Born in Günzburg an der Donau, Germany, Diana Damrau studied at the Musikhochschule Würzburg with Carmen Hanganu and in Salzburg with Hanna Ludwig. Her first engagements were at the Stadtheater Würzburg, the Nationaltheater Mannheim and Oper Frankfurt. Ms. Damrau was awarded the 2008 singer of the year by the Germany-based international opera magazine Opernwelt. Colombian tenor César Augusto Gutiérrez began his career not only in numerous opera performances, but also with concerts and recitals in his native country. Paul Armin Edelmann's association with music began at an early age as the second son of the internationally renowned singer Otto Edelmann. As a child, he was a member and soloist of the famous Vienna Boys' Choir. Friedrich Haider, the Austrian conductor with Italian ancestors is one of the very few to dispel successfully the old cliché that sees a fundamental enmity between a conductor and his orchestra. Spirited rehearsals and the highest levels of motivation during a performance are only some of the many facets of his work.