Valer Barna-Săbăduș (born 15 January 1986), also Valer Sabadus, is a Romanian-German countertenor. He sings in both the alto and soprano range.

Life

Barna-Sabadus was born in Arad (Romania), near the Hungarian border. He is the child of a pianist and a cellist. His father died in 1990 when Valer was four years old. In 1991, after the end of the Ceaușescu regime, his family emigrated to Germany and he grew up in

Landau an der Isar ] Landau an der Isar (Central Bavarian: ''Landa an da Isar'') is the second-largest town in the Lower Bavaria, Lower Bavarian district, or ''Landkreis'', of Dingolfing-Landau, in the state of Bavaria, Germany. It lies on the river Isar, 120 km ...

Lower Bavaria Lower Bavaria (german: Niederbayern, Bavarian: ''Niedabayern'') is one of the seven administrative regions of Bavaria, Germany, located in the east of the state. Geography Lower Bavaria is subdivided into two regions () – Landshut and Donau- ...

. Barna-Sabadus received his first musical education in violin and piano. At the age of 17, he began his studies as a countertenor at the

Hochschule für Musik und Theater München The University of Music and Performing Arts Munich (german: Hochschule für Musik und Theater München), also known as the Munich Conservatory, is a performing arts conservatory in Munich, Germany. The main building it currently occupies is ...

with Gabriele Fuchs. In 2009, he became a member of the Bayerische Theaterakademie August Everding, where he completed his postgraduate studies with distinction in 2013. Already before that, he sang important roles in his field under various conductors such as Orpheus in '' Orfeo ed Euridice'' by Christoph Willibald Gluck, the title role in '' Rinaldo'' by

Georg Friedrich Händel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...

, Endimione in ''

La Calisto ''La Calisto'' is an opera by Francesco Cavalli from a libretto by Giovanni Faustini based on the mythological story of Callisto. The opera received its first performance on 28 November 1651 at the Teatro Sant 'Apollinare, Venice, where it dr ...

'' by Francesco Cavalli and Sesto in ''

La clemenza di Tito ' (''The Clemency of Titus''), K. 621, is an ''opera seria'' in two acts composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Caterino Mazzolà, after Pietro Metastasio. It was started after most of ' (''The Magic Flute''), the last o ...

'' by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

. After many years in Munich he settled in Cologne in 2018. Barna-Sabadus has collaborated with other countertenors in Leonardo Vinci's ''

Artaserse ' is the name of a number of Italian operas, all based on a text by Metastasio. ' is the Italian form of the name of the king Artaxerxes I of Persia. There are over 90 known settings of Metastasio's text. The libretto was originally written for, ...

'' tour. He debuted in the title role of Handel's ''

Serse ''Serse'' (; English title: ''Xerxes''; HWV 40) is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel. It was first performed in London on 15 April 1738. The Italian libretto was adapted by an unknown hand from that by Silvio Stampiglia (1 ...

'' at the

Deutsche Oper am Rhein The Deutsche Oper am Rhein (German Opera on the Rhine) is an opera company based in Düsseldorf and Duisburg. The opera also has an associated classical ballet company. Axel Kober has been its Music Director since 2009. The resident orchestra, t ...

. In 2013, he made his debut at the

Aix-en-Provence Festival The Festival d'Aix-en-Provence is an annual international music festival which takes place each summer in Aix-en-Provence, principally in July. Devoted mainly to opera, it also includes concerts of orchestral, chamber, vocal and solo instrumental ...

as Menelao in Cavalli's opera ''

Elena Elena may refer to: People * Elena (given name), including a list of people and characters with this name * Joan Ignasi Elena (born 1968), Catalan politician * Francine Elena (born 1986), British poet Geography * Elena (town), a town in Veliko ...

''. Since 2014, he has been under contract with the major label Sony Classical. At the Händel-Festspiele Karlsruhe and at the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe he sang the title role of Handel's ''

Teseo ''Teseo'' ("Theseus", HWV 9; ) is an opera seria with music by George Frideric Handel, the only Handel opera that is in five acts. The Italian-language libretto was by Nicola Francesco Haym, after Philippe Quinault's ''Thésée''. It was Han ...

.''

Repertoire

* Rinaldo in '' Rinaldo'' by G. F. Handel * Endimione in ''Diana amante'' by Giuseppe Antonio Bernabei * Puck in ''

The Fairy-Queen ''The Fairy-Queen'' (1692; Purcell catalogue number Z.629) is a semi-opera by Henry Purcell; a "Restoration spectacular". The libretto is an anonymous adaptation of William Shakespeare's comedy ''A Midsummer Night's Dream''. First performed ...

'' by Henry Purcell * Totes Gretchen ''Aventure Faust'' (2008) 3 scenes after Goethe, Heine and Birgit Müller-Wieland by

Jan Müller-Wieland Jan Müller-Wieland (born 30 March 1966 in Hamburg) is a German composer and conductor of classical music and an academic teacher. He is known for his operas. Career Müller-Wieland studied at the Musikhochschule Lübeck, composition with Fr ...

(premiere) * Adrasto in ''

Demofoonte ''Demofonte'' (also ''Demofoonte''; ''Il Demofoonte''; ''Demofoonte, ré di Tracia'' ing of Thrace ''Démophon''; ''Demophontes''; or ''Dirce, L'usurpatore innocente'' irce, the Innocent Usurper is an opera seria libretto by Metastasio. The lib ...

'' by Niccolò Jommelli * Enea in ''

Didone abbandonata ''Didone abbandonata'' is an opera libretto in three acts by Pietro Metastasio. It was his first original work and was set to music by Domenico Sarro in 1724. The opera was accompanied by the intermezzo '' L'impresario delle Isole Canarie'', also ...

'' by Niccolò Jommelli * Ruggiero in '' Orlando furioso'' by Antonio Vivaldi * Sesto in ''

'' by Mozart * Iarba in ''

'' by Johann Adolph Hasse * Orfeo in '' Orfeo ed Euridice'' by Christoph Willibald Gluck * Endimione in ''

'' by Francesco Cavalli * Semira in ''

'' by Leonardo Vinci * A young man, the young Syrian, Herodias in ''Last Desire'' by Lucia Ronchetti * Liscione in ''La Dirindina'' by

Giovanni Battista Martini Giovanni Battista or Giambattista Martini, O.F.M. Conv. (24 April 1706 – 3 August 1784), also known as Padre Martini, was an Italian Conventual Franciscan friar, who was a leading musician, composer, and music historian of the per ...

* Armindo in ''

Partenope ''Partenope'' ("Parthenope", HWV 27) is an opera by George Frideric Handel, first performed at the King's Theatre in London on 24 February 1730. Although following the structure and forms of opera seria, the work is humorous in character and li ...

'' by Georg Friedrich Händel * Xerxes in ''

'' by Georg Friedrich Händel * Menelao in ''Elena'' by Francesco Cavalli * Leucippo in ''Leucippo'' by Johann Adolph Hasse October * Teseo in ''

'' by Georg Friedrich Händel * Nerone in ''

L’incoronazione di Poppea ''L'incoronazione di Poppea'' ( SV 308, ''The Coronation of Poppaea'') is an Italian opera by Claudio Monteverdi. It was Monteverdi's last opera, with a libretto by Giovanni Francesco Busenello, and was first performed at the Teatro Santi Giov ...

'' by Claudio Monteverdi * Giasone in '' Il Giasone'' by Francesco Cavalli * Ruggiero in ''

Alcina ''Alcina'' (Händel-Werke-Verzeichnis, HWV 34) is a 1735 opera seria by George Frideric Handel. Handel used the libretto of ''L'isola di Alcina'', an opera that was set in 1728 in Rome by Riccardo Broschi, which he acquired the year after during ...

'' by G. F. Handel

Recordings

* Nicola Conforto,

Nicola Porpora Nicola (or Niccolò) Antonio Porpora (17 August 16863 March 1768) was an Italian composer and teacher of singing of the Baroque music, Baroque era, whose most famous singing students were the castrati Farinelli and Caffarelli (castrato), Caffarel ...

Antonio Caldara Antonio Caldara (ca 1670 – 28 December 1736) was an Italian Baroque composer. Life Caldara was born in Venice (exact date unknown), the son of a violinist. He became a chorister at St Mark's in Venice, where he learned several instruments, ...

among others: ''Caro Gemello – Farinelli and Metastasio.''

Concerto Köln Concerto Köln is an ensemble specialising in music of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The group formed in 1985, one of many groups associated with the surging interest in period instruments in that decade. Its members consisted mainly o ...

. Sony Classical, 2018. *

: ''Händel Goes Wild.'' L’Arpeggiata, dir. Christina Pluhar. Erato Records, 2017. *''Sacred Duets.'' Duette und Arien aus Oratorien von Alessandro Scarlatti,

Bernardo Pasquini Bernardo Pasquini (Massa e Cozzile, 7 December 1637Rome, 21 November 1710) was an Italian composer of operas, oratorios, cantatas and keyboard music. A renowned virtuoso keyboard player in his day, he was one of the most important Italian composer ...

Giovanni Paolo Colonna Giovanni Paolo Colonna (16 June 1637 – 28 November 1695) was an Italian composer, teacher, organist and organ builder. In addition to being chapel-master and organist of San Petronio Basilica in Bologna, he served prominent members of the co ...

Domenico Gabrielli Domenico Gabrielli (15 April 1651 or 19 October 1659 – 10 July 1690) was an Italian Baroque composer and one of the earliest known virtuoso cello players, as well as a pioneer of cello music writing. Born in Bologna, he worked in the orchestra of ...

, Giovanni Battista Bononcini,

Antonio Lotti Antonio Lotti (5 January 1667 – 5 January 1740) was an Italian composer of the Baroque era. Biography Lotti was born in Venice, although his father Matteo was '' Kapellmeister'' at Hanover at the time. Oral tradition says that in 1682, Lotti ...

Nicola Antonio Porpora Nicola (or Niccolò) Antonio Porpora (17 August 16863 March 1768) was an Italian composer and teacher of singing of the Baroque era, whose most famous singing students were the castrati Farinelli and Caffarelli. Other students included composers ...

(plus Violinkonzert op.8,8 byt

Giuseppe Torelli Giuseppe Torelli (22 April 1658 – 8 February 1709) was an Italian violist, violinist, teacher, and composer of the middle Baroque era. Torelli is most remembered for contributing to the development of the instrumental concerto., especially co ...

). With Nuria Rial, Kammerorchester Basel, dir. Julia Schröder. Sony Classical, 2017. *

: ''Caldara.'' Nouvo Aspetto, dir. Michael Dücker. Sony Classical, 2015. * Rachmaninoff: '' Symphony Nr. 2, Vocalise.'' Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, dir.

Dmitrij Kitajenko Dmitri Georgievich Kitayenko (also spelled Dmitrij Kitajenko) (born 18 August 1940) is a Soviet and Russian conductor. He was bestowed the title People's Artist of the USSR (1984). He was born in Leningrad, Soviet Union and studied at the Glink ...

. Oehms Classics, 2015. *

: ''Mozart Castrato Arias.'' , dir.

Michael Hofstetter Michael Hofstetter (born 6 September 1961) is a German conductor and academic. He was chief conductor of the festival Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele from 2005 to 2012, and has been Generalmusikdirektor of Gießen since. He has worked internation ...

. Oehms Classics, 2015. * Christoph Willibald Gluck,

Antonio Sacchini Antonio Maria Gasparo Gioacchino Sacchini (14 June 1730 – 6 October 1786) was an Italian composer, best known for his operas. Sacchini was born in Florence, but raised in Naples, where he received his musical education. He made a name for him ...

: ''Le belle immagini.'' , dir. Allessandro De Marchi. Sony Classical, 2014. * Francesco Cavalli: ''

.''Cappella Mediteranea, dir. Leonardo García Alarcón. DVD. Ricercar/Outhere Music, 2014. * Gluck: ''

.'' l’arte del mondo, dir. Werner Erhardt. Harmonia mundi, 2014. *

Leonardo Vinci Leonardo Vinci (1690 – 27 May 1730) was an Italian composer known chiefly for his 40 or so operas; comparatively little of his work in other genres survives. A central proponent of the Neapolitan School of opera, his influence on subsequ ...

: ''

.''

, dir.

Diego Fasolis Diego Fasolis (born 19 April 1958) is a Swiss classical organist and conductor, the leader of the ensemble I Barocchisti. He has conducted operas in historically informed performance at major European opera houses and festivals, and has made award- ...

. DVD, Erato/Warner Classics, 2014. *

Johann Adolph Hasse Johann Adolph Hasse (baptised 25 March 1699 – 16 December 1783) was an 18th-century German composer, singer and teacher of music. Immensely popular in his time, Hasse was best known for his prolific operatic output, though he also composed a co ...

: ''

.'' Hofkapelle München, dir.

. Naxos, 2013. * ''Trialog – Music for the One God.'' Pera-Ensemble. Berlin Classics (Edel), 2013. *

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wo ...

: '' Hohe Messe h-Moll.'' Martin Steidler, Madrigalchor der Hochschule für Musik und Theater München, Studio für historische Aufführungspraxis und Studierende der Bläser- und Streicherklassen,

. 2013. *

: ''

.'' Concerto Köln, dir. Diego Fasolis. CD. Virgin Classics (EMI), 2012. * Enjott Schneider: ''Requiem Im Namen der Rose.'' Johannes Skudlik: Ambiente Audio, 2012. *

John Dowland John Dowland (c. 1563 – buried 20 February 1626) was an English Renaissance composer, lutenist, and singer. He is best known today for his melancholy songs such as "Come, heavy sleep", " Come again", "Flow my tears", " I saw my Lady weepe", ...

, Henry Purcell: ''To touch, to kiss, to die – English Songs.'' Olga Watts, Axel Wolf, Pavel Serbin. Oehms Classics, 2013. * ''Café – Orient meets Occident.'' Pera-Ensemble. Berlin Classics (Edel), 2012. * Giovanni Battista Pergolesi: ''Stabat Mater – Laudate Pueri.'' Valer Barna-Sabadus, Terry Wey, Neumeyer Consort, Barock Vokal aus Mainz, Dir. Michael Hofstetter. Oehms Classics, 2012. *

: ''Hasse reloaded.'' Hofkapelle München, dir. Michael Hofstetter. Oehms Classics, 2012. * Claudio Monteverdi, Ali Ufki,

Giulio Caccini Giulio Romolo Caccini (also Giulio Romano) (8 October 1551 – buried 10 December 1618) was an Italian composer, teacher, singer, instrumentalist and writer of the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras. He was one of the founders of the genre o ...

, among others: ''Baroque Oriental.'' Pera-Ensemble, Mehmet C. Yeșilçay. Berlin Classics (Edel), 2011. * ''Kaffee für den König.'' Pera-Ensemble. T-Lounge (Edel), 2011. * ''400 Jahre Marianische Männerkongregation – Festmusik in der Bürgersaalkirche München.'' Michael Hartmann. Oehms Classics, 2010.

Awards

* Musical America, New artist of the month, Juli 2009 *

ECHO Klassik The Echo Klassik, often stylized as ECHO Klassik, was Germany's major classical music award in 22 categories. The award, presented by the , was held annually, usually in October or September, separate from its parent award, the Echo Music Prize. Th ...

2012, Klassik-ohne-Grenzen-Preis *

Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik The Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik ("German Record Critics' Award") was established in Germany in 1963 by publisher Richard Kaselowsky with the aim of setting the "most rigorous standards for supreme achievement and quality" in the field ...

2012 * ICMA Award, "Young Artist of the Year Vocal", 2013 *

Echo Klassik The Echo Klassik, often stylized as ECHO Klassik, was Germany's major classical music award in 22 categories. The award, presented by the , was held annually, usually in October or September, separate from its parent award, the Echo Music Prize. Th ...

2015 – Solistische Einspielung des Jahres (Gesang / Opernarien): Valer Sabadus / Hofkapelle München / Alessandro De Marchi – C.W. Gluck: Le belle immagini. *

Handel Prize The Handel Prize (german: Händel-Preis) is an annual award, instituted in 1956, which is presented by the city of Halle, in Germany, in honour of the celebrated Baroque composer George Frideric Handel. It is awarded, "for exceptional artisti ...

2020 * Musikpreis der Stadt Duisburg 2021

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:BarnaSabadus, Valer German countertenors 1986 births Living people Echo (music award) winners People from Arad, Romania Romanian emigrants to Germany