Professors

Thomas Hampson (Foto: Jimmy Donelan)

American baritone Thomas Hampson is celebrated worldwide for his innovative artistry and cultural leadership. With more than 80 operatic roles and over 170 recordings, he is a winner of the GRAMMY, Edison Award, and Grand Prix du Disque. In the 2024/25 season he appears in Adams’ Nixon in China at the Paris Opera and with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and performs Mahler, Schoenberg, and Schubert with leading orchestras and at major festivals including Verbier, Bergen, Aspen, and Tanglewood. He also tours with Wolfram Rieger in China and Europe. Hampson is Kammersänger of the Vienna State Opera, Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres, honorary professor in Heidelberg, and co-founder of the Lied Academy Heidelberg. His Hampsong Foundation promotes intercultural dialogue through song.

Abdiel Vázquez

Mexican conductor and pianist recognised for his versatile artistry across opera, symphonic repertoire, vocal coaching, and solo performance. He serves as Music Director of Teatro Grattacielo in New York City, a company dedicated to innovative productions and the rediscovery of rarely performed operatic works. Previously, he worked as Assistant Conductor with The Dallas Opera, the National Opera Company of Mexico, and the Minería Orchestra, contributing to productions including Elektra, Werther, Salome, and Pelléas et Mélisande. He has collaborated with artists such as Elīna Garanča, Javier Camarena, Ramón Vargas, and Ailyn Pérez, and appeared at venues including Teatro Colón, Carnegie Hall, and the Palacio de Bellas Artes. A Steinway Artist, he is also the founder of Vincerò Academy, an international mentorship platform for young singers.

Julia Okruashvili

The pianist Julia Okruashvili is known for her vitality, dedication, and refined sound. Characterised by expressive phrasing, flexibility, and a distinctive sense of musical dialogue, her playing places chamber music at the heart of her artistic work. She performs regularly in major European concert halls and at leading international festivals, collaborating with artists such as Daniel Hope, Bomsori Kim, Camilla Nylund, Albrecht Mayer, and László Fenyö. Alongside her concert career and acclaimed recordings, she shares her experience as a lecturer at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln.