T e a m
Julia B. Nowikowa
(Production design, stage design)
(Production design, stage design)
Julia B. Nowikowa was born in St.Petersburg (Russia) and studied in Hamburg (Germany) and lives in Berlin. She studied costume and stage design, dramaturgy/theatre studies and painting at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences by professors Dirk von Bodisco, Matthias Schmitz, Manfred Großmann.
From 1999 to 2005 she worked as assistant stage designer at the Thalia Theater, Deutsches Schauspielhaus, St. Pauli Theater in Hamburg and at the German National Theater & Staatskapelle in Weimar. Since 2005 she has been working as a freelance visual artist, illustrator, stage- and costume designer for operas, musicals, drama, and dance, as well as for various theaters and book publishers. She was also active as a lecturer at the German Student Academy (DSA) , for the Young Artists Festival Bayreuth and Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film Georgia State University in Tbilisi.
Julia B.Nowikowa has worked as a stage- and costume designer for the Hessisches Landestheater Marburg, the Schauspiel Frankfurt, the Theater Freiburg, the Saarländisches Staatstheater Saarbrücken, the Tumanishvili Theater and the Royal District Theater in Tbilisi, for the Young Artists Festival Bayreuth, the Deutsches Theater in Göttingen, the German National Theater and Staatskapelle Weimar, as well as the Elbphilharmonie and Kampnagel in Hamburg.
T e a m
Dirk Schattner
(Management, Producer)
Dirk Schattner (Producer)
Dirk Schattner is a director, author, producer. and dramaturg. Throughout his career he has directed a large number of musical theatre works in Germany, the USA, the Netherlands, Belgium, Hungary, and Greece. In the years 2003-2007 he directed multiple productions for the Deutsche Nationaltheater Weimar, his activities covering the genres of opera, operetta, musical and theatre. Work he directed during this time include Offenbach’s “La Vie Parisienne”, Heiner Müllers “Bildbeschreibung”, and a film version of the oratorio “The Book with the Seven Seals” by Franz Schmidt.
His musical “Der Graf from Gleichen” played three successful summer seasons in Wandersleben, Thüringen. From 2004 to 2014, he was the leading dramaturg of the Festival of Young Artists in Bayreuth. Since 2007 he has been a professor at the Deutsche Schülerakademie.
As part of the culture capital programme RUHR.2010, he produced more than 80 short films based on the opera “Manon Lescaut” by Giacomo Puccini for the project Internet Opera. For the International Festival of the Aegean in Greece, he directed “Salome” by Richard Strauss in 2012, “Cosi fan Tutte” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 2013, the jubilee production “Rigoletto” by Giuseppe Verdi in 2014, Cherubini’s “Medea” in 2015, and Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” in 2016.
He lives and works in Hamburg-Rothenburgsort where his production company “Skycradle” produces music- and theatre productions, most notably the musical “Nimmerwiedermehr” about the children’s hospital of Rothenburgsort and the European premier of the opera “A Love Letter from Rosa Luxemburg” by Leonard Lehrman.
Kathryn Wieckhorst
(Management, Producer, Soprano)
(Producer, Soprano)
Kathryn Wieckhorst, born in New York, is a soprano living in Hamburg. Roles she has played include Konstanze in “Die Entführung aus dem Serail”; Königin der Nacht in “Die Zauberflöte”; Violetta in “La Traviata”; Lady with a cake box in “Postcard from Morocco”; the title role in “Suor Angelica”; the Lady with the tattoos in “Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen”, the Countess in “Le Nozze di Figaro”; Musetta in “La Bohéme”, Micaela in “Carmen”, and Blanche in “Dialogues of the Carmelites”. She has performed with companies such as the Long Island Opera Company, the Montclair Opera Theater, the Bel Cantanti Opera and many others. Kathryn Wieckhorst has appeared twice as a soloist in Carnegie Hall with MidAmerica Productions and sang the soprano solos in John Rutter’s “Requiem” and Vivaldi’s “Gloria”.
In July 2013 she made her international debut as Fiordiligi in Mozart's “Cosí fan tutte” and Mme. Goldentrill in Mozart's “The Impresario” at the Festival of the Aegean in Greece. She has also been a featured soloist with MIDAM International at Santa Croce Church in Florence, Italy and performed with the Gemini Youth Orchestra, the Queens Symphony Orchestra, the Nova Philharmonic and OperaOggi.
Since moving to Hamburg, Kathryn has performed numerous recitals (Thomaskirche in Rothenburgsort, Wasserkunst Elbinsel Kaltehofe, Wohnzimmerliebe Series). She has also featured in the Bergedorfer Musiktage, the Lange Nacht der Literatur and collaborated with visual artists at the Levantehaus in Hamburg. As a talented interpreter of contemporary music, Kathryn Wieckhorst works with several living composers, including Ellen Mandel, Lori Laitman, Joel Mandelbaum, Bruce Saylor, Mario Stork, Daniel Felsenfeld and many more. Most recently, she sang the European premiere of “Ein Liebesbrief von Rosa Luxemburg”, composed by Leonard Lehrman. Kathryn is the co-founder of Project SkyCradle, Gbr, and Wirklichmacher e.V. in Hamburg, which strive to bring affordable theater and music experiences to the community. She is also the current Managing Diva of Opera on Tap’s Hamburg chapter. Kathryn holds a Masters in Music from Queens College in New York and a Bachelor in Music from Hofstra University.
Alexander Mottok
(Musical Direction)
(Musical Direction)
Alexander Mottok studied choral conducting and orchestra conducting with Erich Wächter, Thomas Lang, and Gerd Müller-Lorenz in Germany and with James Daugherty and Larry Dalton in the USA. During his studies he founded the orchestra “Collegium Musicum Lübeck”, a professional ensemble that is still active today.
Since 1999 he has been working as a freelance conductor, mostly concentrating on new music. He has conducted numerous world premieres and a variety of rarely played works (for example the “Kammerkonzert” by Alan Berg). His activity as a guest conductor and assistant conductor have led him, among others, to work with the Haydn-Orchester Hamburg, the Oldenburger Kammersymphonie, the Lübecker Chor der Singeleiter as well as the university orchestra of Virginia College in Wise (USA). As head conductor and artistic director of the Norddeutsche Hanse-Philharmonie he regularly conducts productions by the Bremen Musical Theatre. He has also recorded numerous CDS for different record labels (Gateway, 4M, EMI Classics) with the Hamburger Gateway Symphony Orchestra. Alexander Mottok is a conductor for the Stader Kammerorchester since 1999 and the artistic director and chief conductor of the Deutsche Ärzteorchester since 2003.
He also founded the Deutsche Ärztechor in 2007 and became the director of the Ernst Barlach Symphonieorchestra Kiel in 2016. His artistic work has spanned multiple genres, leading him to collaborate with artists such as the guitarrist Gerardo Núñez, the dancer Carmen Cortés, the singer Ken Norris, and the Kenyan pop-musician Eric Wainain.
He has also worked with a large number of classical soloists including James Tocco, Veronika Eberle, Daniel Röhm, and Natalia Prischepenko. Alongside his work as a conductor Alexander Mottok continues to work as a violinist with different chamber ensembles including the The London Crystal Palace Quartet. He has also performed as a soloist in France, the UK, and in the USA. Alexander Mottok is also active as a recording manager, line producer and composer. His compositions include, among others, the “33 Klang-Bilder to pictures of Christa Donatius” (2008) and the “Impressions” (2013).
Weise(Costume)
Gianna-Sophia Weise(Costume)
Gianna-Sophia Weise studied Scenography and Costume Design at the Hannover University of Design and Media. From 2016-2019 she worked as a costume assistant at the Thalia Theater Hamburg. During this time, she also worked on several projects as a Costume- and Set Designer. Gianna-Sophia Weise has been working as a freelancer since 2019 and collaborated with directors including Helge Schmidt, Agnes Oberauer and Peter Thiers.
Agnes Oberauer
(Director, Concept)
(Director, Concept)
Agnes Oberauer is a freelance director and performance artist from Austria. She grew up internationally, spending her childhood in Vienna, Moscow, and Kiev before moving to the UK to study Drama and Philosophy. Alongside her studies she deepened her knowledge in opera directing by completing multiple internships in opera productions (Royal Opera House London, Salzburger Festspiele, Opernhaus Zürich) with directors such as Willy Decker and Alvis Hermanis.
After completing her BA at the Royal Holloway University of London she moved to Germany where she worked as a resident assistant director and director at Schlosstheater Celle and Thalia Theater Hamburg for five years. During this time she directed over ten theatre productions and worked as an assistant director with internationally acclaimed artists such as Jette Steckel, Kornél Mundruczó and Christiane Jatahy.
She has received multiple prices, including a Special Honor from the city of Celle for her intercultural artistic work. She has initiated various art projects, worked for theatre festivals and performed and taught workshops internationally. Her most recent works include the solo performance “Hubris 12:4 [a hero’s journey]” at Von Krahl Theatre/EMTA (2020, Tallinn) and “Der Samsa in mir” at Thalia Theater Hamburg (2019).
Christian Striboll
(Documentation, video)
Singer
Elizabet Smalley
(Soprano)
Elizabeth Smalley (Soprano)
The Australian soprano Elizabeth Smalley commenced her Bachelor studies in Classical Voice at the Queensland Conservatory in Australia while still in high school and was engaged with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra on multiple occasions, performing “Grand Pianola Music” by John Adams and the world premiere of Elena Kats-Chernins “Symphonia Eluvium”.
The latter was streamed in the Australian TV-series Artscape. Following this Elizabeth moved to Sydney where she received her postgraduate diploma in Classical Voice. She sang soprano solos in multiple oratorio performances as well as roles like Zerlina (“Don Giovanni”, Mozart) and Suor Osmina (“Suor Angelica”, Puccini) for Opera Projects Sydney. Her repertoire also includes Madame Herz (“Der Schauspieldirektor”, Mozart) at Bare Bones Opera and “Young Vixen” (“The Cunning Little Vixen”, Janáček), which she sang during her year as an upcoming young artist at the Pacific Opera.
Elizabeth’s career as a singer led her to New York City and London, where she studied with teachers and répétiteurs of the Metropolitan Opera and Covent Garden. She was invited as a young artist by the International Performing Arts Institute Bavaria twice. Since moving to Germany in 2018, Elizabeth has continued to work as a freelance singer in song evenings and freelance opera productions.
Stepan Karelin
(Baritone)
(Baritone)
Stepan Karelin was born in Russia. He studied at the Kunstuniversität Graz and graduated in 2014. As part of his studies, he sang various roles (“Die Zauberflöte”, “Viva La Mamma”). After completing his degree, he performed in various operas, portraying roles such as The Witch in “Dido and Aeneas”, Toffolo in “Paganini”, Belcore in “L'êlisir d'amore” and Morales in “Carmen”. In 2014 he joined the musical ensemble “Sound of Austria GmbH”. Stepan Karelin commenced an internship with Elena Pankratova in 2018 and debuted as Escamillo in the Ernst Deutsch Theater production of “Carmen”.
In the same year he became part of the ensemble of Opernloft Theater Hamburg and portrayed the role of Albert in “Werther”. He won the first prize in the “Bergedorf Classic'' competition in 2019. In the following year he won three important competitions in Russia: the “Big Romansiada '' competition, the international competition “Music of the Stars” and the “III festival Competition” of contemporary music after N.Struve. Stepan Karelin has also performed as a concert singer in various European countries, mostly in Germany, Austria, Poland and Russia. He currently lives in Austria.
Dimitri Pisarev
(Baritone)
Dimitri Pisarev (Baritone)
Dimitri Pisarev was born in Leningrad and completed his studies at the Glinka Choir School in St. Petersburg. He continued his studies of Singing, Conducting, and Choir Music at the Herzen Universität (Nikolai Dumtsev) and at the St. Petersburg conservatory (Tatyana Khitrowa).
In 2013 he became part of the ensemble at the Zazerkalie Theatre in St.Petersburg where he performed a number of different roles. He also performed recitals and symphonic concerts in St. Petersburg and beyond, including K.Orff’s “Carmina Burana” and S.Rachmaninow’s “The spring”.
In the same year Dimitri Pisarev became artistic director of a men’s choir he co-founded with Kirill Markow. The choir gained a reputation beyond Russia’s borders and was reviewed by the international press. In 2014 Dimitri Pisarev became a soloist in the men’s ensemble „Optyna Pustyn“, where he performed and recorded old music under the direction of Alexander Semenov. He has worked with conductors including M. Jansons, V. Gergiev, F.-X. Roth, J. Temirkanov, G. Garcia Calvo, G. Roschdestwenski, L. Krämer, N. Alekseev and V. Chernushenko. His concert activities have led him to perform all over Russia (including Palace square, Red square and the philharmonics in St. Petersburg, Moscow and Novosibirsk). He has also performed on stages all over the world including China, Finland, Sweden and Turkey. In Germany he has performed on stages such as the Elbphilharmonie and the Laieszhalle in Hamburg. He currently lives in Hamburg.
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Sashell Beck
(Soprano)
Sashell Beck (Soprano)
Sashell Beck is a soprano from California, currently living in Germany. Before moving to Europe, she obtained her musical degree from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at the California State University of Long Beach. Her studies were enhanced by Masterclasses led by Carol Vaness, Dolores Ziegler, Sheryl Studer, Roberta Alexander, Sheri Greenawald, Neil Semer, Edith Mathis, and Janet Williams and others. In 2012 she was the first prize winner of the Rio Hondo Young Artist Competition, in the 2013 the Beverly Hills Concert Series and a finalist in many more.
She has also participated in many opera summer programs including Opera Works’ Advanced Artist Program, CoOperative, and The Opera Academy of California. She has much orchestral concert experience including Mahler’s 4th Symphony, the Coronation Mass by Mozart, Rachmaninoff’s The Bells, and a new Requiem by Juan Carlos Villaseñor Patiño.
Before moving to Germany she was featured in many operas with Center Stage Opera in Southern California, taking on the roles of Pamina in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Musetta in a semi-staged version of Puccini’s La Boheme, Mademoiselle Silberklang in Mozart’s Der Schauspieldirektor, as well as Adina in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore.
She moved to Germany in 2014. where she was cast in the ensemble of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Das Phantom der Oper with Stage Entertainment in Hamburg. Since then, she has been performed Despina in Così fan tutte with the Bergedorfer Musiktage, Najade in Ariadne auf Naxos and Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro with The Berlin Opera Group. In 2018 she premiered the role of Ellén in Ellén, a one-woman opera written with her in mind by Juan Carlos Villaseñor Patiño with Opera de Hidalgo in Mexico City.
Last year she played Donatella and assistant directed a production of Piazza Navona, a new comic opera by Christof Bergman. Most recently she appeared as soprano soloist in the Germany- wide tour “A World of Musicals”. In addition to her work as a singer, she is a voice and acting coach
Peter Frank
(Baritone)
Peter Frank (Baritone)
Peter Frank, born in 1963 in Hannover, studied at the Hochschule für Musik and Theater Hannover, graduating with a diploma in School Music, Vocal Pedagogy, and Opera. In 1986, he received a scholarship from the Richard-Wagner Association. From 1988 onwards he sang lyrical baritone roles in various opera-, operetta- and musical productions, performing on stages including the Oldenburgische Staatstheater, the Volkstheater Bautzen, the TfN Hildesheim and the Niedersächsische Staatstheater Hannover. From 1993 until 1999 he was part of the ensemble of the Brandenburger Theater.
His repertoire includes Count Almaviva (“The marriage of Figaro”), Don Alfonso (“Cosi fan tutte”), Figaro and Dr.Bartolo (“The barber of Seville”), Papageno (“The magic flute”), Peter (“Hänsel und Gretel”), Silvio (“The Bajazzo”) and many others. He also toured as a concert singer through Europe and the USA and participated in broadcasting and CD-productions with artists including P.Herreweghe, G.Leonard, S.Preston, G.A.Albrecht and H.Henning (EMI-Classics, THOROFON, Teldec).
He composed the musicals “Der Graf von Gleichen” (2006) and “Jesus-ganz.nah.dran” (2013). His work in singing pedagogy led him to teach in the Musikhochschule Hannover (1995-2004), Würzburg (since 2004) and Weimar (since 2019).
Franklyn aka„Slunch“
Kakyire (Dancer)
Franklyn aka „Slunch“ Kakyire (Dancer)
Franklyn aka “Slunch” Kakyire was born in Hamburg in 1989 and started his path as a dancer doing background choreographies in the style LA Performance in 2006. In the following years he also expanded his skills in other styles such as Hip-Hop dance, House Dance and some B-Boying floor movements. He is part of the HipHop Academy since 2007, joined the Master Class in 2008 and became part of the dance ensemble (the highest performance level of the project) in 2010.
Franklyn Kakyire has worked with numerous artists including Xavier Naidoo (“Alles Kann Besser Werden” video), Kim Gloss (“Famous in Paris” video), the Band Anajo (“Jungs weinen nicht”) and Africa Bambaataa (“It’s my Funk“video). Franklyn “Slunch” Kakyire has also performed in numerous dance theatre productions and worked as a dancer with renowned choreographers and directors including Contanza Macras (“Distortion”), Samir Akika (“660@K6” & “Welle:Asphaltkultur”), Nuran David Calis (“Einer von uns”) and Niels Robitzky aka Storm (“Schöner Wohnen”).
In 2010 the piece “Schöner Wohnen” was invited to the Expo in Shanghai. In the following year he was booked for a show in Los Angeles where he could put his skills to the test at the L.A. Carnival. He has performed in cities including New York, Las Vegas, and San Francisco. Since 2016 he has worked with artists such as Eko Fresh and Samy Deluxe and is part of the trainer team for the Deluxe Kids organisation. In 2018 he joined the Nïm Dance Company ensemble. He has performed multiple solos and duets on national and international stages. Frankly Kakyire won the Juste Debout Qualification in Seoul in 2019 and has competed as one of the 16 best teams worldwide in the international Juste Debout in Paris. He has competed and won prices in multiple dance events, including first prize in the first edition of Red Bull Dance Your Style in Germany.
Gottfried Aden
(Dancer)
Gottfried Aden (Dancer)
Gottfried Aden is 23 years old and a passionate dancer. He joined HipHop Academy in 2015. In 2018 he joined the level 3 dance group “ToThe Fullest”. Since then, he has performed in the yearly Gala on the K6 stage at Kampnagel. He has performed in a variety of events including “Battlefield 2019: Catch the Crown”, the “Freespirit Festival” and a live performance at The Kuppel Hamburg.
DEYSE IZABELLA KOLASKA Y OSANO
(Dancer)
Deyse Izabella Kolaska y Osano (Dancer)
Deyse Isabella Kolaska y Osano was born in Spain. Her roots are Brazilian and Polish, giving her a close connection to music from birth. She has been dancing her entire life and started teaching dance at the age of 13 in the Kinder- und Jugendhaus Clippo in Lohbrügge. Upon finishing high school in 2016, she commenced her artistic journey as a dancer:
She has since performed as a show dancer with SpecialOne, joined the Calypso Army (Hip-Hop Academy) in 2017 and the Apocalypso Crew (HipHop Academy) in 2019. Moreover, she has performed in various music videos and events, including Kampnagel, Uferfabrik Berlin, Noho, The Room, Golden Kut, Die Kuppel, and Luft und Liebe Festival.
Precious Wiesner
(Dancer)
Precious Wiesner (Dancer)
Precious Wiesner is a singer, actress and passionate dancer. She performed in the musical “Lion King” in Hamburg for four consecutive years and took part in multiple Kampnagel productions including “12 Yards: Dein Spiel beginnt!” (2015), “Ich.Du.Wir Supahelden!” (2016), and „Pool & Katoulati: Xo'Do-Allokan-Nu Das Wort am Ende des Hörers“ in the International Summer Festival 2017). Her credits as a film actress include the film “Hier kommt Lola” and the 153rd episode of the series “Die Pfefferkörner”.
In 2010 Precious Wiesner opened the jubilee-event at the Millerntor, accompanied by the “Young Spirits Gospel choir”. In the following years she also performed on the “Tag der Legenden” (2011) and the “Nacht der Legenden” (2012).
Since 2013 she has been singing in the yearly gala hosted by the HipHop Academy at Kampnagel. As part of her work for HipHop Academy, she has performed in multiple venues and events including two performances at the Elbphilharmonie and a performance at the yearly handball event in the Barclaycard Arena.
In 2017 she performed as part of the Gospel Blues Night in Hamburg. In the following year she performed together with the American Jazz musician Kenn Norris at a benefit concert of Kiwanis e.V.Alongside her work as a performer and singer she also teaches Music, Dance, and Performance, most recently in the project “flüchtLINK” by the organisation Lukulele e.V.
Nadja
Hässler
(Dancer)
Nadja Hässler (Dancer)
Nadja Häussler is an urban artist specialized in Popping and Hip Hop with skills in Breakdance and House and experience in multiple Contemporary dance styles.
She works as a dancer and dance teacher, has participated in international battles and performances. Nadja Häussler holds a BA in Environmental Science and an MA in Peace and Security Studies, has initiated the project URBAN INNOVADORS and has performed internationally as a dancer in various performances, battles, and festivals, including Kampnagel, Kunsthalle Hamburg, Respublica Festival Ukraine and Theater der Welt.