<![CDATA[SUSANNE SCHIMMACK. Vocal Mastery - Artistic Identity. - WHAT\'S UP?]]>Sun, 26 Apr 2026 13:26:05 +0200Weebly<![CDATA[April 18th, 2026]]>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:16:56 GMThttps://www.susanne-schimmack.com/whats-up/april-18th-2026

AND THEN THIS HAPPENED....
​

"THE SCHIMMACK SWEEP"



​A Historic Night at the 24th Music Award Maastricht.
​
Themed around the universal language of "Love," challenged the finalists to balance technical precision with raw, vulnerable storytelling.

The Willem Hijstek Hall has seen many displays of brilliance over the years, but the 24th Music Award Maastricht, held on April 18, 2026, will be etched in the annals of the Conservatorium as the night a single studio redefined excellence.

In a breathtaking "clean sweep," all four finalists hailed from the vocal studio of the renowned Professor Susanne Schimmack.By the end of the evening, it wasn't just a victory for the performers, but a resounding validation of a specific pedagogical legacy.

Bachelor student FRANCISCA DJACABI (Mezzo-Soprano) emerged as the night’s champion, taking home the Main Prize of €5,000. The jury, chaired by Dutch National Opera Studio Artistic Director Paul McNamara, praised Francisca for her "total package"—a voice of immense color coupled with a commanding stage presence that felt truly professional. 

Soprano MAR PINO-CHARLEZ captivated the room with her infectious energy and expressive phrasing, earning the Audience Prize of €1,000.

The final was rounded out by stunning performances from bass DEVON BAIRD and coloratura soprano ANDREA PALOMO ALCÁNTARA, ensuring that every note sung on that stage represented the highest tier of the Schimmack studio.


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Thank you to the Rotary Club Maastricht: 

the partnership between Rotary International and the Conservatorium Maastricht is the backbone of this competition.

​For 24 years, this collaboration has acted as a bridge between the professional business world and the upper echelons of classical music training.

]]><![CDATA[February 26th]]>Sat, 07 Feb 2026 18:41:27 GMThttps://www.susanne-schimmack.com/whats-up/february-26thCRÉPUSCULE DE L'ÂME
Seelendämmerung.  Twilight of the Soul.

MUSIQUE AU CAMPUS #2
Thursday, February 26th 2026, 20h

Haute ´École de Musique de Genève, Neuchâtel
Campus Arc 1, Auditorium 1

Espace de l'Europe 21, Neuchâtel
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I am very excited to let you know that on Thursday, February 26th 2026 I will perform this concert of haunting repertoire, together with the Quatuor Vermeille and Johan Girardin, piano. Our program bridges the intimate world of the salon with the grand emotional landscapes of the early 20th century exploring the themes of love, loss, and the enduring resilience of the human spirit.
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​The evening opens with the lush, Mediterranean melancholy of Ottorino Respighi’s Il Tramonto, based on the poetry of Percy Bysshe Shelley, followed by Giacomo Puccini’s Crisantemi, a brief but heartbreaking elegy that remains one of the most poignant works ever written for strings.

The programshifts toward the spiritual and the profound with Maurice Ravel’s Deux Mélodies hébraïques, featuring the soaring, liturgical beauty of the Kaddisch.

The center of the evening is marked by Viktor Ullmann’s String Quartet No. 3.
Written in 1943 in Theresienstadt, this masterpiece is a defiant assertion of beauty and intellectual rigor in the face of darkness.

The concert concludes with the rare and evocative 3 Poèmes by Guillaume Lekeu. Utilizing the full ensemble—voice, piano, and string quartet—these works are a pinnacle of French Symbolist music, shimmering with "fin de siècle" atmosphere.
  • Susanne Schimmack, Mezzosoprano - Professeure de Chant HEM
  • Johan Girardin, Piano
  • Quatuor Vermeille:
    • Ada Aebi & Mathilde Reymond (Violin)
    • Anaëlle Laurès (Viola)
    • Eléonore Hirt (Cello)
]]><![CDATA[January 26th, 2026]]>Tue, 27 Jan 2026 09:16:05 GMThttps://www.susanne-schimmack.com/whats-up/from-the-very-first-lessons-to-the-worlds-largest-arenasFROM THE VERY FIRST LESSONS TO
THE WORLD'S LARGEST  ARENAS:

Schimmack.voiceart
Alumnus YOUNGKY EURLINGS
to join André Rieu as a full-time singer!
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 Full circle moment! 🥹✨🎶   

​I am incredibly proud to share the success of one of my first students ever, baritone Youngky Eurlings who is joining André Rieu Productions as a full-time singer.

Watching his journey has been a joy: from first lessons at Conservatorium Maastricht to  performing with Opera Zuyd. to musical theater at the Komische Oper Berlin  to his new role as a professional full-time singer with André Rieu.

Youngky, your determination and dedication  truly prevailed. I couldn't be prouder of the artist you’ve become!
]]><![CDATA[January 11th, 2026]]>Sun, 11 Jan 2026 20:26:54 GMThttps://www.susanne-schimmack.com/whats-up/a-clean-sweep-at-the-2026-maastricht-music-awardsA CLEAN SWEEP AT THE 2026 MAASTRICHT MUSIC AWARDS! Picture





























There is a common saying that hard work pays off- witnessing it manifest so completely though is truly breathtaking!
​I am profoundly honoured to announce that all four finalists for the 2026 MAM - Maastrich tMusic Award are singers from my studio.

This milestone—seeing Mar Pino-Charlez, Andrea Palomo Alcántara, Devon Baird, and Francisca Djacabi take the stage together—is a testament to the culture of excellence and mutual support we have cultivated. While each is a unique artist with a distinct voice and artistic identity, they share a common thread of relentless dedication.

My deepest thanks go to Abigail Richards and Lionel Bams for their invaluable roles in this journey,
and to the Rotary Club Maastricht for their enduring commitment to young talent.

Join us at the Willem Hijstek Hall on April 18th to see these artists compete for the €5,000 Main Prize and the  €1.000 Audience Award.

To my students: the stage is yours.
​Let’s make some magic.
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