Alois Mühlbacher & Ensemble Pallidor

Alois Mühlbacher | Countertenor
Nina Pohn | Viola d'amore
Ensemble Pallidor
Franz Farnberger| Conductor

Even as a soprano soloist with the St. Florian Boys' Choir, Alois Mühlbacher caused a stir with spectacular CD recordings. At the age of 15, he made his debut at the Vienna State Opera, where he sang the role of Oberto in Handel's "Alcina" under the direction of Marc Minkowski, among others. As a countertenor, the now thirty-year-old has continued his international career and is now a guest with renowned ensembles (e.g., Musiciens du Louvre, Ensemble 1700, Wiener Akademie) in major concert halls, as well as in opera houses around the world (performing at La Scala in Milan in 2024). In 2023, he founded the Ensemble Pallidor with Franz Farnberger, where the best specialists in Baroque music perform alongside him.

The centerpiece of the evening is Vivaldi's nine-part "Nisi Dominus," a fireworks display of contrasting emotions and moods – from the elaborately ornamented "Vanum est vobis" through the pure beauty of the famous "Cum dederit" to the mystical "Gloria Patri," an intimate dialogue between the singing voice and the viola d’amore masterfully played by Nina Pohn. Selected opera arias will also be performed, in which Alois Mühlbacher can showcase a broad palette of tonal colors with his distinctive voice: innocent melancholy and hope in the aria "Ah, ch'infelice" from the cantata "Cessate, omai cessate," anger, longing, and love in "Se lento ancora" from "Agrippa," and despair in "Gelido in ogni vena" from the opera "Il Farnace."

Beyond the famous "Four Seasons," Vivaldi created an abundance of highly virtuosic instrumental concertos. The members of Ensemble Pallidor will complement the vocal program with a small selection from these works.

A collaboration with the cultural department of the municipality of Laakirchen.