Vogel, Mario

Mario Vogel was born on October 11, 1966 in Hürth-Hermülheim, County Cologne, Germany. He grew up in Siegen. He took piano lessons and sang in choirs in school and in church and later studied to become a part-time church musician. As a student he provided Sunday church services with organ music.

Mario Vogel is a doctor practicing in internal medicine. During his medical studies in Bonn he was a part-time organist in the Protestant St. Lukas church. Since this time he has been friends with music director Thomas Neuhoff from Bonn, in his Auerberger Kantorei as well as under his direction at the Philharmonic Choir of the City of Bonn where Vogel regularly sang.

After his medical studies he worked in St. Elizabeth Hospital in Halle a.d. Saale as a doctor, but also established a choir of coworkers as well as an orchestra which performed on various occasions in and beyond the region, including his own compositions. (Cantata „Elisabeth, hör diesen Sang“ for the hospital's centary celebration, Psalm 23 etc.).
Composing in a rather traditional church music style started with the confirmation of the youngest of his two brothers (Confirmations saying as the Cantata „Denn ihr wisset die Gnade unseres Herrn“). Other compositions followed, mostly commissioned by musician friends or on the occasion of various celebrations.

After his return from Halle to Cologne he worked as an investigator in a project treating severe heroin addicts. He also began directing the choir of the Protestant Friedenskirche (Peace Church) and also established a children's choir. He also sang regularly in the choir of the Bach Association of Cologne, helping with rehearsals, and was a guest choral artist with chorus musicus under the direction of Christoph Spering.

Since 2007 M. Vogel has been working in Bad Fredeburg, from 2007 to 2009 in the Fachklinik Fredeburg (addiction clinic), since October 2009 in the internal medicine section of the St. George hospital in Bad Fredeburg. At the moment he is not regularly engaged in any choral or church music work. For questions or commissions please contact him at mariobird@gmx.de.