Born in Neubrandenburg (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern), singer Britta Schwarz began her vocal studies at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" in Berlin, and later studied with Prof. Christian Elßner and Prof. Hartmut Zabel in Dresden. She then received a four-year engagement at the Studio of the Staatsoper Dresden (Semper-Oper).
She has won awards at international competitions in Karlovy Vary (Antonin Dvorak), Zwickau (Robert Schumann), and London (Walter Gruner).
In numerous concerts with renowned orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Dresdner Philharmonie, the Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, and the Cappella Andrea Barca, she has successfully showcased her extensive repertoire. She has worked with such renowned conductors as Philippe Herreweghe, Milan Horvat, Michel Plasson, Helmuth Rilling, Kent Nagano, Jörg-Peter Weigle, Bruno Weil, Marek Janowski, Peter Schreier, and Gustavo Dudamel.
Her long-standing and intensive collaboration with Sir András Schiff has been very inspiring.
In 2000, she initiated her own song cycle LIED ZWEITAUSEND in Dresden (12 different song evenings), which was very successful. A much-noticed continuation with three evenings took place in 2003, as well as seven evenings in 2007 and three concerts in 2012.
Concerts and Lieder evenings have taken Britta Schwarz to almost all European countries, as well as Israel, Japan, Canada, the United States, and South America. She has also participated in international festivals such as the Spoleto Festival in Charleston (USA), the Festival for Early Music Utrecht, the Dresden Music Festival, Blyth Valley Chamber Music (England), the MDR Music Summer, the Rheingau Music Festival, the Passau European Weeks, and the Menuhin Festival Gstaad. She was a guest at the Lucerne Festival in 2014, performing Beethoven's Missa Solemnis under the direction of Sir András Schiff.
For many years, Britta Schwarz has been devoted intensively to Baroque music, which has led to many encounters with significant Baroque ensembles, such as the Freiburger Barockorchester, Cantus Cölln, Musica Antiqua Köln, Concerto Köln, Batzdorfer Hofkapelle, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Rias Kammerchor, and a very stimulating and formative musical collaboration with renowned musicians such as Reinhard Goebel, Marcus Creed, Pierre Cao, Gustav Leonhardt, Ludger Rémy, Hans-Christoph Rademann, and in recent years, very intensively with Gewandhaus organist Michael Schönheit and the cantor of the Frauenkirche Dresden Matthias Grünert.
Important chamber music partners are Nora Koch (harp), Pauline Sachse (viola), the pianists Daniel Heide and Oliver Pohl, as well as Christine Schornsheim (fortepiano) and the organist Jörg Reddin.
In January 2001, Berlin Classics released the first solo CD of secular Italian Baroque cantatas. Two more solo albums have since been released: Chorales from the Schemelli Collection (Querstand 2017) and Schubert's "Winterreise" (Rondeau 2019).
With the ensemble frauenkirche under the direction of Matthias Grünert, complete recordings of J. S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio, Mass in B Minor, and St. Matthew Passion were released on the Berlin Classics label.
In 2022, a highly acclaimed long-playing record, "Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt," was released - a thrilling crossover project between jazz and classical music, featuring emotional pieces from five centuries.
For several years, Britta Schwarz has combined her career as a performer with teaching at the Hochschule für Musik "Carl Maria von Weber" in Dresden, where she leads the interpretation course for oratorio.
In October 2015, she was appointed an honorary professor at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler".
She has won awards at international competitions in Karlovy Vary (Antonin Dvorak), Zwickau (Robert Schumann), and London (Walter Gruner).
In numerous concerts with renowned orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the Dresdner Philharmonie, the Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Stuttgarter Philharmoniker, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, and the Cappella Andrea Barca, she has successfully showcased her extensive repertoire. She has worked with such renowned conductors as Philippe Herreweghe, Milan Horvat, Michel Plasson, Helmuth Rilling, Kent Nagano, Jörg-Peter Weigle, Bruno Weil, Marek Janowski, Peter Schreier, and Gustavo Dudamel.
Her long-standing and intensive collaboration with Sir András Schiff has been very inspiring.
In 2000, she initiated her own song cycle LIED ZWEITAUSEND in Dresden (12 different song evenings), which was very successful. A much-noticed continuation with three evenings took place in 2003, as well as seven evenings in 2007 and three concerts in 2012.
Concerts and Lieder evenings have taken Britta Schwarz to almost all European countries, as well as Israel, Japan, Canada, the United States, and South America. She has also participated in international festivals such as the Spoleto Festival in Charleston (USA), the Festival for Early Music Utrecht, the Dresden Music Festival, Blyth Valley Chamber Music (England), the MDR Music Summer, the Rheingau Music Festival, the Passau European Weeks, and the Menuhin Festival Gstaad. She was a guest at the Lucerne Festival in 2014, performing Beethoven's Missa Solemnis under the direction of Sir András Schiff.
For many years, Britta Schwarz has been devoted intensively to Baroque music, which has led to many encounters with significant Baroque ensembles, such as the Freiburger Barockorchester, Cantus Cölln, Musica Antiqua Köln, Concerto Köln, Batzdorfer Hofkapelle, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Rias Kammerchor, and a very stimulating and formative musical collaboration with renowned musicians such as Reinhard Goebel, Marcus Creed, Pierre Cao, Gustav Leonhardt, Ludger Rémy, Hans-Christoph Rademann, and in recent years, very intensively with Gewandhaus organist Michael Schönheit and the cantor of the Frauenkirche Dresden Matthias Grünert.
Important chamber music partners are Nora Koch (harp), Pauline Sachse (viola), the pianists Daniel Heide and Oliver Pohl, as well as Christine Schornsheim (fortepiano) and the organist Jörg Reddin.
In January 2001, Berlin Classics released the first solo CD of secular Italian Baroque cantatas. Two more solo albums have since been released: Chorales from the Schemelli Collection (Querstand 2017) and Schubert's "Winterreise" (Rondeau 2019).
With the ensemble frauenkirche under the direction of Matthias Grünert, complete recordings of J. S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio, Mass in B Minor, and St. Matthew Passion were released on the Berlin Classics label.
In 2022, a highly acclaimed long-playing record, "Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt," was released - a thrilling crossover project between jazz and classical music, featuring emotional pieces from five centuries.
For several years, Britta Schwarz has combined her career as a performer with teaching at the Hochschule für Musik "Carl Maria von Weber" in Dresden, where she leads the interpretation course for oratorio.
In October 2015, she was appointed an honorary professor at the Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler".