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Bass Maximilian Anger began his musical career with the Vienna Boys' Choir. He is currently studying solo voice at the MUK in his hometown of Vienna
as well as vocal pedagogy at the mdw. He has performed with numerous ensembles, including VieVox, Company of Music, and Momentum Vocal Music. He has appeared as a soloist in Britten’s "Death in Venice" (Neue Oper Wien), Mozart’s "Coronation Mass" with the Vienna Boys’ Choir and the Györ Philharmonic Orchestra, and his participation in the 2022–24 Salzburg Festival with the Vienna State Opera Chorus Concert Association mark important milestones in his career. As a prize winner of the competition of the same name, he will perform in various productions at the Kammeroper Schloss Rheinsberg in 2025 and 2026, including the title role in André Gretry’s "Bluebeard." During the 2025–26 season, Maximilian appeared, among other roles, at the Theater in der Josefstadt in "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" and at the Salzburg Mozart Week as the Second Armored Man in "The Magic Flute." He also expanded his repertoire by taking on the role of Baculus in Lortzing’s *Wildschütz* at the MUK. He benefited from master classes with renowned singers such as Giacomo Aragall, Adrian Eröd, and Ian Bostridge.

Binta Anne (soprano) has been pursuing a bachelor’s degree in voice at the Hamburg University of Music and Theater (HfMT) since 2023. An audition with the artistic director of the Frankfurt Opera encouraged her to pursue a career in singing; prior to that, she was a pre-college student at Dr. Hoch’s Conservatory in Frankfurt. She gained important artistic inspiration in master classes with, among others, Brigitte Fassbaender, Klesie Kelly-Moog, François Le Roux, the Wagner Association, and soon with Christoph Prégardien. Her musical career began in the Frankfurt Opera Children’s Choir, where she performed numerous roles as a child soloist, including the Little Daughter (Königskinder), the Second Boy (The Magic Flute), and Vreli (Romeo and Juliet in the Village). As a junior ambassador for the Peter Ustinov Foundation’s Opera School, she also gained concert and stage experience at an early age (including in *Dido and Aeneas*). At the Hamburg University of Music and Theater (HfMT), she appeared as early as her first semester as Euridice in Monteverdi’s *L’Orfeo* and most recently as Papagena in Mozart’s *The Magic Flute*. Art song is also a particular focus of her work. Her repertoire includes works by Brahms, Fauré, Florence B. Price, Poulenc, Schubert, Strauss, Wolf, and Emilie Mayer. Binta Anne is a national prize winner of “Jugend musiziert” and a recipient of the Mozart Prize from the Absalomon Foundation. Since 2023, she has been a scholarship recipient of Live Music Now Hamburg and performs regularly at social institutions in the area.

Marie Lina Hanke was born in 2003 in Mönchengladbach. Since the winter semester of 2023, she has been studying voice and music theatre at the Folkwang University of the Arts. Marie Lina Hanke has taken singing lessons with Klaus Paulsen since 2012 and, since 2017, additionally with Dorothee Wohlgemuth. Her early musical activities included membership in various ensembles as well as project and chamber choirs (including Junges Vokalensemble, Newkammer-Chor, Forum Vocale), with which she took part in cantata and other concert projects. She also participated as a soloist in the musical shaping of a wide range of concert masses. In 2016 and 2019, she won first prize at the national Jugend Musiziert competition in the Early Music category and, in 2016, received the special prize of the German Society for
Vocal Pedagogy (DGP). In 2019, she took part in the German chamber music course in Trossingen. From 2018, she sang the role of the First Boy in Mozart’s The Magic Flute at Theater Krefeld/Mönchengladbach for three seasons. In 2023, she took on the role of Hebe (chorus) in Zsófia Geréb’s production of Offenbach’s operetta Orpheus in the Underworld at the Folkwang University of the Arts. In 2024, she appeared as Mrs. Nordstrom in Sondheim’s musical A Little Night Music, directed by Gil Mehmert. Also in 2024, she made her debut as Lucia in Benjamin Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia in a production by Georg Zlabinger at the Folkwang University of the Arts. In 2025, she was selected to take part in the Singer's Academy Becoming '25 of the Balthasar Neumann Ensembles. For the revival of The Magic Flute, she returned to Theater Krefeld as the First Boy. She also appeared as Clarice at the Bundesakademie Junges Musiktheater in the Kammeroper Schloss Rheinsberg. She also sang the role of Belinda in a concert performance of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. Marie Lina Hanke is among the winners of the 35th International Singing Competition of the Kammeroper Schloss Rheinsberg and, as a result, will appear at the song recitals following participation in Carolin Masur’s Lied class at the
Liederabende. She will also provide the musical programme for the Tucholsky Literary Festival.

Her interest in music was sparked in childhood and developed through her participation in various children’s festivals. At these events, she won her first singing awards in the categories of voice and interpretation at a very young age. At the age of nine, she began taking piano lessons and attending her first school music classes in addition to her singing lessons. While attending a music high school, she began her classical vocal training at the age of fourteen with Marina Cuca Franović in Podgorica. This was followed by four years of musical training. Lorena Jankovic graduated from high school in 2021. Since 2021, she has been studying vocal performance at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna in the class of Prof. Martin Vácha, and since 2025 in the class of Prof. Claudia Visca. In December 2025, she made her debut as Hansel in the opera “Hansel and Gretel” at the Schönbrunn Palace Theater. In June 2026, she successfully completed her bachelor’s degree in voice. In October 2026, she will begin her master’s degree in Lied, Oratorio, and Concert under the guidance of Florian Boesch and Andreas Fröschl. In September 2026, she will make her debut as the Muse in the production “Karussel” at the NEST (New Vienna State Opera).

Sophie List, a mezzo-soprano born in Lower Austria, discovered her passion for music at an early age and completed her bachelor’s degree in voice in Margit Klaushofer’s class at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (MDW) in June 2026. Starting in the fall of 2026, she will continue her education in the Master’s program in Musical Drama, also at the MDW. She gained important artistic inspiration through master classes with Claudia Visca, Laura Aikin, Robert Holl, and others. Sophie has appeared in several roles in various university productions. In 2024, she sang the title role of Hansel in *Hansel and Gretel* at the Schönbrunn Palace Theater; this was followed in 2025 by her role debut as the Third Lady in Mozart’s *The Magic Flute* and as the Second Cercatrice in Puccini’s *Suor Angelica*. In June of this year, she appeared as Bastien in Mozart’s *Bastien & Bastienne*. In May 2026, she sang the alto solo in Mozart’s *Requiem* with the Vienna Philharmonic. She gained further stage experience in 2024 as a member of the chorus at the St. Margarethen Opera Festival (*Aida*) and at the Salzburg Festival (*Hamlet*). At Christmas 2025, she sang the Christmas carol “Silent Night” as part of the ORF charity gala *Licht ins Dunkel*.

Milutin Marjanovic (2005), a 21-year-old bass born in Berlin, is considered one of the most promising young singers of his generation. He was recently accepted into the talent development program at the Mascarade Opera Studio in Florence. His impressive stage presence and remarkable vocal maturity have already earned him numerous appearances on the opera stage. Among his most notable roles are Sarastro and the Speaker in Mozart’s *The Magic Flute* at the Operosa Opera Festival in Montenegro (2025), Pistola in Verdi’s *Falstaff* at the UNI.T Theater of the Berlin University of the Arts (2026), and Lysander in Britten’s *A Midsummer Night’s Dream* at the Oper Oder-Spree Festival (2024/25). His artistic potential was particularly recognized through a personal invitation from the Staatsoper Unter den Linden to perform at a matinee in the Apollosaal alongside the International Opera Studio. In August 2026, he will continue his training with master classes led by Joyce DiDonato and Christoph Prégardien, made possible by a scholarship from Academia Vocalis. In addition to his opera work, Marjanovic can be seen on concert tours as the regular bass understudy for the renowned vocal ensemble German Gents. He is studying at the Berlin University of the Arts under Prof. Albert Pesendorfer. His musical training began in early childhood under the guidance of his mother, the well-known vocal pedagogue Snežana Brzaković.

Olivier Nilles, a baritone from Luxembourg, is highly regarded by music critics for his refined timbre and his sweeping cantilenas, which combine power and intensity. He gained international recognition in 2022 when he was named “European Young Soloist” by the European Union of Music Competitions for Youth (EMCY). He completed his master’s degree in concert singing in July 2026 with top honors. Starting in the 2026–27 winter semester, he will further his specialization in the master’s program in Lied performance at the Karlsruhe University of Music under Prof. Hanno Müller-Brachmann and Prof. Alexander Fleischer. His musical career began in the Pueri Cantores Luxembourg boys’ choir at the Luxembourg City Conservatory. Since then, engagements have taken him to stages across Europe, North America, and South Korea. He has also been a guest at festivals such as the International Bach Festival in Stuttgart, the International Liedfestival in Burglinster, and the Early Music Days in Vianden. He gained significant artistic inspiration through his collaboration with the internationally acclaimed Karina Canellakis. His achievements include first prize at the Thomas Kuti Luxembourg Competition, the gold medal, and the award for best soloist at the European Competition for Young Soloists.

Lyrical tenor Justus Rüll captivates audiences with his luminous, radiant timbre. After earning his bachelor’s degree at the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts (HMT Munich) in Prof. Iride Martinez’s class, he will continue his studies there beginning in the winter semester of 2026, pursuing a master’s degree in concert singing as well as specialized training in art song interpretation under Tobias Truniger. His career has been shaped by top-tier mentorship: intensive work on lieder interpretation with Gerold Huber and formative guidance from Roberto Sacca form the foundation of his artistry. He is also significantly supported by his artistic partnership with Stanislava Stoytcheva. Rüll first drew attention to himself early on as Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni) at the Reaktorhalle in Munich. He received guidance for his work with the Gärtnerplatztheater orchestra in 2023–2025 from Prof. Marcus Bosch (Così fan tutte). As a concert and art-song singer, he has made guest appearances at the European Weeks in Passau and “Klassik im Kloster.” In 2026, he will make his debut as Harlequin (The Emperor of Atlantis) and as Ferrando (Così fan tutte) at the Munich Chamber Opera. Justus Rüll is a 2024 recipient of the Fritz-Wunderlich Society Award and a recipient of the Germany Scholarship. His career began at a young age as Tamino with the Munich Philharmonic and in the children’s choir of the Bavarian State Opera.

Maria Shebzukhova is a German mezzo-soprano of Russian descent, born in Moscow and raised in Düsseldorf. Influenced from an early age by piano lessons, singing, acting, improvisational theater, and dance, she developed a versatile artistic foundation. In June 2026, she graduated with honors from Prof. Laura Aikin’s class with a bachelor’s degree and has been continuing her training at the August Everding Theater Academy in Munich since September 2026. Her opera repertoire includes roles such as Hansel (Hansel and Gretel), Dorabella, Cherubino, and the Second Lady (Mozart), the Actor in Péter Eötvös’s *Radamès*, the title role in Charpentier’s *Médée*, and Zelatrice and Badessa in Puccini’s *Suor Angelica*. In January 2026, she presented the music theater project *Who Killed This Diva*, which she developed herself, at the Neue Staatsoper Wien, in which she explored the character of Luisa Miller from a contemporary, interdisciplinary perspective. Collective creation and the fusion of various art forms characterize her work. For example, she collaborated with the Opera Seria collective as a film actress in a *Wozzeck* film series and, together with colleagues, developed a new interpretation of the third act of Gluck’s *Orfeo ed Euridice*, in which she also sang the title role. Master classes with Helmut Deutsch, Thomas Hampson, Romana Noack, Audrey Saint-Gil, and Irene Kudela rounded out her training. In 2026, she also received a scholarship for a master class on twelve-tone music at the Arnold Schönberg Center in Vienna.

Artemy Sokolovsky is a Russian-Israeli pianist and is studying at the Franz Liszt University of Music in Weimar in Prof. Michail Lifits’s piano class. Prior to that, he graduated from the Gnessin Specialized Music School in Moscow, where he studied under Prof. Elena Berezkina. He performs internationally as a soloist, chamber musician, and art-song pianist and is a prize winner at several international competitions, including first prizes at the Russian Piano Music Competition in Sanremo and the Silvio Bengalli Piano Prize in Pianello Val Tidone (both in 2023), as well as a special prize for the best interpretation of Chopin at the International Chopin Avenue Piano Competition in Hong Kong (2021). A particular focus of his artistic work is the art song. Together with soprano Iuliana Ioana, he forms a song duo that studies with Prof. Thomas Steinhöfel and regularly presents art song and vocal chamber music programmes in Germany. In 2026, the duo reached the finals of the “Bolko von Hochberg” International Art Song Competition, received concert engagements for the following season in Germany, and Artemy Sokolovsky was awarded the prize for best piano accompaniment.

Rose Thomas began her musical training at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional (CRR) in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, where she studied piano with Romano Pallottini and Hélène Tysman until 2022. She then earned a bachelor’s degree in piano from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theater under the guidance of Age Juurikas and Peep Lassmann. She continued her studies at the same institution and earned a master’s degree in chamber music and piano accompaniment. In 2024, she was awarded First Prize in the chamber music category and First Prize in the song duo category at the National Competition of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theater, performing with soprano Annabel Soode. Since 2025, Rose has been pursuing a master’s degree in art song interpretation at the ESMUC (Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya) in Barcelona under Francisco Poyato and Assumpta Mateu.During her studies, she has further refined her artistic approach by participating in master classes with renowned musicians such as Paulina Tukiainen, Wolfram Rieger, Thomas Hampson, and Fleur Barron.

Even before he began making music, Tom Zisowsky was deeply influenced by the natural surroundings in which he grew up: it is these moods, scents, nuances, and beauties that most shape the art song in its narrative power, its depth, and its individuality. After several years of piano lessons at the Cottbus Conservatory, he won several (special) prizes in various categories at the state and national levels in the “Jugend musiziert” competition, as well as the grand prize at the national Carl Schroeder Competition of the same name. Prof. Bernd Zack at the hmt Rostock taught him to appreciate the complexity of piano music, its contexts, and precision. At the Hanns Eisler School of Music (hfm) in Berlin, in Prof. Wolfram Rieger’s art song class, he subsequently developed his ability to listen closely, to carry melodies, and to combine his own passion with attention to every nuance. Tom is particularly grateful for the inspiration he gained from masterclasses with, among others, KS Brigitte Fassbaender, Katharina Konradi, and Daniel Heide. Together with his vocal partners, he works constantly to enhance the intensity of their musical interplay, as evidenced by his successful participation in several competitions.

The American baritone Thomas Hampson is undoubtedly one of the most innovative and multifaceted musicians of our time. He can look back on a unique international career as an opera, concert and lieder singer, recording artist and "ambassador of song". As a celebrated baritone, passionate teacher and pioneer in digital music education, he has been committed to the mediation and further development of art song for decades.

Since 2011 he has directed the Heidelberger Frühling Liedakademie where he accompanies young song singers and pianists from all over the world on their way. He is dedicated to educating and artistically shaping the next generation - with the aim of imparting not only technical and interpretative skills, but also a deep understanding of the cultural and social significance of song. Questions of artistic identity and self-image also play a central role - especially in that sensitive phase between graduation and the start of a career.

This commitment is complemented by the Hampsong Foundation, which he founded in 2003 and which is dedicated to promoting classical song in all its facets. With projects such as Song of America and an extensive digital education platform, it creates access to historical contexts, cultural narratives and artistic practice – always with a view to a globally networked song culture.
Thomas Hampson was awarded the Heidelberger Frühling Music Prize in 2021 for his decades-long commitment to the art song.

Bulgarian pianist Elitsa Desseva specializes in collaborations with singers and is considered one of the leading song pianists of her generation. She performs regularly at the Wigmore Hall, the Schubertiade Vilabertran, the Pierre Boulez Saal and the Musikverein Wien and has won prizes at international song competitions in London, Stuttgart, Graz, Lyon and Dortmund, among others.

As Director of Studies at the Heidelberger Frühling Liedakademie, she shapes the year-round support program by individually supervising the scholarship holders and coordinating the artistic content of the modules. Under their guidance, there is a particular focus on innovative teamwork and creative development. In discussions about song art and networking, the young artists can further develop and elaborate their artistic vision.

Pianist Susan Manoff studied at the Manhattan School of Music and the University of Oregon. She performs regularly at festivals and concert halls such as the Wigmore Hall, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, Carnegie Hall in New York, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Oji Hall in Tokyo, the Vienna Konzerthaus and the Musikverein in Vienna. Her love of theater inspired her to participate in a wide variety of programmes combining text and music.

Susan Manoff was assistant choir director at the Paris Opéra and currently teaches at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris. She was appointed Chevalier de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2011.
She gives master classes all over the world and is dedicated to exploring the relationships between singers, pianists, composers and lyricists.