Role debut “La Gioconda” in Sydney
On August 9th and 12th Jonas Kaufmann was heard at the Sydney Opera House in two concert performances of Ponchielli’s La Gioconda. This was his debut in the role of Enzo Grimaldi. His partners were Vitalij Kowaljow (Alvise), Agnieszka Rehlis (Laura), Saioa Hernández (Gioconda), the conductor Pinchas Steinberg (group photo from left to right). After […]
The Munich production of “Chenier” on DVD and Blu-ray
“This fast-paced narrative with its realistic dialogue between characters and its emotional arch almost gives one the impression that Giordano would have liked to make a feature film, yet did not yet have the necessary technology at his disposal. In fact, at the same time as this opera was being written and premiered, film was […]
Underlying cause found
For several months, I have been struggling with coughing and excessive mucus during my performances. This viscous secretion led to increased irritation when singing and to fatigue of the respiratory muscles. Various attempts to solve this issue were unfortunately unsuccessful, resulting in being repeatedly forced to cancel opera performances and concerts. Last week, I was […]
The Sound of Movies
Great songs from classic movies have been a passion of Jonas Kaufmann throughout his life. His new album The Sound of Movies reflects the singer’s fascination with a selection of popular hits, in a variety of languages, that spans from the Weimar-era Germany (“Ich küsse ihre Hand, Madame” from 1929) to “Bring Him Home” from […]
Artistic Director in Erl
Jonas Kaufmann will take over as artistic director of the Erl Festival in Austria; he will succeed Bernd Loebe in September 2024. As Hans Peter Haselsteiner, President of the Tiroler Festspiele Erl (photo), announced at a press conference on 2 June in Vienna, Kaufmann prevailed over 42 other applicants. With his vision, enthusiasm, personality and […]
Verdi & Verismo – the concert tour
Jonas KaufmannDeutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-PfalzJochen Rieder Wednesday May 3, 8pmIsarphilharmonie München Saturday May 6, 8pmPhilharmonie Essen Friday May 12, 7:30pm Laeiszhalle Hamburg Monday May 15, 7:30pmMeistersingerhalle Nürnberg Thursday May 18, 7pmLiederhalle Stuttgart Sunday May 21, 8pmAlte Oper Frankfurt
Wagner Weekend: Tannhäuser and Walküre
The radio recording of the Salzburg production of Tannhäuser, in which Jonas Kaufmann has sung the title role for the first time, will be broadcast on Saturday, April 15 at 7:30pm. The other leading roles will be performed by Marlis Petersen (Elisabeth), Emma Bell (Venus), Christian Gerhaher (Wolfram) and Georg Zeppenfeld (Landgraf Hermann); Andris Nelsons […]
A number of important firsts
There have been some great recordings of Turandot in the past, but this one does not pale in the face of the competition, reads the final sentence of the Financial Times review. The latest studio recording of Turandot, Puccini’s spectacular last opera, marks a number of important firsts: Antonio Pappano had never conducted the work […]
Aida on ORF III
The performance of Verdi’s Aida with Anna Netrebko, Elina Garanca, Jonas Kaufmann and Luca Salsi will be broadcast on Jan. 29, unfortunately in Austria only: starting at 20:15 on ORF III in the series Erlebnis Bühne. Afterwards the recording will be available for seven days on ORF’s TVThek. A version with international reach is to follow soon on the website of the Vienna State Opera.
Kaufmann & Tézier in Baden-Baden
Next Sunday, January 8, a special concert takes place, live at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden and on ARTE Concert: with his friend, the world-class baritone Ludovic Tézier, Jonas Kaufmann gives an extraordinary opera evening. The two artists will sing famous scenes and duets from operas by Verdi, Puccini and Ponchielli, which they have also presented on their internationally acclaimed album “Insieme”. They will be accompanied by the German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jochen Rieder. The concert will be broadcast on ARTE Concert at 6pm.