About Martha Scheffel

Soprano · Singing Teacher · Munich

Martha Scheffel Portrait

Biography

An International Career

The Detroit-born soprano Martha Scheffel studied music education, voice, piano, psychology, and English literature at the University of Michigan.

After graduating with honours, she received a scholarship to the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich, where she studied with Prof. Hanno Blaschke and Prof. Margot Gerdes. In 1970 she earned her Master of Music in opera at the New England Conservatory in Boston.

In 1971 she sang the role of the Queen in "Una Cosa Rara" by Vicente Martín y Soler at the Wiener Kammeroper in Vienna. From 1974 to 1976 she was engaged at the Opernstudio of the Bayerische Staatsoper Munich as a lyric-dramatic soprano.

In 1979 she founded "Musikstudio Scheffel" — her own music school in Munich, teaching children in early music education, recorder, and guitar.

International Career

Stage & Concert

A Japan tour took her in 1990 to Asahikawa, Hokkaido, singing the role of Micaela in Bizet's "Carmen." In 1994 she performed as soloist in Mendelssohn's "Elijah" at the Space Center in Tokyo, and gave a song recital in duo with John de Haan from San Francisco.

In Wagner's "Ring des Nibelungen" at Seattle Opera in 1995, she sang the roles of Freia, Ortlinde, and Gutrune, and covered Sieglinde.

From 2000 to 2005 she taught voice at the International Master Classes in Prague, where she also gave a song recital at the Mozart Museum Bertramka.

She continued her own vocal studies with Prof. Margot Gerdes until 1995, and received coaching from Anna Reynolds and Jean Cox in Bayreuth until 2010.

Martha Scheffel – Seattle Opera

Seattle Opera, 1995

Gospel & Ensembles

Vocal Coach & Soloist

From 1999 to 2000 she was a soloist in the Gospel ensemble "Spirit Alive" under Alfred McCrary. From 2003 to 2011 she served as soloist and vocal coach for Albert C. Humphrey and His Voices of Gospel.

From 2005 to 2011 Martha Scheffel was vocal coach and soloist for "Cillis Gospelchor" in Germering under conductor Brian Hamilton. In 2006 she was a guest soloist at the Edinburgh Festival.

Since 2011 she has been vocal coach and soloist for "Munich goes Gospel" under Caroline von Brünken.



Martha Scheffel Martha Scheffel at the piano Martha at the piano

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