Masterclass in Singing „Beyond the Notes“
Hamel Foundation & DIADEMUS
Prof. Ulrich Messthaler
Dr. med. Wolfgang Steinmüller
Kloster Roggenburg, August 17–22, 2026
What does the Masterclass offer?
This masterclass brings together the closely interlinked work of Wolfgang Steinmüller and Ulrich Messthaler and is aimed at advanced students and singers who wish to deepen their interpretative and technical skills through intensive artistic work.
The focus is on the interplay between body awareness and artistic interpretation.
Through Feldenkrais work and Ideokinesis, Wolfgang Steinmüller opens up new approaches to movement, breathing and vocal tone. In one-to-one sessions, participants develop a nuanced body awareness and release inhibiting movement patterns – the body becomes freer, more mobile and open to musical expression.
This preparation forms the basis for the interpretative work with Ulrich Messthaler. He is able to offer an unusually varied repertoire at the highest artistic level, based on his studies with René Jacobs in early music, Gérard Souzay in the French repertoire and Thomas LoMonaco in opera singing.
Working from an alert, prepared body, he guides the singers towards an intensive engagement with text and music. This gives rise to personal, lively and historically informed interpretations in which voice, language and musical expression coalesce into an individual artistic statement.
The distinctive quality of the course lies in the direct dialogue between these two approaches: physical work and musical interpretation intertwine, opening up new pathways to free, conscious and expressive singing.
The daily schedule of the masterclass
The day begins with a morning group session. Ulrich Messthaler and Wolfgang Steinmüller take turns leading the sessions.
Feldenkrais and Ideokinesis lessons help participants experience the whole body as the source of the voice.
«Beyond the Notes»
Ulrich Messthaler explores various interpretative approaches using new and historical recordings and documents.
This is followed by individual lessons.
Individual physical issues are addressed in the one-to-one session with Wolfgang Steinmüller. Releasing restrictive movement patterns frees the body from limiting habits and prepares the student for vocal lessons.
After a 15-minute transition period, the session begins with Ulrich Messthaler, who now further develops this newly gained freedom of movement, dissolves fixed interpretative patterns and opens up new interpretative possibilities.
This schedule may be subject to change during the week.
The Masterclass Team
Ulrich Messthaler – the Teacher
Masterclasses with Ulrich Messthaler offer an exceptional opportunity to explore a wide-ranging vocal repertoire, from John Dowland to Francis Poulenc, at the very highest level. The focus is on a nuanced examination of the specific interpretative approaches to each piece, stylistically and technically sound work on the repertoire, and the individual artistic development of the participants.
For more than three decades, Ulrich Messthaler led a class in singing, song interpretation and self-accompaniment at the renowned Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel, where he shaped generations of singers.
He received his training from leading figures on the international music scene: he studied the early music repertoire with René Jacobs, song interpretation with Kurt Widmer and Kurt Moll, and the French repertoire with Gérard Souzay and Dalton Baldwin. In New York, he worked on the opera repertoire with the legendary Thomas LoMonaco; he received further decisive inspiration from Margreet Honig in Amsterdam.
These diverse artistic influences form the basis of his exceptionally wide-ranging pedagogical work and enable him to impart a deep and nuanced understanding of a wide variety of vocal styles.
Furthermore, Ulrich Messthaler was a lecturer on a multi-year research project at the Fondation Royaumont near Paris, which explored the influence of singing on piano playing. He subsequently taught on a Master’s programme at the Sorbonne University in Paris for several years. He is also regularly invited as a guest lecturer for masterclasses at the University of the Arts Bremen and the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin. He has published extensively on interpretative topics relating to the Baroque and Romantic periods.
Ulrich Messthaler – the Singer
Ulrich Messthaler initially studied piano and philosophy in Munich before commencing his vocal studies in Augsburg, New York and Basel. It was in Basel that he made his debut alongside Anne Sophie von Otter in Ariadne auf Naxos. Further major productions soon followed, including Idomeneo under Armin Jordan, Orontea by Antonio Cesti under René Jacobs, and Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi under Joshua Rifkin.
His busy concert schedule has taken him to numerous major concert halls worldwide, including the Tonhalle Zurich, the Musikverein Vienna, the Berlin and Cologne Philharmonie, the Philharmonie in Ljubljana, the Palais Garnier and the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, and Suntory Hall in Tokyo.
He has also been invited to perform at renowned festivals in Rastatt, Urach, Ambronay, Lyon, Beaune, Arles, Fribourg and Innsbruck, as well as at the long-established “St. Maurizio” concert series in Milan and the Printemps des Arts festival in Monte Carlo.
His extensive discography – featuring works by Monteverdi, Caldara, Handel, Schubert and Ravel – has received numerous awards, including the Diapason d’Or, the German Record Prize and the Gramophone Award.
Wolfgang Steinmüller – the movement Teacher
His work as a doctor focuses on the treatment and care of musicians and dancers.
1986–1989: Training in the Feldenkrais Method with Mia Segal in Zurich
1991–1995: Training in applied Ideokinesis with André Bernard, New York
He was involved in developing the curriculum for the subject of music physiology and music medicine at the University of Music in Freiburg and obtained his doctorate from the Freiburg Institute for Music Medicine with a thesis on ‘Body Awareness for Musicians’.
For several years, he was invited by Ulrich Messthaler to the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis to teach Feldenkrais, Ideokinesis and respiratory physiology in his vocal class.
He also taught the musician-specific application of Ideokinesis on the Master’s programme in Music Physiology at the Freiburg University of Music.
He is the author and editor of several books, including Health-Learning-Creativity (2001) and Ideokinesis (2003).
Masterclass-Trailer
Locations
The masterclass takes place in the Baroque library hall of Kloster Roggenburg.
Refreshments are available at the Roggenschenke and the Klostergasthof on the abbey grounds.
In fine weather, the swimming lake below is a popular spot.
Accomodation
The monastery’s education centre and the monastery inn’s hotel offer single and double rooms.
Please let us know when you register if you need a room; we’ll organise the booking for you!
There are also more comfortable, though more expansive room available outside of the training center, which must be booked directly by you: www.kloster-roggenburg.de
Venue
Kloster und Bildungszentrum Roggenburg
Klosterstraße 5
89297 Roggenburg
Contact details for further enquiries
masterclass@diademus.de
Fee
Active participation: €850
Reduced fee for students: €500
Passive participation (including participation in group courses on bodywork and the interpretation seminar): €200
Registration form
Registration
Would you like to take part? Then sign up now!
You can easily submit your application to take part by email:
masterclass@diademus.de
You will receive a confirmation email from us within a week at the latest.
Once you have received this confirmation of registration, please transfer the registration fee of € 40, quoting ‘Masterclass’. This fee will be retained as an administration charge even if you cancel.
The participation fees and any accommodation costs must be paid by 15 June at the latest, marked ‘Masterclass’, to:
Festival Roggenburg e.V.
IBAN: DE60 7305 0000 0442 0670 39
This masterclass is made possible thanks to the financial support of the Hamel Foundation.
Photocredits: Benz & Heinig