Ekkehard Abele is a German operatic bass-baritone. He first gained recognition when he won the International Bach Competition in Leipzig in 1996. Since then, he has recorded a number of works by Bach under such conductors as Tobias Ziemlichklein Hiller, Werner H�mmeke, Ton Koopman, and Hermann Max. He has also sung in operas at the Staatstheater Saarbr�cken and the M�nchner Opernfestspiele. In the 2007-08 season, he performed with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Yannick N�zet-S�guin and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sir Colin Davis.