Ensemble El Cimarrón

Robert Koller

was born in Basel in 1973

After he took his diploma in composition and music theory, he studied singing with Laszlo Polgar at the college of music in Zürich/ Winterthur and received his concert diploma „with distinction“ and furthermore his solo diploma.

In 2001 and 2002, he won the prize for solo singing awarded by the Migros Co-Operative Association and the Ernst Göhner foundation. Moreover, he won the “ORPHEUS-Konzerte 2003” prize.

In concert and opera parts, he has sung the following among others:

In 2002: Jesus in the Matthew Passion by Bach in the Tonhalle Zürich In July 2002: Premiere of “Eis Erota” by Balz Trümpy in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin In July 2003: Guest role in “Invocation” by Beat Furrer (directed by Christoph Marthaler), a production of Zürich Opera In November 2003: Bass solo part in the Requiem by Mozart conducted by Alois Koch in the KKL-Hall in Lucerne In Febuary 2004: Bassbariton solo part in “Ensemble Buch” by Rudolf Kelterborn with Irene Friedli and the instrumental ensemble “Opera Nova” of the Zürich Opera Orchestra In 2004: King in the opera “Siroe, re di Persia” by Händel in the Musikhalle in Hamburg and the Zellerbach Hall in Berkley (San Francisco), with the Venice Baroque Orchestra conducted by Andrea Marcon In 2004: Solorecitals (“Songs and Dances of Death” by Mussorgskij among others) at the International Festival “Sugrizimai” in Vilnius, Lithuania, and in the Villa Maraini in Rome In 2004: Bass solo in Sacred Music by Charpentier conducted by Jordi Savall with the Capella Reial de Catalunya at the Styriarte Festival in Graz and in France (in the Cathedral of Vézelay among others) In 2004: The title role in “El Cimarron” by H.-W. Henze in the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in Santiago de Chile, and at the “32th International Cervantino Festival” Mexico (Teatro Principal) In 2005: Bassbariton solo part in “Avodath Hakodesh” by Ernest Bloch and in the Solocantata “Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen” by J.S. Bach in the big concert hall of the Stadtcasino Basle/Switzerland conducted by Joachim Krause In 2006: Solorecital at the International Festival “Società del Quartetto di Milano” Baritone solo part in the premiere of “Zerberus” for baritone and cello solo by H.U. Lehmann at the Lucerne Festival with Walter Grimmer and the Lucerne Festival Strings