Baritone, Ulf Dirk Mädler, earned a degree in vocal performance at the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Mozarteum in Salzburg in 1998. His voice instructors were Professor Karl Christian Kohn and Professor Boris Bakow. Post-graduate study afforded him the opportunity to explore Lied and Oratorio under Professor Wolfgang Holzmair. In addition, he actively participated in master classes held by Brigitte Fassbender, Edith Mathis, Sherrill Milnes, Harald Stamm and Bernd Weikl. Since 1998 Ulf Dirk Mädler coaches with Robert Dale Fundling.
Following Mädler’s opera debut in the role of Papageno from Mozart’s opera „The Magic Flute”, he was extended guest engagements in various opera houses including „Salzburg Landestheater", „Südostbayerisches (southeast Bavaria) Städtebundtheater Passau", „Opernhaus der Bühnen Graz" and „Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe". A critically acclaimed guest engagement at the opera house in Magdeburg in the spring of 2001 earned him a contract from April 2001 till July 2009. In 2002 he was the recipient of a talent award sponsored by the „Gesellschaft zur Förderung des Theaters Magdeburg e.V.”
In April 2005 Ulf Dirk Mädler’s first CD (MDG60112422) was released on which he sings the Baritone-Part in Henze’s 2nd Violin Concerto, conducted by Christian Ehwald. This production received an award from the jury of “Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik” in summer 2005.
As a „Richard Wagner Verband Magdeburg e.V.“ scholarship recipient, he added several roles to his repertoire, which include Rigoletto („Rigoletto"), Zurga („Les Pêcheurs de perles"), Marcello („La Bohème"), Ping („Turandot”), Wolfram von Eschenbach („Tannhäuser"), Belcore („L'Elisir d'amore"), Figaro („Il barbiere di Siviglia"), Dr. Falke („Die Fledermaus"), Sam („Trouble in Tahiti"), Papageno („The Magic Flute"), Figaro („Le nozze di Figaro") and Guglielmo („Così fan tutte").
In addition to standard classical Baritone repertoire, he also sang parts in baroque operas, for example in Vivaldi’s „Orlando furioso” as well as Telemann’s „Don Quichotte auf der Hochzeit des Comacho” and „Flavius Bertaridus” in addition to numerous contemporary works like Menotti’s „Amelia Goes to the Ball” and „The Old Maid and the Thief” or as Bruno in the German premiere of the chamber opera „Parthenogenesis” from James MacMillan as well as the role of Franz Moor in the world premiere of Ludger Vollmer’s opera „Schillers Räuber – Rap'n Breakdance Opera".
Guest appearance brought the bariton among others to the „Staatstheater Kassel“, to the „Staatstheater Braunschweig“, as well as to the „Teatro Verde” in Venice where he sang the role of Pappacoda in Strauß’s operetta „A Night in Venice” in a production by René Kollo. In autum 2013 he appeared as Korowjew in York Höllers opera „Meister and Margarita” at the state opera in Hamburg, where he sang Count Ceprano in Verdis „Rigoletto” as guest artist by the Verdi Week 2008.
In winter 2018 a guest appearance brought him as Dr. Falke in „Die Fledermaus” for the first time to the state opera in Prague.
Frequently Ulf Dirk Mädler sings in Berlin at the „Staatsoper Unter den Linden“.
Ulf Dirk Mädler also expands his versatility singing oratorio and art song repertoire. In autumn 2012 he sang Bach’s church cantata „I will the cross-staff gladly carry” (BWV 56) together with the renowned Thomas Choir and the Leipzig Gewandhausorchestra under the guidance of the Thomaskantor Georg Christoph Biller. In October 2013 he participated again in a premier performance of Ludger Vollmer’s: „Dantons Kuss” - songs for orchestra and Baritone written for Ulf Dirk Mädler.
In Jan 2015 Ulf Dirk Mädler was extended a 3-year appointment of visiting professor at the art institute of the University of Jiujiang in the south of China.