Tobias Berndt
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The native Berliner Tobias Berndt began his musical training with the Dresden Choir of the Church of the Holy Cross. He studied with Hermann Christian Polster at the University of Music and Theatre Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy in Leipzig and continued his training with Rudolf Piernay at the Mannheim University of Music and Performing Arts. During further studies and master's courses, he worked with Theo Adam, Wolfram Rieger, Norman Shetler, Irwin Gage, Axel Bauni, Julia Varady and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.
Accredited with multiple scholarships, he was a prizewinner at the National Song Contest Berlin 2004, the International Song Contest at the Hugo-Wolf Academy in Stuttgart 2007, the International Summer Academy of the Mozarteum in Salzburg 2008 and the International Contest Franz Schubert und die Musik der Moderne in Graz 2009. His most recent accolades include winning first prize at the International Johannes-Brahms Contest in Pörtschach 2008 and at the Cantilena Song Contest in Bayreuth 2009, as well as winning the Thomas Quasthoff initiated contest 'Das Lied – International Song Competition' in February 2009 in Berlin.
Important points in his singing career have included concerts with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchester, The English Concert, L'arpe festante, the Thomanerchor Leipzig choral group, the Saxony Vocal Ensemble and the MDR Radio Choir. He has sung under renowned conductors such as Peter Schreier, Helmuth Rilling, Howard Arman, Ludwig Güttler, Gewandhaus organist Michael Schönheit and Andreas Spering and has performed at international festivals.
