who had conducted the group in its first performance in 1734. Thomaskantor Georg Christoph Biller directed a recording of Bach's Mass in B minor in 2006. Mertens has also collaborated with the Windsbacher Knabenchor and the Dresdner Kreuzchor performing in the Kreuzkirche as well as in the Frauenkirche. In 2009 he sang the bass part in the St Matthew Passion in St. Martin, Idstein, with Ulrich Cordes as the Evangelist and Andreas Pruys. He performed Bach's cantata Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen, BWV 56, in Wiesbaden and in the Alte Oper Frankfurt, programmed in contrast to Shostakovich's Symphony Babi Jar, conducted by Enoch zu Guttenberg. He performed the Vox Christi, the words of Jesus, and the bass arias in Bach's Johannespassion in a concert on 27 February 2010 in Munich with Mark Padmore (Evangelist and arias), Johannette Zomer, Andreas Scholl, Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Ton Koopman conducting. He performed the part of Valens in Handel's oratorio Theodora in Eberbach Abbey in 2010. He was bass soloist for two concerts of the Bachchor Mainz reviving church cantatas of Wilhelm Friedemann Bach in June 2010, remembering the composer's birth in 1710. Mertens has regularly appeared at international music festivals such as the Prague Spring International Music Festival, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Festival d'Aix-en-Provence and the Salzburg Festival. In 2006 he sang the bass part of Bach's St Matthew Passion, conducted by Enoch zu Guttenberg, at the Rheingau Musik Festival. With the same ensemble he appeared in 2009 at the 12th Beijing Music Festival in major works of Joseph Haydn, The Creation, the Nelson Mass and The Seasons. Awards 2019 Bach Medal Recordings , the discography of Mertens contains more than 140 CDs and DVDs. Selected recordings of unusual repertoire: Marc-Antoine Charpentier: Motets for double Chorus, H.403, H.404, H.135, H.136, H.137, H.392, H.410, H.167, 1992, Barbara Schlick, The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra conducted by Ton Koopman. 2 CD Erato 1992 Othmar Schoeck: Elegie op. 36, with Mutare Ensemble, Gerhard Müller-Hornbach, NCA, 1993/2008 Max Reger: 24 Geistliche Lieder (including 12 sacred songs op. 137), with Martin Haselböck (organ), 2000, NCA Christoph Graupner: 3 Bass-Kantaten with Accademia Daniel, 2002, hr-musik (in German) Georg Philipp Telemann: 47 Generalbass-Lieder, with Ludger Rémy (harpsichord), 2004, jpc Schubert: Winterreise, with Tini Mathot (fortepiano) 2005, Antoine Marchand CC 72152, review Göran Forsling 2006 Telemann: Cantatas For Bass Voice, with il Gardellino, 2007, ArkivMusic review Brian Robins in