Patrick Jaskolka was born in 1983 and has been assistant choral director for the Aalto Music Theatre since the 2016/17 season. In this capacity, he conducts the Philharmonic Choir of Essen, works with the Aalto Opera Chorus in productions and leads the Aalto Children’s Choir.
After training as a music educator in the areas of music and theology, Patrick Jaskolka studied choral conducting under Marcus Creed at the University of Music and Theatre in Cologne. He also studied harpsichord with Christian Rieger at the Folkwand University of the Arts in Essen.
Jaskolka has been heavily involved in preparing the choral parts for opera productions, concerts, CDs, and radio broadcasts, in conjunction with musicians such as Wayne Marshall, Jonathan Nott, Krzysztof Penderecki, Mikhail Pletnev, Tomáš Netopil and Richard Egarr. However, a good deal of his energy is still focused on the actual choral literature itself. He is noted for his artistic ability to produce finely honed choral sonorities and stylistically sensitive interpretations, as well as his creative and unusual programming choices.
As a sought-after authority on choral conducting and children›s singing, Patrick Jaskolka is in frequent demand as a special lecturer and clinician and regularly serves on the juries of choral competitions. He also acts as an advisor at the regional and federal levels for the Association of German Concert Choirs.
