Mezzo-soprano Birgit Remmert was born in Braunschweig, Germany, and began voice studies at the music school there. She continued her studies in Detmold. Throughout her years in musical study, she was awarded prizes in several renowned international music competitions.
Beginning in 1992, Birgit Remmert performed as soloist at opera houses in Zurich, at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, and in Hamburg and Dresden. She had guest appearances at the Salzburg Festival in 1993, in1998 at the Montpellier Festival, and at the Bayreuth Festival 2000 and 2001.
A large part of Birgit Remmert’s calendar is taken up by her concert activities. She performs recitals in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Spain and regularly works with such orchestras as Tonhalle Zürich, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala. In summer 2002 she toured Europe with the European Union Youth Orchestra under the baton of Vladimir Ashkenazy with Les Nuits D’été. In autumn 2003 she sang Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in the Konzerthaus Vienna under the baton of Christian Thielemann. She interpreted Mahler’s Third Symphony in Sydney under the baton of Maestro Edo de Waart.
Three solo CDs by Birgit Remmert have been released, featuring Lieder by Brahms, Baur, Clara Schumann, Barber and Tchaikovsky (Harmonia Mundi), a Brahms only programme (Vanguard), and her latest recording, Lieder by Richard Strauss (Harmonia Mundi). Further recordings include Beethoven’s Ninth (Teldec) and Missa Solemnis (Harmonia Mundi), Bach’s Messen and Magnificat (Philips), Mendelssohn’s First Walpurgisnacht (Teldec), Mahler’s Das Lied Von Der Erde, Bruckners F-Moll-Messe and Te Deum (EMI) and Schubert’s Mass in A-flat Major and E-flat Major (Teldec), and Schumann’s Der Rose Pilgerfahrt (Harmonia Mundi).
She has performed with such conductors as Claudio Abbado, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Gary Bertini, Seymon Bychkov, Riccardo Chailly, Dennis Russel Davies, Frühbeck de Burgos, Carlo Maria Giulini, Bernard Haitink, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Philippe Herrweghe, Kent Nagano, Helmut Rilling, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Peter Schreier, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Franz Welser-Möst, Edo de Waart and David Zinman. Recently she and Sir Simon Rattle collaborated for concerts and recordings of Mahler’s Third Symhony with the City of Birmingham Orchestra. He also invited her for a tour with Mahler’s Second Symphony (Salzburg, Edinburgh, London, Berlin, Luzern) with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder in Philadelphia and at Carnegie Hall, and for Mahler’s Eighth Symphony at the BBC Proms 2002.
Recent events include performances at the Hamburg State Opera and at the opera house of Dresden, on the concert stages of Frankfurt, Berlin, Salzburg, Lucerne. In July 2004 she appeared at Salzburg Festival in King Arthur by Purcell under the baton of Nikolaus Harnoncourt, in November 2004 she performed at Die Walkirie by Wagner in Dresden. Highlights of 2004/2005 season also included Wagner’s Lohengrin in Madrid, Daphne in Venice, and numerous appearances on the concert stages London (Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with Sir Simon Rattle), Dresden (Mahler's Third Symphony with Hartmut Haenchen), Birmingham (Beethoven's Ninth Symphony), Mahler's Eighth Symphony, both with Maestro Rattle) and Bonn (Mahler's Second Symphony).