Patrick Grahl, born in Leipzig, was initially a member of the Thomanerchor under Georg Christoph Biller. He then received his vocal training at the University of Music and Theatre “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy” Leipzig under Berthold Schmid, graduating with distinction from the master class program. Masterclasses with Peter Schreier, Gotthold Schwarz, Gerd Türk, Ileana Cotrubas, and Karl-Peter Kammerlander provided him with important artistic inspiration.
On the opera stage, he has appeared as Don Ottavio (Mozart: Don Giovanni) at Teatro La Fenice in Venice, as Jaquino (Beethoven: Fidelio) with the Insula Orchestra under Laurence Equilbey, with the Gstaad Festival Orchestra under Jaap van Zweden, at the Marvão Festival (Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Mozart), and in other roles at the Opéra National de Lyon, as well as in Helsinki and Budapest.
Since winning first prize at the 20th International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig in 2016, he has been a highly sought-after concert and oratorio singer, with numerous CD and radio recordings documenting his work. He has performed with renowned ensembles such as the Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig, the Dresden Philharmonic, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the NDR Radiophilharmonie, the Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, the RAI National Symphony Orchestra in Turin, and the London Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of conductors including Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Sir Simon Rattle, Vladimir Jurowski, Daniele Gatti, Zubin Mehta, Peter Schreier, Manfred Honeck, Hans-Christoph Rademann, Ton Koopman, Philippe Herreweghe, Christoph Poppen, Andrew Manze, Omer Meir Wellber, and Stefano Montanari.
The 2025/26 season features many highlights and showcases Patrick Grahl’s broad artistic range. Works by Bach, such as the Mass in B Minor, the Passions, and the Christmas Oratorio – including with the Internationale Bachakademie under Hans-Christoph Rademann in Lucerne, Dresden, and on tour, as well as with the RIAS Chamber Choir under Justin Doyle in Nuremberg – form the foundation. The program is complemented by Cartellieri’s La Purificazione della Beata Vergine Maria under Aapo Häkkinen in Helsinki and Prague, Haydn’s The Seasons under Hans-Christoph Rademann in Stuttgart, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony under Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla in Leipzig, Mendelssohn’s Elijah in Montreal, Schumann’s Das Paradies und die Peri under Petr Popelka at the Vienna Musikverein, and Mozart’s Requiem under Giovanni Antonini in Prague. Further highlights include Cartellieri’s Rübezahl (Ratibor) in Helsinki and Franz Schmidt’s The Book with Seven Seals under Fabio Luisi at the Vienna Konzerthaus and under Manfred Honeck at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. Song recitals are also on the schedule, including appearances at the Frankfurt Opera and the Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg.
In addition to his many concert and opera engagements, Patrick Grahl places great importance on chamber music and song recital projects. Recently, he gave solo and ensemble recitals at the Schubertiade in Schwarzenberg and Hohenems. His song album “Dichterliebe“, accompanied by Daniel Heide, was released on the CAvi label. In September 2024, the CD “Das ferne Lied“, a collaboration with Klara Hornig and featuring previously unrecorded works by Wilhelm Weismann and Rudolf Wagner-Régeny, was released on the Rondeau label. For the Bach anniversary 2023/24, the Gaechinger Cantorey under Hans-Christoph Rademann released a complete recording of Bach’s first annual cantata cycle titled “Vision Bach“ through Hänssler Verlag, in which Patrick Grahl played a major role. Seven CDs have already been released, with more to come.
Since the 2024/25 academic year, Patrick Grahl has held teaching positions at the music universities in Dresden and Leipzig. He also shares his expertise in masterclasses, such as those hosted by the Bachakademie Stuttgart or the Summer Music Academy Schloss Hundisburg.
