Julian Prégardien was born in Frankfurt and received his earliest music training as a chorister in the Limburg Cathedral choirs. Following his studies in Freiburg and his time with the Académie du Festival Aix-en-Provence, he became a member of the Frankfurt Opera ensemble from 2009 to 2013, alongside which he began to develop an international career as a concert performer. Today Julian Prégardien is recognised as a leading international representative of the next generation of classical vocal artists. His clear voice, together with his deep understanding of the text and story-telling make him a sought-after Lied interpreter.
Recitals and chamber music projects are also at the heart of Julien Prégardien’s artistic engagements: as part of the Schleswig-Holstein Festival he curated an evening of Brahms’ music and has given recitals at the Alte Oper Frankfurt, Konzerthaus Dortmund, Philharmonie in Cologne, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Pierre-Boulez Saal in Berlin and London’s Wigmore Hall. To celebrate the 200th anniversary of the creation of Schubert’s “Die schöne Müllerin” in autumn 2023, Julian Prégardien will spend several weeks performing the masterpiece in a number of renowned venues.
As an opera soloist, he has appeared at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, the Hamburg and Bavarian State Operas and the Opéra Comique in Paris. In 2018 he made his debut at the Salzburg Festival as Narraboth in Richard Strauss’ “Salome” (directed by Romeo Castellucci) with the Vienna Philharmonic under Franz Welser-Möst. In 2019 came his debut as Tamino in a new production of Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte" at the Berlin State Opera under the baton of Alondra de la Parra. At the Mozartwoche 2023 he received critical acclaim for his debut as Don Ottavio in Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” conducted by András Schiff, while at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples he performed in a stage version of Romeo Castellucci's “Mozart Requiem” under Raphaël Pichon. In 2024 Julian Prégardien will sing Tamino with the Cleveland Orchestra under the baton of Franz Welser-Möst and directed by Nikolaus Habjan.
Julian Prégardien was named “Artiste Ètoile” of the Mozartfest Würzburg in 2019, where he performed with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra and the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, among others. Recent highlights have included a tour with Concentus Musicus under Stefan Gottfried, his debut with the Cleveland Orchestra under Franz Welser-Möst, and his Carnegie Hall debut with Orchestra of St. Luke’s under Bernard Labadie. In addition, Julian Prégardien has performed with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Concertgebouw Orchestra under Klaus Mäkelä, with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra under Sir John Eliot Gardiner, with the Tonhalle Orchester and Alondra de la Parra, with the Ensemble Pygmalion under Raphaël Pichon and with La Cetra under Andrea Marcon. A notable highlight was the performance of Bach’s “St Matthew Passion” with the Vienna Philharmonic under Franz Welser-Möst and Bach’s “St John Passion” with the Gewandhaus Orchestra under the Thomaskantor Andreas Reize.
In the summer of 2023, Julian Prégardien could be heard with Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal conducted by Rafael Payare at the Festival de Lanaudière, as well as with Beethoven’s “Missa Solemnis” conducted by Thomas Hengelbrock at the Festival in Aix-en-Provence. At the Salzburg Festival he performed in Purcell’s “Indian Queen” conducted by Teodor Currentzis, followed by Schubert’s “Die Schöne Müllerin” at Schloss Ettersbberg, Schloss Rheinsberg, at the Chopin Festival in Warsaw and at the Nordliedfestival in Hamburg.
The 2023-2024 season brings tour projects with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra and Kris Bezuidenhout, the B’Rock Orchestra, and Collegium Vocale Ghent, where Julian Prégardien can be heard as the Evangelist in Bach’s St. Matthew’s Passion under the baton of Philippe Herreweghe. An additional highlight will be concert performances with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Riccardo Muti.
Julian Prégardien records exclusively with Alpha Classics and has released discs featuring Schubert’s “Winterreise”, Schubert’s “Schwanengesang” and Schumann’s “Dichterliebe”. Off stage, he is a professor at the Munich Academy of Music and Theatre’s vocal department, a member of the Schumann Network and the artistic director of the Brentano Academy in Aschaffenburg.
As of: April 2024