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.

BAROQUE VIOLIN - CONCERTMASTER

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.

BJORN WEGGE - Founder 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 Jongerencentrum Bouckenborgh, four of which as chair. During this period, he helped shape policy and gained valuable experience in organizing cultural activities.

Over the years, Bjorn has also pursued several arts-related studies to better understand what it means for an artist to create. He studied piano with Axelle Kennes at MAGO in Antwerp and completed a programme in theatre directing 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 traffic expert in the Nautical Operations Department of Port of Antwerp-Bruges.

In addition to his role as financial coordinator and communications officer at the theatre company Anima Vinctum vzw – Zielkundig & Expressief Theater, he is also involved with the arts organization Part Of vzw.

Within Part Of vzw, he serves as a board member and managing director. For Operalab, he is primarily responsible for the organizational and production aspects of the project.