Kammeroper Schloss Rheinsberg


Kammeroper Schloss Rheinsberg is an international opera festival for young singers, founded and first directed by composer Siegfried Matthus. It takes place every summer at the historical Schloss Rheinsberg, in Brandenburg, Germany. The festival presents the winners of the International Singing Competition Schloss Rheinsberg, in which about 450 candidates from all over the world participate every year.

Festival

The Kammeroper Schloss Rheinsberg festival was founded in 1990 by Siegfried Matthus, who also composed the opening opera: "Die Weise von Liebe und Tod des Cornets Christoph Rilke". Experienced onductors and directors have worked with the young singers. Conductors have included Daniel Barenboim, Kurt Masur and Christian Thielemann, and directors have included Götz Friedrich, August Everding, Harry Kupfer and Axel Köhler.
The Festival has no orchestra of his own, but collaborates with German orchestras such as RIAS Symphony Orchestra, Junge Philharmonie Brandenburg, Neubranbenburger Philharmonie, Brandenburg State Orchestra, Brandenburgische Philharmonie Potsdam, Brandenburger Symphoniker and Staatsorchester Braunschweig.
The Schlosstheater at Schloss Rheinsberg was completely restored in 2000. The festival also plays at the 18th-century Heckentheater garden theatre, with a capacity for 1000 spectators in a total area of 750 m2. The festival also uses rooms in the palace for concerts.
Siegfried Matthus was artistic director of the festival from 1990, with Claudia Eder as voice advisor and Rainer Schwarz as manager and executive director. Matthus was succeeded in 2014 by his son, Frank Matthus. Georg Quander has tried a new concept from 2019.

Singers

The festival has organised an annual am international singing competition in Berlin, with over 450 candidates from all over the world participating. The winners have the chance to perform roles in the opera festival productions. Singers started a successful career through their appearance at the Rheinsberg festival, later performing at notable opera houses worldwide.
Former winners from 1991 to 2000 include Claudia Barainsky, Andreas Karasiak, Camilla Tilling. Among the later winners are Annette Dasch, Gabriela Scherer and Ines Thomas Almeida.