Echoes beyond the Body, the Duino Elegies
DUO ARDEA – consisting of soprano Laure-Catherine Beyers and pianist Ana Ostojić – impresses with an approach that does not use innovation as mere effect, but rather as an expression of a deeply contemporary artistic identity. The duo assumes multiple roles: as musicians, performers, and catalysts for new works. With their aim to organically intertwine classical and contemporary song, they open up new narrative and sonic spaces.
Their project based on Rainer Maria Rilke’s DUNIO ELEGIES unfolds as a multilayered dramaturgical structure. In close collaboration with composers Sanziana Dobrovicescu and Mihai Codrea, new commissioned works are created in response to Rilke’s poetry. These are thoughtfully interwoven with existing repertoire – some of which dates back to the 17th century – and further enhanced by electronics and performative elements.
The interplay between acoustic instruments and electronic soundscapes is not an add-on, but an integral part of the project’s concept, deeply rooted in its themes. Love, death, religion, morality, and hope are explored as fundamental, unresolvable questions – always with the aim of sharpening our awareness of individual responsibility in a changing world.
The concept stands out for its strong artistic vision, particularly in how it reimagines the song form as something open, fluid, and rooted in the present. With vocal and pianistic excellence, experimental openness, and a keen sense for contemporary relevance, DUO ARDEA is forging a forward-looking path in the world of art song.
The Medium - The Haunted Mind
The Medium – The Haunted Spirit, a Journey Through Identity
Written in 1981 by Peter Maxwell Davies, The Medium is an a cappella opera for solo voice. Though the narrative centers on a spiritualist séance in a marketplace, the work’s true focus lies in the protagonist’s emotional and identity struggles. Her downfall becomes a powerful metaphor: is she truly in contact with supernatural forces, or haunted by her own past?
In this interpretation, the action unfolds within a theatre dressing room, giving the piece a new dimension. The setting draws a parallel between the protagonist’s introspection and that of the artist: what does it mean to inhabit a role? Where does the self end and the character begin? This mise en abyme invites existential reflection — who am I really? Am I shaped only by my past, or can I redefine myself?
The vocal treatment mirrors these questions. Alone and vulnerable, the voice becomes the reflection of the protagonist’s troubled psyche, while the multiple and dissonant layers of sound introduce ambiguity, blurring the boundaries between reality and illusion.
Beyond the supernatural, The Medium delves into themes of deception, identity, and transformation within a haunting atmosphere. It becomes an artistic and psychological quest, probing the delicate frontier between performer and character, illusion and inner truth.
A project by:
Laure-Catherine Beyers – Soprano
Hana Ramujkić – Stage Design
In collaboration with:
Albert Hochschulz – Sound Engineer & Cameraman
Ingo Kerkhof – Director & Coach
Ticket prices:
€23 Supporter price, €18 Regular price, €13 Various discounts, €9 Colleagues
Advance sales through the Bühnen Graz Ticket Center
The Medium - The Haunted Mind
The Medium – The Haunted Mind, a Journey Through Identity
Written in 1981 by Peter Maxwell Davies, The Medium is an a cappella opera for solo voice. Though the narrative centers on a spiritualist séance in a marketplace, the work’s true focus lies in the protagonist’s emotional and identity struggles. Her downfall becomes a powerful metaphor: is she truly in contact with supernatural forces, or haunted by her own past?
In this interpretation, the action unfolds within a theatre dressing room, giving the piece a new dimension. The setting draws a parallel between the protagonist’s introspection and that of the artist: what does it mean to inhabit a role? Where does the self end and the character begin? This mise en abyme invites existential reflection — who am I really? Am I shaped only by my past, or can I redefine myself?
The vocal treatment mirrors these questions. Alone and vulnerable, the voice becomes the reflection of the protagonist’s troubled psyche, while the multiple and dissonant layers of sound introduce ambiguity, blurring the boundaries between reality and illusion.
Beyond the supernatural, The Medium delves into themes of deception, identity, and transformation within a haunting atmosphere. It becomes an artistic and psychological quest, probing the delicate frontier between performer and character, illusion and inner truth.
MAXIMILIANO SOTO MAYORGA - Xochiyaoyotl (World Premiere)
In a world where gods were fed by humans, a child is trained to fight in war and preserve the sun god with his life.
“Xochiyaoyotl“, translated as ‘flower wars’, recalls rituals of Aztec martial arts that was wiped out by the Spanish conquest. We can only imagine what this combat – that challenged the belief in tomorrow every night anew - looked like.
David Camargo, Amauta García and Maximiliano Soto Mayorga develop a music theatre piece that lies between myth and memory, in which music, space and performance emerge from the physicality of the combatants.
“Xochiyaoyotl” is the winner of the OPEN CALL of the Münchener Biennale on the theme of “martial arts”. Chosen from among 85 submissions, the production was selected by an international jury consisting of Carola Bauckholt, Kenny Savelson, Vigdís Jakobsdóttir, Martin Minarik, Sarah Maria Sun, and Toshiki Okada.
Composition: MAXIMILIANO SOTO MAYORGA
Set, costume and instrument design: DAVID CAMARGO
Libretto, video, dramaturgy: AMAUTA GARCÍA
Dramaturgy: JULIAN KÄMPER
Soprano: LAURE-CATHERINE BEYERS
Countertenor: JOHANNES WIENERS
Percussion: MATHIAS LACHENMAYR, DAAN WILMS
Contrabass-clarinet: PAULA HÄNI
Electric guitar: JOHANNES ÖLLINGER
Cello: MYRIAM GARCÍA FIDALGO
MAXIMILIANO SOTO MAYORGA - Xochiyaoyotl
In a world where gods were fed by humans, a child is trained to fight in war and preserve the sun god with his life.
“Xochiyaoyotl“, translated as ‘flower wars’, recalls rituals of Aztec martial arts that was wiped out by the Spanish conquest. We can only imagine what this combat – that challenged the belief in tomorrow every night anew - looked like.
David Camargo, Amauta García and Maximiliano Soto Mayorga develop a music theatre piece that lies between myth and memory, in which music, space and performance emerge from the physicality of the combatants.
“Xochiyaoyotl” is the winner of the OPEN CALL of the Münchener Biennale on the theme of “martial arts”. Chosen from among 85 submissions, the production was selected by an international jury consisting of Carola Bauckholt, Kenny Savelson, Vigdís Jakobsdóttir, Martin Minarik, Sarah Maria Sun, and Toshiki Okada.
Composition: MAXIMILIANO SOTO MAYORGA
Set, costume and instrument design: DAVID CAMARGO
Libretto, video, dramaturgy: AMAUTA GARCÍA
Dramaturgy: JULIAN KÄMPER
Soprano: LAURE-CATHERINE BEYERS
Countertenor: JOHANNES WIENERS
Percussion: MATHIAS LACHENMAYR, DAAN WILMS
Contrabass-clarinet: PAULA HÄNI
Electric guitar: JOHANNES ÖLLINGER
Cello: MYRIAM GARCÍA FIDALGO
MAXIMILIANO SOTO MAYORGA - Xochiyaoyotl
In a world where gods were fed by humans, a child is trained to fight in war and preserve the sun god with his life.
“Xochiyaoyotl“, translated as ‘flower wars’, recalls rituals of Aztec martial arts that was wiped out by the Spanish conquest. We can only imagine what this combat – that challenged the belief in tomorrow every night anew - looked like.
David Camargo, Amauta García and Maximiliano Soto Mayorga develop a music theatre piece that lies between myth and memory, in which music, space and performance emerge from the physicality of the combatants.
“Xochiyaoyotl” is the winner of the OPEN CALL of the Münchener Biennale on the theme of “martial arts”. Chosen from among 85 submissions, the production was selected by an international jury consisting of Carola Bauckholt, Kenny Savelson, Vigdís Jakobsdóttir, Martin Minarik, Sarah Maria Sun, and Toshiki Okada.
Composition: MAXIMILIANO SOTO MAYORGA
Set, costume and instrument design: DAVID CAMARGO
Libretto, video, dramaturgy: AMAUTA GARCÍA
Dramaturgy: JULIAN KÄMPER
Soprano: LAURE-CATHERINE BEYERS
Countertenor: JOHANNES WIENERS
Percussion: MATHIAS LACHENMAYR, DAAN WILMS
Contrabass-clarinet: PAULA HÄNI
Electric guitar: JOHANNES ÖLLINGER
Cello: MYRIAM GARCÍA FIDALGO
Manfred Trojahn - Eurydice, die Liebenden, blind
TICKETS: https://neueoperwien.at/tickets/
Austrian Premiere
Music: Manfred Trojahn
Libretto: Manfred Trojahn, incorporating three poems by Rainer Maria Rilke from Sonnets to Orpheus
In his opera Eurydice – Die Liebenden, blind, first premiered in 2021, Manfred Trojahn explores a timeless question: can love overcome death? Drawing inspiration from the Greek myth and the poetic reflections of *Rainer Maria Rilke’s Sonnets to Orpheus, Trojahn creates a psychological drama of the soul, musically rooted in the rich spectrum of modern tonality.
The score opens up a world of sensuality, expressive power, and formal variety, capturing the existential tension between life and death, art and transience. At its center stands the actress Eurydice, embarking on her final journey – one that leads inward, toward new encounters and familiar companions from the past. Along the way, she meets the young musician Orphée, who falls passionately in love with her. Yet Pluton, god of the underworld and embodiment of past loves, remains ever-present.
As Orphée tries to rekindle Eurydice’s feelings and believes he can bring new meaning to her life, Eurydice ultimately crosses the threshold to “the other side.” There, she finds a form of fulfillment that perhaps no longer depends on earthly attachment. Her love for Orphée becomes a metaphor for the bond between art and inspiration – fleeting, profound, and beyond human possession.
The German composer, conductor, and essayist Manfred Trojahn (born 1949) has secured a prominent place in contemporary opera with his exceptional works. Through refined musical structures and a distinctly narrative approach, Trojahn’s music becomes the living voice of his characters and their emotions.
Performances:
October 16, 18, 21 & 22, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.
Venue: Halle E, MuseumsQuartier Vienna, Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Vienna
Musical Director: Walter Kobéra
Stage Direction: Juana Inés Cano Restrepo
Set & Costume Design: Dietlind Konold
Lighting Design: Norbert Chmel
Cast:
Eurydice – Laure-Catherine Beyers
Proserpine – Lena Belkina
Orphée – Martin Achrainer
Pluton – Christoph Gerhardus
Madrigalists of the Vienna Chamber Choir (chorus master: Bernhard Jaretz)
Tonkünstler Orchestra of Lower AustriaAustrian Premiere
© Armin Bardel
Manfred Trojahn - Eurydice, die Liebenden, blind
TICKETS: https://neueoperwien.at/tickets/
Austrian Premiere
Music: Manfred Trojahn
Libretto: Manfred Trojahn, incorporating three poems by Rainer Maria Rilke from Sonnets to Orpheus
In his opera Eurydice – Die Liebenden, blind, first premiered in 2021, Manfred Trojahn explores a timeless question: can love overcome death? Drawing inspiration from the Greek myth and the poetic reflections of *Rainer Maria Rilke’s Sonnets to Orpheus, Trojahn creates a psychological drama of the soul, musically rooted in the rich spectrum of modern tonality.
The score opens up a world of sensuality, expressive power, and formal variety, capturing the existential tension between life and death, art and transience. At its center stands the actress Eurydice, embarking on her final journey – one that leads inward, toward new encounters and familiar companions from the past. Along the way, she meets the young musician Orphée, who falls passionately in love with her. Yet Pluton, god of the underworld and embodiment of past loves, remains ever-present.
As Orphée tries to rekindle Eurydice’s feelings and believes he can bring new meaning to her life, Eurydice ultimately crosses the threshold to “the other side.” There, she finds a form of fulfillment that perhaps no longer depends on earthly attachment. Her love for Orphée becomes a metaphor for the bond between art and inspiration – fleeting, profound, and beyond human possession.
The German composer, conductor, and essayist Manfred Trojahn (born 1949) has secured a prominent place in contemporary opera with his exceptional works. Through refined musical structures and a distinctly narrative approach, Trojahn’s music becomes the living voice of his characters and their emotions.
Performances:
October 16, 18, 21 & 22, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.
Venue: Halle E, MuseumsQuartier Vienna, Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Vienna
Musical Director: Walter Kobéra
Stage Direction: Juana Inés Cano Restrepo
Set & Costume Design: Dietlind Konold
Lighting Design: Norbert Chmel
Cast:
Eurydice – Laure-Catherine Beyers
Proserpine – Lena Belkina
Orphée – Martin Achrainer
Pluton – Christoph Gerhardus
Madrigalists of the Vienna Chamber Choir (chorus master: Bernhard Jaretz)
Tonkünstler Orchestra of Lower AustriaAustrian Premiere
© Armin Bardel
Manfred Trojahn - Eurydice, die Liebenden, blind
TICKETS: https://neueoperwien.at/tickets/
Austrian Premiere
Music: Manfred Trojahn
Libretto: Manfred Trojahn, incorporating three poems by Rainer Maria Rilke from Sonnets to Orpheus
In his opera Eurydice – Die Liebenden, blind, first premiered in 2021, Manfred Trojahn explores a timeless question: can love overcome death? Drawing inspiration from the Greek myth and the poetic reflections of *Rainer Maria Rilke’s Sonnets to Orpheus, Trojahn creates a psychological drama of the soul, musically rooted in the rich spectrum of modern tonality.
The score opens up a world of sensuality, expressive power, and formal variety, capturing the existential tension between life and death, art and transience. At its center stands the actress Eurydice, embarking on her final journey – one that leads inward, toward new encounters and familiar companions from the past. Along the way, she meets the young musician Orphée, who falls passionately in love with her. Yet Pluton, god of the underworld and embodiment of past loves, remains ever-present.
As Orphée tries to rekindle Eurydice’s feelings and believes he can bring new meaning to her life, Eurydice ultimately crosses the threshold to “the other side.” There, she finds a form of fulfillment that perhaps no longer depends on earthly attachment. Her love for Orphée becomes a metaphor for the bond between art and inspiration – fleeting, profound, and beyond human possession.
The German composer, conductor, and essayist Manfred Trojahn (born 1949) has secured a prominent place in contemporary opera with his exceptional works. Through refined musical structures and a distinctly narrative approach, Trojahn’s music becomes the living voice of his characters and their emotions.
Performances:
October 16, 18, 21 & 22, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.
Venue: Halle E, MuseumsQuartier Vienna, Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Vienna
Musical Director: Walter Kobéra
Stage Direction: Juana Inés Cano Restrepo
Set & Costume Design: Dietlind Konold
Lighting Design: Norbert Chmel
Cast:
Eurydice – Laure-Catherine Beyers
Proserpine – Lena Belkina
Orphée – Martin Achrainer
Pluton – Christoph Gerhardus
Madrigalists of the Vienna Chamber Choir (chorus master: Bernhard Jaretz)
Tonkünstler Orchestra of Lower AustriaAustrian Premiere
© Armin Bardel
Manfred Trojahn - Eurydice, die Liebenden, blind
TICKETS: https://neueoperwien.at/tickets/
Austrian Premiere
Music: Manfred Trojahn
Libretto: Manfred Trojahn, incorporating three poems by Rainer Maria Rilke from Sonnets to Orpheus
In his opera Eurydice – Die Liebenden, blind, first premiered in 2021, Manfred Trojahn explores a timeless question: can love overcome death? Drawing inspiration from the Greek myth and the poetic reflections of *Rainer Maria Rilke’s Sonnets to Orpheus, Trojahn creates a psychological drama of the soul, musically rooted in the rich spectrum of modern tonality.
The score opens up a world of sensuality, expressive power, and formal variety, capturing the existential tension between life and death, art and transience. At its center stands the actress Eurydice, embarking on her final journey – one that leads inward, toward new encounters and familiar companions from the past. Along the way, she meets the young musician Orphée, who falls passionately in love with her. Yet Pluton, god of the underworld and embodiment of past loves, remains ever-present.
As Orphée tries to rekindle Eurydice’s feelings and believes he can bring new meaning to her life, Eurydice ultimately crosses the threshold to “the other side.” There, she finds a form of fulfillment that perhaps no longer depends on earthly attachment. Her love for Orphée becomes a metaphor for the bond between art and inspiration – fleeting, profound, and beyond human possession.
The German composer, conductor, and essayist Manfred Trojahn (born 1949) has secured a prominent place in contemporary opera with his exceptional works. Through refined musical structures and a distinctly narrative approach, Trojahn’s music becomes the living voice of his characters and their emotions.
Performances:
October 16, 18, 21 & 22, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.
Venue: Halle E, MuseumsQuartier Vienna, Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Vienna
Musical Director: Walter Kobéra
Stage Direction: Juana Inés Cano Restrepo
Set & Costume Design: Dietlind Konold
Lighting Design: Norbert Chmel
Cast:
Eurydice – Laure-Catherine Beyers
Proserpine – Lena Belkina
Orphée – Martin Achrainer
Pluton – Christoph Gerhardus
Madrigalists of the Vienna Chamber Choir (chorus master: Bernhard Jaretz)
Tonkünstler Orchestra of Lower AustriaAustrian Premiere
© Armin Bardel
Finals of the International Vocalist Concours (IVC) ‘s-Hertogenbosch ‘Theatre in Song’ 2025
Duo Ardea presents their program ‘It’s Complicated’ at the finals of the IVC Theatre in Song 2025 competition in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
Laure-Catherine Beyers, soprano
Ana Ostojić, piano
Livestream: https://youtube.com/@vocalcompetition?si=TuWGOcxeQtukb_A8
Umbruch und Kontinuität: Ein Gesprächskonzert zu Wendepunkten in der Musikgeschichte
Lecture Recital on upheavals in Music History at the Ausseer Gespräche 2025
Laure-Catherine Beyers, soprano
Marlene Heiss, piano
Gerd Kühr, Federico Celestini, Ulf Bästlein, Konstanze Wimmer