- piano
- Yevgeny Sudbin
Francesco Tristano
Paul Lewis
Cédric Tiberghien
Janina Fialkowska
Nino Gvetadze
Arthur Jussen
Lucas Jussen - Cembalo
- Mahan Esfahani
- violin
- Alina Ibragimova
- Henning Kraggerud
- Yume Fujise
- viola
- Lawrence Power
- cello
- Alisa Weilerstein
Andreas Brantelid - viola da gamba
- Fahmi Alqhai
- Guitar
- Thibaut Garcia
- Clarinet
- Annelien Van Wauwe
- chamber music
- Chiaroscuro Quartet
- soprano
- Carolyn Sampson
Robert Holl was born in Rotterdam where he studied with Jan Veth and David Hollestelle. In 1971 he won the First Prize at the "International Vocal Competition” in s’-Hertogenbosch, followed by studies with Hans Hotter in Munich. In 1972 he won the First Prize at the "International Music Competition of the German Broadcasting Association” (ARD) in Munich which resulted in TV/Radio engagements and orchestral concerts. Between 1973 and 1975 he was a member of the Bayerische Staatsoper Munich.
After numerous years as a sought-after concert singer and Lieder recitalist Robert Holl has acquired a renewed interest in singing opera in the Eighties. He has appeared at the Staatsoper Wien, at the Brussels and the Zurich Opera as Sprecher and Sarastro / DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE, Amfortas / PARSIFAL, Gremin / EUGEN ONEGIN (sung in Russian), Basilio / IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA, Assur / SEMIRAMIDE, Alfonso / COSI FAN TUTTE, La Roche / CAPRICCIO, Wassermann / RUSALKA (sung in Czech), Robert / DES TEUFELS LUSTSCHLOSS with conductors like Claudio Abbado, Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Franz Welser-Möst.
From 1999 to 2002 Robert Holl has appeared as Landgraf Hermann / TANNHÄUSER, Commendatore / DON GIOVANNI, Hans Sachs / DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG, and Daland / DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER at the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin under the baton of Daniel Barenboim. In 2005 he sang again Hans Sachs under Barenboim.
He will be heard in this role again in a revival under Peter Schneider at the Deutsche Oper Berlin in 2008.
At the Wiener Staatsoper he was and will be heard in different productions of Wagner Operas as Landgraf Hermann / TANNHÄUSER, König Marke / TRISTAN UND ISOLDE (conductors: Christian Thielemann, Franz Welser-Möst and Peter Schneider), Gurnemanz / PARSIFAL (conductor: Donald Runnicles), and as Pimen / BORIS GODUNOV (new production under Daniele Gatti, May 2007).
He has consecutively appeared as Hans Sachs in DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG in Bayreuth from 1996 to 2002 with great success (conductors: Daniel Barenboim and Christian Thielemann). Since 2004 he is Bayreuth´s Gurnemanz in Christoph Schlingensief´s production of PARSIFAL (conductor: Pierre Boulez, 2006 Adam Fischer).
For many years Robert Holl has been a much sought-after concert singer, which enabled him to acquire a wide range of concert repertoire. He has appeared with the most renowned conductors and orchestras in Europe, America, and Japan.
Robert Holl is one of the most important Lieder singers of our time, having a particular preference for the German (especially Schubert) and Russian repertoire. He sings regularly with constant high acclaim in all the great music centres in Europe, Israel, the USA, Russia, and Japan.
Robert Holl also appears regularly at the great international festivals in Europe. Sviatoslav Richter had invited him several times to perform in Moscow (Festival "December Nights") and at his festival in Tours, France.
His numerous musical activities also include Masterclasses in Holland, Austria, Great Britain and Canada, Radio and TV productions, many recordings with renowned conductors and Lieder-CDs (some with András Schiff and Oleg Maisenberg at the piano). Several of his own compositions (Lieder and piano pieces) have been published by Doblinger and are available on CD.
Robert Holl is artistic director of Schubertiads in Austria and Holland as well as artistic advisor of the "Poetry and Music" series in the Brahmssaal of the Vienna Musikverein.
In 1990 Robert Holl was awarded the prestigious Austrian title of "Kammersänger", in 1997 he was named an "Honourable Member" of the "Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Wien" and of the Festival "Carinthischer Sommer" as well. In 1998 he became a Professor for Lied and Oratory at the "Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst" in Vienna. In 2005 he was awarded the "Österreichisches Ehrenkreuz für Wissenschaft und Kunst I. Klasse".
In 2007 he received the high Dutch award of „Ridder in de Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw” in his home town of Rotterdam.
