AboutJonas Kaufmann
Since his sensational debut at the Metropolitan Opera New York in 2006 in "La Traviata," Jonas Kaufmann has been one of the top stars of the opera world. The international press crowned him the "new king of tenors," and insiders celebrate him as the most significant German tenor since Fritz Wunderlich.
Jonas Kaufmann hails from Munich. He completed his vocal studies at the local music academy and also attended master classes with Hans Hotter, James King, and Josef Metternich. During his early years on stage at the Staatstheater Saarbrücken, he continued his training with Michael Rhodes in Trier.
After engagements in Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Milan – in Giorgio Strehler's production of "Così fan tutte" and in "Fidelio" under Riccardo Muti – Kaufmann joined the Zurich Opera in 2001. From there, his international career began: appearances at the Salzburg Festival, the Lyric Opera Chicago, the Paris Opera, the Covent Garden Opera in London, La Scala in Milan, the Deutsche Oper and the Staatsoper in Berlin, the Vienna State Opera, and the Met in New York. In 2010, he made his debut at the Bayreuth Festival as Lohengrin in Hans Neuenfels' sensational production.
Kaufmann is as internationally sought after in the Italian and French repertoire as he is in the German. He has sung Massenet's Werther in Paris and Vienna, Cavaradossi in Puccini's "Tosca" in London, at the Met, and La Scala. His intense portrayal of José in Bizet's "Carmen" has moved opera fans worldwide. Kaufmann loves to embody conflicted characters, to fully immerse himself in the world of his roles, making their thoughts and feelings believable.
Beyond his vocal and musical qualities, it is always his total dedication that sparks enthusiasm among critics and audiences alike. This was also the case with his role debut as Siegmund in "Die Walküre" at the Metropolitan Opera New York in spring 2011. The new production, broadcast worldwide in cinemas and now released on DVD, reveals in detail what makes Kaufmann's Wagner interpretations so special: the fusion of "German" expressiveness and Italian vocal technique. The fact that Kaufmann then portrayed the title character in Gounod's "Faust" at the Met with equally great success (this new production was also shown worldwide in cinemas) once again demonstrates his vocal and dramatic versatility.
In his hometown of Munich, Kaufmann has performed as Tamino, Lohengrin, José, Cavaradossi, Florestan in "Fidelio," and Don Carlo. The summer of 2012 was entirely dedicated to the Salzburg Festival for him: after his role debut as Bacchus in the new production of "Ariadne auf Naxos," he also sang Don José again in Simon Rattle's "Carmen" production and the tenor part in Verdi's Requiem under Daniel Barenboim.
In 2013, the operas of Wagner and Verdi are naturally at the center of his work. After the La Scala opening with "Lohengrin" (directed by Claus Guth, conducted by Daniel Barenboim) and the new "Parsifal" production at the Met, Jonas Kaufmann will embody the title role in Verdi's "Don Carlos" in three productions: first in London, then at the Bavarian State Opera, and in Peter Stein's new production at the Salzburg Festival. To kick off the Munich Opera Festival 2013, he will make his role debut as Manrico in a new production of Verdi's "Il Trovatore," and in December, he will be heard for the first time as Alvaro in Verdi's "La Forza del Destino" at the Bavarian State Opera.
Kaufmann's versatility is documented on numerous CDs and DVDs, including performances of "Lohengrin," "Königskinder," "Tosca," "Adriana Lecouvreur," "Werther," and "Carmen." His solo album "Verismo Arias," conducted by Antonio Pappano, was a bestseller just weeks after its release, and his new Wagner album topped the classical charts in Germany and Great Britain shortly after its release. Kaufmann has been named "Singer of the Year" multiple times, by the editorial staff of the specialist magazine "Opernwelt," the classical magazines "Diapason" and "Musical America," and by the jury of the "Echo Klassik." In 2011, he was awarded the coveted "Opera News Award" in New York; the editors of "Opera News" justified their choice with the words: "His intensity and elegance, the suppleness of his voice and body language, combined with his musicality and radiant appearance make him the epitome of the 21st-century opera star." Shortly thereafter, Kaufmann was appointed "Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et lettres" by French Minister of Culture Frédéric Mitterrand.
Kaufmann is also a globally successful concert and lieder singer. For him, lieder singing is "the supreme discipline of singing," as this genre requires significantly more finesse and differentiation than any other vocal discipline. His partnership with pianist Helmut Deutsch, with whom he has worked since his studies in Munich, has proven successful in the recording studio as well as in countless concerts, including on October 30, 2011, at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. This was the first solo recital given at the Met since Luciano Pavarotti (1994).
3/2013