direction he was able to sing “De Profundis” by Nicolaus Bruhns with the Arp Schnittger Ensemble.

As a Lieder singer, he performed in Germany, Hungary, in the United States of America and in Switzerland. Äneas Humm has already been invited to several international festivals, such as the Liedfestival at the Lake of Zurich, the Langenberg Festival, the Arosa Kultursommer, the 23Arts Tannersville (USA) and the Musikfest Bremen.

After completing her studies at the Conservatorium of Music, Brisbane, Australia, Anna moved to Berlin, Germany. She was selected into the Academy of the Rundfunkchor Berlin, where she worked with renowned conductors such as Simon Halsey, Sir Simon Rattle and Daniel Barenboim. Performing with the Berliner Philharmoniker in the St Matthew Passion, directed by Peter Sellers, in the Berlin Philharmonie was a significant highlight.

Anna recently completed her Masters Degree in Lied, Oratorio and Concert at Universität der Künste, Berlin, with Carola Höhn. During her studies, Anna acquired a broad repertoire of Lied under the tutelage of Eric Schneider (Lied) and Axel Bauni (Contemporary Lied). She also attended Master Classes with Barbara Bonney and Hans-Christoph Rademann, among others.

In addition to Lied, Anna also focuses on performing contemporary music. She discovered her enthusiasm for unique and unconventional projects using classical and early music in a post-modern, urban environment in experimental music engagements such as the Berlin Kiez Oper“.

Anna has performed as a soloist at well known music festivals, including the Brisbane Festival and the Bangalow Music Festival (Australia) and at Musikfest Stuttgart. She currently works as a soloist in Germany and in various Lied and concert projects in Europe. Anna was recently accepted as a Lied soloist into the concert series “Vrienden van het Lied” in the Netherlands.

Dutch baritone Raoul Steffani studied at the Conservatory of Amsterdam and at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna.
Currently Steffani is a member of the Dutch National Opera Academy.

Steffani has participated in master classes with Thomas Hampson, Christa Ludwig, Marjana Lipovšek, Nelly Miricioiu and Elly Ameling.

The young artist won the “Elisabeth Everts Prijs” and the “Grachtenfestival Concours” in Amsterdam in 2016 and is a multiple winner of the Prinses Christina Concours in the Netherlands.

The baritone was a strong interest in art song. His repertoire includes the Liederkreis op. 39 and the Dichterliebe op. 48 by Robert Schumann.
In March 2017, Steffani and the German pianist Gerold Huber perform in Munich and Muziekgebouw Eindhoven.

As a finalist of the “Dutch Classical Talent” contest, Steffani will also perform together with pianist Daan Boertien in the 11 biggest concert halls of Holland in 2018.