Sebastian Pilgrim

I was born in Herford in north Germany and studied in Detmold and Hannover with Sabine Ritterbusch and Alessandra Althoff-Pugliese. Amongst other prizes, I received the Wolfgang Wagner Award for performances as Daland and Hagen at the 2012 International Competition for Wagner Voices.

My opera debut was as Sir John Falstaff in the International Young Opera Schloss Weikersheim 2009 production of The Merry Wives of Windsor.

In 2009, while still a student, I became a member of the Theater Erfurt, performing such repertoire as Tierbändiger and Athlet Lulu and Kaspar and Eremit Der Freischütz. Then I joined the ensemble at Nationaltheater Mannheim in 2013, singing leading roles such as Sarastro Die Zauberflöte, Fiesco Simone Boccanegra, King and Cook Love for Three Oranges and King Philip Don Carlo.

As well as singing opera, I compose and conduct and have given several premieres of new music. I frequently perform oratorio solos, such as those in Haydn's Creation, Bach's Christmas Oratorio and Mendelssohn's Elijah.

Roles coming up at Mannheim include Fafner Das Rheingold, Geisterbote Die Frau ohne Schatten, General The Gambler and Cadmus The Bassarids.

Simultaneously with my musical career, I practise applied kinesiology. And I love to cook and to make chocolate.