St. John's Passion
Gulbenkian Orchestra and Choir
Event Slider
Date
- / Cancelled / Sold out
Location
Grand Auditorium Calouste Gulbenkian FoundationPricing
25% – Under 30
10% – Over 65
Cartão Gulbenkian:
50% – Under 30
15% – Over 65
- Conductor
- Soprano
- Countertenor
- Tenor
- Marco Alves dos Santos Tenor
- Hugo Oliveira Baritone
- André Baleiro Baritone
-
Gulbenkian Choir
Coro Gulbenkian was founded in 1964 by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation as a full symphonic body of around 100 singers. The choir joins the Orquestra Gulbenkian and other orchestras to perform Classical, Romantic and Contemporary choral-symphonic repertoire, but can also perform a cappella. It has performed – and often premiered – many 20th century works by Portuguese and international composers.
Coro Gulbenkian has been invited to collaborate with major international orchestras, under the direction of conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Colin Davis, John Nelson, Emmanuel Krivine, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Frans Brüggen, Franz Welser-Möst, Gerd Albrecht, Michael Gielen, Michael Tilson Thomas, Rafael Frübeck de Burgos, René Jacobs and Leonard Slatkin, among others.
Besides its regular season of concerts in Lisbon and frequent national tours, Coro Gulbenkian has repeatedly toured Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Macao, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Uruguay.
Coro Gulbenkian has recorded extensively for Philips, Deutsche Grammophon, Erato, Cascavelle, Musifrance, as well as FNAC-Music, performing a wide range of repertoire, from Early-Renaissance polyphony to Xenakis. Several of these albums received international awards.
Michel Corboz was the Principal Conductor between 1969 and 2019. Jorge Matta and Inês Tavares Lopes are currently the Associate and Assistant conductors, respectively.
-
Gulbenkian Orchestra
In 1962, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation decided to establish a permanent orchestral ensemble. Originally with only twelve musicians (strings and continuo) it was named “Orquestra de Câmara Gulbenkian”. This collective was successively enlarged and today the “Orquestra Gulbenkian” (the name it has adopted since 1971) has a permanent body of sixty instrumentalists, a number that can be expanded depending on the repertoire.
This structure allows the Gulbenkian Orchestra to interpret works from the Baroque and Classical periods, a significant part of 19th century orchestral literature and much of the music of the 20th century, including works belonging to the current repertoire of the traditional symphonic orchestras. In each season, the orchestra performs on a regular series of concerts at the Gulbenkian Grand Auditorium in Lisbon, where it has had the opportunity of working together with some of leading names of the world of music (conductors and soloists). It has also performed on numerous locations all over Portugal, in an effort to decentralize music and culture.
The orchestra has been constantly expanding its activities in the international level, performing in Europe, Asia Africa, and the Americas. In the recording field, Orquestra Gulbenkian is associated to labels as Philips, Deutsche Grammophon, Hyperion, Teldec, Erato, Adès, Nimbus, Lyrinx, Naïve and Pentatone, among others, and this activity was recognized with several international prizes.
-
Risto Joost
Conductor
The young Estonian conductor Risto Joost excels by his specialized versatility and has gained widespread recognition for his work both in the opera pit and on concert stage. The trained singer and Conductor in Residence of the Estonian National Opera has already held major artistic positions, such as Chief Conductor of the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and Artistic Director of the MDR Leipzig Radio Choir from 2015 to 2019. He succeeded at important competitions and conducted some of the world’s most distinguished orchestras. Since 2020/21 Risto Joost is Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of Theatre Vanemuine Tartu.
Risto Joost is in demand as a guest conductor with orchestras such as Helsinki Philharmonic, Bergen Philharmonic, Norwegian Opera Orchestra, Tampere Philharmonic, Tapiola Sinfonietta,Trondheim Symphony, Netherlands Philharmonic, Noord Nederlands Orkest, Dortmund Philharmonic, Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn, Gulbenkian Orchestra & Choir, Prague Radio Symphony, Janacek Philharmonic, Brno Philharmonic, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Teatro la Fenice, Latvian National Symphony, Liepaja Symphony, Estonian National Symphony among others.
In addition he collaborated with the RIAS Kammerchor, SWR Vokalensemble, Rundfunkchor Berlin, Swedish Radio Choir, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir to name a few.
At the Estonian National Opera Risto Joost has led more than 20 premieres. His repertoire ranges from Baroque to the most challenging works of contemporary composers. At the Birgitta Festival Tallinn he led La Bohème in 2018.
Forthcoming highlights are his debuts with Bavarian State Opera Orchestra Munich, Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen, Philharmonie Zuidnederland, Kristiansand Symphony (Don Giovanni) and engagements to Slovenian Philharmonic & Choir, Gulbenkian Orchestra & Choir, WKO Heilbronn, Jyväskylä Sinfonia, Liepaja Symphony, Janacek Philharmonic etc.
At Theatre Vanemuine he conducts the premiere of Tonis Kaumann: The Mall as well as revivals of Tristan und Isolde, Don Giovanni, Madame Butterfly, Donizetti: Linda di Chamounix among others.
Risto Joost’s discography includes three albums by Tõnu Korvits: You are Light and Morning (Sei la luce e il mattino) with Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Hymns to the Nordic Lights with Estonian National Symphony as well as Moorland Elegies (all Ondine).
Furthermore it contains works by Haydn with Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Peeter Vähi with Latvian National Symphony, Arvo Pärt with Netherlands Chamber Orchestra & Netherlands Chamber Choir.
For his artistic activities in Estonia and abroad, Risto Joost received the music award of the Cultural Foundation in Estonia in 2016 and was awarded the Young Cultural Figure Award of the Estonian Republic in 2011. He was Prizewinner of the Malko Conducting Competition 2015 and Jorma Panula Conducting Competition 2012.
Risto Joost has studied at the Estonian Academy of Music and received further training at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. In 2008, Risto Joost graduated from the Royal College of Music in Stockholm with a Masters Degree, majoring in orchestral conducting with Jorma Panula.
He founded the chamber choir Voces Musicales/Voces Tallinn in Estonia in 1999 and has been Artistic Director of the Birgitta Festival Tallinn in 2017 and 2018.
-
Sandrine Piau
Soprano
A renowned figure in the world of Baroque music, French soprano Sandrine Piau regularly performs with celebrated conductors such as William Christie, Philippe Herreweghe, Christophe Rousset, Gustav Lleonhardt, Ivor Bolton, Ton Koopman, René Jacobs, Marc Minkowski and Nikolaus Harnoncourt.
Ms. Piau embraces both lyric and Baroque repertoires. The roles she has performed include Cleopatra (Giulio Cesare) at the Opéra national de Paris, Mélisande in Nice and at la Monnaie, Ännchen (Der Freischütz), Pamina (Die Zauberflôte) and her debut as Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées; the title role of L’Incoronazione di Poppea in Cologne; Sandrina in a new production of La Finta Giardiniera at La Monnaie, Ismène (Mitridate, Re di Ponto) at the Grand Théâtre de Genève and Sophie in Massenet’s Werther at both the Capitole de Toulouse and the Théâtre du Châtelet.
Sandrine Piau regularly appears in concert. In recent years she has performed at the Salzburg Festival, Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Covent Garden Festival, Musikverein, Paris’ Salle Pleyel, Festival de Saint Denis, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Teatro Communale in both Florence and Bologna and with the world’s most prestigious orchestras including Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris and Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Ms. Piau takes great pleasure in the art of recital. As a singer of both French and German repertoire, she has performed with many renowned accompanists including Jos van Immerseel, Roger Vignoles Corine Durous and Susan Manoff.
Sandrine Piau was given the title of Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres in 2006 and was named “Lyrical Artist of the Year” in the Victoires de la Musique Classique award ceremony in 2009.
-
Martin Karu
Contratenor
Estonian countertenor Martin Karu is an exciting young musician whose artistry can be seen and heard on many international stages.
Even though currently studying at the Guildhall School Of Music and Drama in London he is already an active member of the Estonian music society. Since 2020, when Karu started at the GSMD his teacher has been countertenor Andrew Watts. Karu began taking opera singing lessons in Estonia at the Georg Ots Tallinn Music College in 2015. His teachers were conductor Risto Joost and soprano Eha Pärg.
Karu is an emerging artist whose list of repertoire expands every day. Starting with the compositions of the Early Renaissance era and ending with contemporary, experimental classical music, he has done everything in-between. Baroque operas, oratorios, songs, music from the 19th-21st century are all in his portfolio.
Karu's first solo concert happened in 2018 at the Viljandi Early Music Festival with viola da gamba consort väikerinG. At the end of the year, Karu debuted as a soloist in G. F. Handel's oratorio Messiah. Since then Martin has participated numeral times at the Early Music Festival Tallinn feat Reval and has performed on several occasions with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Tallinn Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra and Tallinn Baroque Orchestra conducted by Tõnu Kaljuste. In 2021 countertenor Martin Karu shared the stage with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Risto Joost. The same year Karu made his first public appearance in England at the JAM on the Marsh multi-art festival in Kent, where he performed Chichester Psalms by Leonard Bernstein. The following year he sang the role of Hamor in G. F. Händel's oratorio Jephtha with the Dorking Choral Society and took part in the Music at Oxford festival's concert called Da Pacem Domine where Karu performed "My Heart's in the Highlands" by Arvo Pärt.
Karu is the semi-finalist in the Handel Singing Competition (2022, London).
-
Conny Thimander
Tenor
Conny Thimander, Swedish tenor, received his Master of Arts degree from the Opera Academy in Stockholm.
His operatic career started, while still at the Academy, with a jump in as the Italian singer in Capriccio, a role which he learnt on a very short notice, to sing at the premiere in the Royal Swedish Opera, after which he directly got offered Tamino (The Magic Flute) by the artistic direction.
The season 2023-24 features Mr Thimander not one, but two times as Don Ramiro in Cenerentola. First at Opera Hedeland under the baton of Nathanaël Iselin and then at Folkoperan in Stockholm with Henrik Schäfer as conductor, after which he will return to Malmö Opera to sing in Pong in Turandot in a production from Savonlinna Opera Festival. The concert stage will be presenting Mr Thimander as Evangelist in St John´s Passion together with Gülbenkian Choir and Orchestra led by Risto Joost.
The season 2022-23 featured Mr Thimander as Vašek in The Bartered Bride at the Gothenburg Opera, Japeth and High Priest in S.D. Sandström´s last opera The Book of Life together with Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Julian in The Snow Sister at Malmö Opera and as Orfeo in an experimental version of Monteverdi´s masterpiece at Sort/Hvid in Copenhagen. This season he also appeared at the Philharmonie Berlin together with Staatskapelle in the world premiere of the piece “Wir sind Erde”, written and conducted by Gregor A. Mayrhofer. He also sang Evangelist and tenor together with the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Stefan Parkman and together with Copenhagen Boys Choir and Copenhagen Baroque Orchestra led by Carsten Seyr-Hansen.
Other productions and roles worthy of mentioning are Flute in Peter Hall´s legendary take on A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Malmö Opera (2021), the very extreme role of Police Inspector in Shostakovich’s The Nose at the Royal Danish Opera (2022), André in Rufus Wainwright´s opera Prima Donna at the Royal Swedish Opera (2021), Mercury in Orpheus in the Underworld at Malmö Opera (2020), Phillip von Hessen in the Luther opera Schlagt sie tot! at Malmö Opera (2019), The Holy Fool in Boris Godunov, directed by Peter Konwitschny at Gothenburg Opera (2018), Tanzmeister and Scaramuccio in Ariadne auf Naxos at Gothenburg Opera (2018), Sandon in Swedish national opera Aniara at Malmö Opera (2017), Lindoro in an adaptation of L´italiana in Algeri at Baden-Baden Festspielhaus (2017), Trotteltroll in Die Schneekönigin at Deutsche Oper am Rhein (2016), Ferrando in Così fan tutte at Jyske Opera (2015), Niko and Hüseyin in Gegen die Wand at Deutsche Oper am Rhein (2014), Mond in Vom Mädchen, dass nicht schlafen wollte at Deutsche Oper am Rhein (2014), and then later again at Theater Bonn (2016).
Also the early music scene has seen Mr. Thimander in various roles among which his appearances at the Drottningholm Palace Theatre as Pastore in L’Orfeo and the stuttering humpback Demo in Il Giasone by Cavalli.
On the concert stages he has performed most of the major oratorios, where the Evangelist from the passions by J.S. Bach has become one of his specialties.
Mr. Thimander has been awarded with second prize in the competition Gösta Winbergh Award and has received the Swedish Wagner Society Bayreuth Scholarship.
Johann Sebastian Bach
St John Passion, BWV 245
In July 2022, the Estonian conductor Risto Joost conducted the Gulbenkian Choir and Orchestra in the Mass in B Minorby J. S. Bach at the end of the celebrations of the 3rd anniversary of the inscription of the Royal Building of Mafra on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. In March 2003 he had his premiere in the Gulbenkian Grand Auditorium, conducting Mozart’s Requiem. Recognised for his versatility, he has built a fruitful relationship with the baroque and classical repertoire, returning in 2024 to conduct one of J. S. Bach’s greatest choral works, the St John Passion.
Sponsor Gulbenkian Music
The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation reserves the right to collect and keep records of images, sounds and voice for the diffusion and preservation of the memory of its cultural and artistic activity. For further information, please contact us through the Information Request form.