Biography

Susanne Herre's first instrument was the mandolin which she later studied at the conservatory of music in Cologne. She was awarded several prizes in national and international competitions, participated in tours of the European Union Youth Orchestra and experienced the Lucerne Festival Academy under the direction of Pierre Boulez among other things.

During her mandolin studies, Susanne's passion for the historically informed performance practice, especially on the instruments viola da gamba and lute increased, and as a result she studied both instruments with Rainer Zipperling and Konrad Junghänel in Cologne. Studies abroad followed: First with Emmanuelle Guigues (viola da gamba) in Villeurbanne/ Lyon (France), then with Philippe Pierlot and Mieneke van der Velden (viola da gamba) and Mike Fentross and Joachim Held (theorbo) at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague where she obtained a Master's degree.

Susanne's performing activity is very varied and ranges from playing solo recitals and soloistic parts (solo concerto, passions, music theatre ...) and chamber music on the viola da gamba, from playing basso continuo in vocal ensembles and orchestras on the theorbo, to playing mandolin parts in operas and symphonies, as examples. She has played with ensembles such as Vox Luminis, Concert Royal Köln, The New Dutch Academy, Concert d'Apollon, Capella Jenensis …, and with orchestras such as Museumsorchester Frankfurt (Oper Frankfurt) and Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal (Philharmonie Köln). She appeared on festivals such as 'Festival de Saintes' (France), 'Varazdin Baroque Evenings' (Croatia) and 'Stary Sacz Early Music Festival' (Poland) as well as on radio (Radio 4, Concertzender, MDR), television (NTR Podium) and in the film 'Mysterious Masterpiece'.

In 2015 she founded the ensemble 'La banda ariosa' as a result of her research 'The Viola da gamba in German Baroque Opera' which is supported by the Charles Burney Fonds. Her interest for research on historical mandolins led to a lecture and the publication of an article for the Lute Society (Britain).