The popular German baritone has enjoyed an outstanding career with tremendous success in the Lieder repertoire and in larger works for the concert hall, as well as in operatic roles for lyric baritone. Here he turns his attention to younger singers, to whom he can offer insights learned over decades of experience.

Anton Kirchhoff

​Lyric baritone Anton Kirchhoff commenced his musical journey at the age of six, starting with the violin. Three years later, he embraced the piano as his secondary instrument and, not long afterwards, received his first singing lesson. In the summer of 2023, Anton completed his Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance with top honours under the guidance of Thomas Laske at the Robert-Schumann-Hochschule in Düsseldorf. He is currently studying on the MA programme at the Royal Academy of Music in London, under Susan Waters and Joseph Middleton. An important part of Anton’s musical work centres around Art Song. His passion for German Lied in particular was profoundly influenced by mentorship from Benjamin Appl, Christoph Prégardien and Robert Holl. November 2020 found him embarking on a collaborative venture with the pianist Jou-an Chen. Later in the year, they will be participating in the Young Artist Programme of Leeds Lieder.

Alex Hardy

Alex is currently studying for his BMus in Vocal Performance at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance, where he studies as a bass-baritone with Robert Alderson, and Choral Conducting with Ralph Allwood. Recently, he has performed in the Trinity Laban Postgraduate Opera Scenes, singing roles such as Truffaldino in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, Bartolo in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro and Crespel in Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffmann. Alongside his studies, he is a Dame Susan Morden Choral Scholar in the Chapel Choir of the Old Royal Naval College where. He often performs as a soloist for choral society workshops and concerts, notably with the Northampton Bach Choir and Wimbledon Choral. This year, Alex Hardy was one of two students at Trinity to be asked to conduct the Chamber Choir for the conservatoire’s first ever student lead chamber choir project.

Oliver Heuzenroeder

​Australian baritone Oliver Heuzenroeder is currently pursuing a Master’s degree at the Royal Academy of Music. He is a member of the Academy’s Song Circle and supported by the Josephine Baker Trust. He holds a Bachelor of Music (Honours I) and a Postgraduate Certificate from the Queensland Conservatorium in Brisbane. Last year, he was a Melba Opera Trust Artist, supported by the Annie McFarling and Ryman Healthcare Opera Scholarships. Notable roles performed include Claudio in Berlioz’s Béatrice et Bénédict, Marcello in Puccini’s La bohème, and Strephon in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Iolanthe. He has engaged in masterclasses with Yvonne Kenny, Jessica Pratt and Brindley Sherratt, and also participated in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s Masterclass Series with Siobhan Stagg. Oliver Huezenroeder has been awarded the Joyce Campbell Lloyd Scholarship, the Bettine McCaughan Memorial Scholarship, and the Sydney Savage Club Award. He was a semi-finalist in the Sydney Opera Prize, and achieved top placements in the Australian Concerto and Vocal Open Competition.

Charlotte Jane Kennedy

​Soprano Charlotte Jane Kennedy is currently completing her Master of Performance at the Royal College of Music, studying with Janis Kelly and Simon Lepper, and will join the RCM International Opera Studio in September. Her experience in song includes being a 2023 Leeds Lieder Young Artist; recent competition success in the AESS Patricia Routledge English Song Competition; first prize in the RCM Lieder competition; and masterclasses with Sir Thomas Allen at the Gŵyl Machynlleth Schubertiade, and with Roger Vignoles at Wigmore Hall. At the Royal College of Music, her operatic roles have included Maturina in Gazzaniga’s Don Giovanni Tenorio, Jenny Lind (cover) in Larsen’s Barnum’s Bird, La Bergère & La Chouette in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges and Venus in Offenbach’s Orphée aux enfers. This summer, she will join Garsington as an Alvarez Young Artist. Charlotte Jane Kennedy is a Leverhulme Arts Scholar supported by the Robert McFadzean Whyte Award, and is also kindly supported by the Munster Trust and the Josephine Baker Trust.