MUSICAL DIRECTION / COACH 

Walewein Witten is a harpsichordist, pianist, conductor, and vocal coach, living and working in Berlin and Hamburg.

He studied harpsichord and fortepiano at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague with Jacques Ogg, Ton Koopman, and Stanley Hoogland. During these years, he was highly active in chamber music and worked intensively with various singers. He also participated as harpsichordist and répétiteur in several baroque opera projects under the direction of Kenneth Montgomery as well as William Christie, including Monteverdi’s 'L’Incoronazione di Poppea' and Charpentier’s 'David et Jonathas'.

From 2000 to 2005, Walewein worked as principal harpsichordist of the Utrechts Barok Consort under the direction of Jos van Veldhoven, performing several operas, including Leonardo Leo’s 'La Morte di Abele', Conti’s 'Don Chisciotte', and Purcell’s 'Dido and Aeneas'.

In 2005, Walewein decided to move to Germany to focus on opera. In the years that followed, he worked in Düsseldorf, Kassel, and Berlin (Komische Oper) as a solo répétiteur and later as Studienleiter/Kapellmeister. His repertoire includes approximately 80 operas, operettas, and musicals spanning all styles from baroque to contemporary. As a conductor, he has led numerous productions at summer festivals, universities, and academies, including work at the University of Stavanger, the Berlin University of the Arts (Universität der Künste Berlin), and the Mozarteum University Salzburg. His most recent production this year was Lehár’s 'Das Land des Lächelnsat' at the Neuköllner Oper Berlin.

Walewein Witten also performs as a harpsichordist with the Lautten Compagney, one of Berlin’s baroque orchestras, specializing in alternative programmes and collaborations with both baroque specialists as well as modern musicians and jazz artists. In addition, he runs a private practice in Berlin, offering vocal and repertoire coaching for opera singers.

ARTISTIC TEAM / COACH VOICE - DRAMA

Sandro Rossi is a Flemish countertenor with Italian roots. He obtained a degree in Dramatic Studies at the Herman Teirlinck Institute. He studied classical singing at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp with soprano Stephanie Friede and, among others, Guy de Mey (baroque/oratorio class), and studied violin and piano at the academy. He has also performed as a musician with, among others, the folk group New Rising Sun.

His opera debut took place in a historic revival of J. C. Bach’s Artaserse, where he sang the role of Arbace in a production conducted by Ewald Demeyere. He performed both Witches in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with Muziektheater Transparant/deSingel. With the Trentino Music Festival, he sang Ottone in Monteverdi’s 'L’Incoronazione di Poppea', directed by Greg Eldridge. In a production by David Gately for Mezzano Romantica, he appeared as the Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas. At the Natalia Sats Theatre in Moscow, he sang the role of Teseo in Monteverdi’s Arianna, reconstructed by harpist Andrew Lawrence King. With the ensemble Plexus Hertz, he toured Russia with a baroque cantata programme.

In 2020, he sang Licida in Vivaldi’s L’Olimpiade at the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, directed by Beppe Morassi. With Balance Arts Berlin, he performed the role of Mère Jeanne in 'Dialogues des Carmélites'. At the Festival della Valle d’Itria, he appeared as Nilski/Bossu in Prokofiev’s opera The Gambler, in a production directed by David Pountney. In 2023, he made his role debut as Orfeo in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice with La Petite Bande under the direction of Sigiswald Kuijken. In 2024, he appears in a new production of L’Orfeo with the orchestra Il Pomo d’Oro, conducted by Francesco Corti, at the Monteverdi Festival in Cremona. With Trinity Baroque Belgrade, he sang Handel’s Giulio Cesare.

He won second prize at the Concorso San Colombano in Piacenza (2023) as well as at the baroque competition Caffarelli Bitonto, and received a special prize at the Vittorio Gentile Competition (2021). He is also an alumnus of the Rodolfo Celletti Belcanto Institute in Martina Franca. He has participated in masterclasses with, among others, Sonia Prina, Sara Mingardo, Vivica Genaux, Deborah Voigt, Jennifer Larmore, and Michael Schade.

Within Part Of vzw, he serves as artistic director and board member.

PRODUCTION/STAGE MANAGER

Anna Mathioudaki, born in Athens, Greece, is a versatile artist with a particular passion for every aspect of opera production. She graduated cum laude from the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp in 2021, where she studied classical singing. In addition, she received a distinction and first prize from the Koumpi Music School (Athens).

Since then, she has taken on various roles and responsibilities at several music theatre institutions, including Opera Zuid and the Dutch National Opera Academy. She is currently affiliated with the production department of the Maastricht Conservatory and lives in Lanaken, in the province of Limburg. Anna loves challenges and has a great sense of humour. When she is not singing, she enjoys capturing the world through the lens of her camera as a part-time photographer. We are very happy to welcome Anna to our team and to work together to ensure that our opera week runs smoothly.

VOCAL COACH - MASTERCLASS (9/8)

Gary Jankowski(bass) is known for performances marked by great musical sensitivity, a strong, clear, honey-toned voice, and impressive interpretations presented on numerous international stages, in concert halls, and on radio broadcasts.

Born in Seattle, Gary Jankowski held ensemble positions in Nuremberg, Halle/Saale, Freiburg, Rostock, and Schwerin, and appeared as a guest artist in, among others, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Leipzig, Donostia/San Sebastián, Peralada, Bergen, Auckland, the Festival Internacional Cervantino, Dorset, Lübeck, and Kiel. His most important roles include Hagen, Fafner, King Marke, Fiesco, the Landgrave, Osmin, Il Commendatore, and Ochs von Lerchenau.

Gary Jankowski has collaborated with conductors such as Kent Nagano, Philippe Jordan, Stefan Malzew, Mikhail Jurowski, and Nikša Bareza, and with directors including Valentina Carrasco, Fred Berndt, Arturo Gama, Anthony Pilavachi, Frank Hilbrich, Uwe Scholz, and Axel Köhler.

As a concert singer, he has performed with ensembles such as the Auckland Philharmonia, the Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg, the Neubrandenburg Philharmonic, the Mecklenburg State Orchestra, the Chautauqua Symphony, Orchestra Seattle, the Bellingham Festival of Music, and the Crue Consort.

One of the highlights of his career as a recitalist was his collaboration with pianist Gabriel Dobner in Schubert’s 'Die Winterreise', presented at numerous venues across the United States and Europe.

He also enjoys a significant international reputation as a pedagogue. In addition to his private studios in Berlin and Antwerp, he is a frequent faculty member at the Summer Opera Tel Aviv. He has been invited to give masterclasses and to serve as a jury member at competitions in Stockholm, Athens, Reykjavík, Dublin, Amsterdam, and Batumi, Georgia.

Since September 2016, he has been a principal subject teacher in the Classical Singing Department at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp.

BAROQUE VIOLIN

An van Laetem studied at the Lemmens Institute, where she obtained the Laureate Diploma in Violinunder Bernadette Bracke.

She then specialised in Baroque violin at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague with Ryo Terakado, earning her diploma in 1993.

In 1995, she was awarded the First Prize in Baroque Violin by Sigiswald Kuijken at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, where she also received a First Prize in Chamber Musicunder Herman Stinders.

As a violin teacher, she is permanently affiliated with MAGO Antwerp, where she teaches violin and ensemble playing.

As a performing musician, An plays a wide range of string instruments. She has participated in numerous concerts and CD recordings, spanning medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, folk, and contemporary music, collaborating with ensembles such as the Huelgas Ensemble under Paul Van Nevel, Il Fondamento under Paul Dombrecht, La Petite Bande under Sigiswald Kuijken, Currende Consort under Erik Van Nevel, Les Muffatti under Peter Van Heyghen, B’Rock, Le Concert d’Anvers under Bart Van Reyn, Per Flauto under Bart Coen, Les Pantalons, the Paul Rans Ensemble, Terra Nova under Vlad Weverbergh, among others.

CHORAL COACH

Alexandros Kavvadas was born in Athens (Greece). After graduating in piano and harmony at the National Conservatory of Athens, he obtained his Master’s degree in Choral Conducting at the Conservatory of Maastricht under Ludo Claesen. He pursued further studies in conducting, piano, organ, and basso continuo with teachers such as Daniel Reuss (Capella Amsterdam), Jos van Veldhoven, Tineke Steenbrink (Holland Baroque), Hans Leenders (Studium Chorale), Alexandra Papastefanou (pianist), Barbara Vignanelli (harpsichordist, Conservatorio Santa Cecilia, Rome), and Michalis Economou (Chief Conductor of the Greek Radio Orchestra). In 2015, he won first prize in conducting at the National Orchestral Conducting Competition in Athens.

In recent years, he has been active as a conductor and artistic director of numerous choirs, as well as a pianist, organist, and vocal coach, and he regularly performs in Belgium and the Netherlands. His collaborations include Philharmonie Zuidnederland, Opera Zuid, Bach Academy Alden Biesen, The National Theatre (The Hague), Alden Biesen Opera, the Cydonia Barocca Festival, and many others.

His interest in Baroque music and historically informed performance led him to co-found the ensemble Le Concert Étésientogether with baritone Samuel Namotte in 2022. In its first year alone, Le Concert Étésienperformed in Belgium and the Netherlands, participated in the Cydonia Barocca Festival (Florian Heyerick) in Ghent, and was featured in several broadcasts on Belgian and Greek radio.

BJORN WEGGE - Founding operalab / General direction 

Bjorn Wegge has long had a deep passion for everything related to art and culture, with a particular interest in the policy and organizational frameworks that support it. Among other roles, he served for eight years on the Board of Directors of Youth Centre Bouckenborgh, four of which as chairman. During this period, he helped shape policy and gained extensive experience in organizing cultural activities.

Over the years, Bjorn has also completed several arts-related studies for a better understanding what it means for an artist to create. He studied piano with Axelle Kennes at MAGO in Antwerp and completed a programme in theatre direction with Paul Ooghe and Wim de Winne at the Academy of Performing Arts in Ghent. Always driven to further expand his knowledge, he is currently completing a degree in Cultural Studies at the Open University.

Another of Bjorn’s passions is the maritime world. He spent some time at sea and currently works as a vessel traffic expert at the Nautical Operations Department of Port of Antwerp-Bruges. Within Part Of vzw, he serves as board member and general director.