"Music heals, comforts and brings joy"
The content on this page was translated automatically.
Portrait of the soprano and DAAD prizewinner Ana Carolina Coutinho
“Ana is one of the most talented young singers at our university, and her social commitment also makes her a role model for many students. It is an excellent decision that she has now been officially recognized with an award for both of these achievements.”
With these words, Prof. Mark Tucker commented on the awarding of the DAAD Prize to Ana Carolina Coutinho, who was preparing for her concert exam in art song and oratorio in his class. The award, which comes with a prize of 1,000 euros and is funded by the Federal Foreign Office, is presented annually to outstanding international students who have distinguished themselves through both exceptional academic achievement and remarkable social or intercultural engagement.
From the Rainforest to the Jungle of Culture
Ana Carolina was born, as she herself puts it, “in the middle of the rainforest” in the rather tranquil northern Brazilian city of Santarém. Shortly thereafter, her family moved to the metropolis of São Paulo, one of the most populous cities in the world. After finishing high school, she began her bachelor’s degree in voice at the Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) in São Paulo, which she successfully completed in 2015. This was followed by numerous performances both as a soloist in the art song repertoire and in demanding roles on the opera stage. As a scholarship recipient of the Oscar and Vera Ritter Foundation, among others, she also participated in many high-profile master classes and competitions. In 2018, she was named a prize winner of the Mozart Competition organized by the Absalom Foundation in Hamburg, among other honors.
In the spring of 2018, Ana Carolina began her concert exam studies at the HfMT under Mark Tucker, focusing on art song and oratorio. Her choice of Hamburg was not purely coincidental. “In 2014, I was in Hamburg as well as Lübeck as part of a choral project. I fell in love with this city on the spot and was thrilled when, years later, my application to the HfMT was accepted. As I can say now, it was absolutely the right decision. My studies have helped me grow not only musically but also personally. Added to that is my enthusiasm for the German language and culture, which I can fully embrace here.” This likely also explains the young, petite singer’s nearly perfect German. On February 28, 2020, her graduation concert took place in the Small Hall of the Laeiszhalle. The program featured pieces by her favorite composers—Debussy, Poulenc, Schubert, and Strauss—as well as lesser-known songs from her homeland. The astonishing versatility of her voice, ranging from art songs to folk music, was very well received by the audience.
“Music heals, music comforts, music brings joy”—Yehudi Menuhin
Back to the DAAD Prize, which is awarded not only for artistic excellence but also for exceptional social or intercultural engagement. The connection between these two areas inherent in the prize is very much in line with Ana Carolina’s philosophy. “I think music can be integrated wonderfully into social contexts, such as in teaching children or through performances in hospitals or nursing homes. For example, I’ve been active in the Live Music Now initiative for quite some time. It was founded by Yehudi Menuhin under the motto, ‘Music heals, music comforts, music brings joy.’ In practical terms, this means we bring music to people who, for health or social reasons, cannot attend concerts.”
The soprano won’t have much time to catch her breath after passing her concert exam with flying colors. As early as this spring, she’ll travel to Korea and China as part of a choral project, culminating in a recital in Singapore. Afterward, she’ll have an engagement at the Basel Liederakademie with her Japanese song duo partner, Megumi Karoda.
Dancing Melancholy
Ana Carolina is an enthusiastic dancer and also very active in sports. She lived in the idyllic neighborhood of Volksdorf for her first few years and recently moved to Barmbek. “For me, Hamburg is one of the most beautiful cities in the world—not only because of the harbor and the Alster, but above all because of the incredible diversity of cultural offerings. It would be a dream of mine if my family could visit me here. The last time I was in Brazil was three years ago. Despite all the happiness I’ve experienced here in recent years, that still makes me feel a little wistful.”
TEXT BY DIETER HELLFEUER
PHOTO: ANA CAROLINA COUTINHO CHRISTINA KÖRTE