Duo Ferdinand Krumbügel en Sofi Simeonides de eerste winnaar van de Maastricht Art of Song-prijs

Maastricht stond de afgelopen week in het teken van de liedkunst tijdens de
eerste editie van het festival The Art of Song Maastricht, georganiseerd door de
J.M. Vogl-stichting voor de zangkunst.

Op zondag 1 maart werd het duo Ferdinand Krumbügel en Sofi Simeonides
gekroond tot de eerste winnaar van de Maastricht Art of Song Prize.
Twintig jonge zangers en pianisten uit de hele wereld namen gedurende drie dagen
deel aan intensieve masterclasses onder leiding van de gerenommeerde bas-bariton
Ulf Bästlein en pianist Charles Spencer.

Tijdens het slotconcert in de Sint Janskerk toonden de musici hun artistieke
ontwikkeling. Zij werden beoordeeld door een internationale en deskundige jury
bestaande uit de masters zelf, Annett Andriesen (voormalig directeur IVC), Feride
Büyükdenktaş (mezzo-sopraan), Doriana Tchakarova (pianist), Roger Braun (pianist),
onder voorzitterschap van artistiek directeur Vincent Kusters (bariton).

Het duo Ferdinand Krumbügel (bariton)en Sofi Simeonides (piano) werd (unaniem)
als beste beoordeeld. Uit handen van Thijs Hendrix ontvingen zij de prijs, bestaande
uit een geldbedrag van € 2.500 en een live-optreden tijdens de volgende
festivaleditie (23 t/m 28 februari 2027).

Vanwege het buitengewoon hoge niveau van de deelnemers werd besloten om een
tweede prijs toe te kennen aan mezzosopraan Aiko Bormann en pianist Lucas Huber
Sierra. Zij verdienden een optreden tijdens het komende Liedfestival van Schloss vor
Husum (D.)

De concerten, masterclasses en het slotconcert mochten zich verheugen in grote
publieke belangstelling.

Met The Art of Song Maastricht is Maastricht — en daarmee Limburg — een fraai en
veelbelovend nieuw festival rijker.

The Art of Song Maastricht Masterclass

Teachers
Prof. Dr. Ulf Bästlein Bass-baritone

Ulf Bästlein studied classical philology and German literature (State Exams and Doctorate), followed by vocal studies in Freiburg, where he graduated with distinction. A recipient of a scholarship from the German Academic Scholarship Foundation, he began his stage career at the Heidelberg Theatre, later performing in Augsburg, Hanover, Lübeck, and Hamburg. He has received numerous prizes, including 2nd Prize at the German Music Competition.
As a sought-after concert and Lied singer, he has performed in Europe, China, the USA and Turkey, and has appeared at major international festivals including the Flanders Festival, Stresa Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Rheingau Festival, Styriarte, Ludwigsburg Castle Festival, and Herrenchiemsee Festival. His Lied partners include Charles Spencer, Michael Gees, James Tocco, Julius Drake, and Detlef Kraus.
His discography includes more than 30 CDs, featuring song settings of Heine, Goethe, Storm, Hebbel, Trakl, and Leitner, as well as oratorio and opera recordings for labels such as Sony Classical, CPO, Orfeo, and Hänssler. He holds professorships in Lübeck and at the University of Music and Performing
In 2000 he founded the acclaimed Liedkunst masterclass in Husum with Charles Spencer. His interdisciplinary projects combine Lied performance with literary and historical insight.
He regularly gives masterclasses in China, Russia, Turkey, and Italy. In recognition of his contributions, he received the Hans Momsen Prize in 2018 and the Schleswig-Holstein Order of Merit in 2021.

Prof. Charles Spencer Pianist

Born in Yorkshire (UK), Charles Spencer studied with Max Pirani (Royal Academy of Music), Walter Fleischmann, Noel Flores, and Robert Schollum, and took masterclasses with Vlado Perlemutter and Geoffrey Parsons. He graduated with distinction from the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, where he received the Austrian Federal Prize for Artistic Achievement.
Charles Spencer is one of the most sought-after collaborative pianists of our time. He has performed with many of the world’s foremost vocalists, including Christa Ludwig, Gundula Janowitz, Jessye Norman, Thomas Quasthoff, Peter Schreier, Elīna Garanča, and Vesselina Kasarova. His international career has taken him to the most prestigious concert halls and festivals across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
His extensive discography covers a wide repertoire and has received critical acclaim and several international awards. As a Lied pianist, he is known for his exceptional sensitivity, stylistic versatility, and deep connection with the voice.
Since 2000, he has served as Professor of Lied Interpretation at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, where he mentors a new generation of Lied performers. He is also co-founder of the Liedkunst masterclass in Husum, Germany, with baritone Ulf Bästlein.