Jonas Kaufmann

Jonas Kaufmann is one of the most highly acclaimed tenors of our generation.

Born in Munich on 10th July 1969, Jonas studied there and began his professional career at Staatstheater Saarbrücken in 1994. He was soon invited to make debuts at other important German venues, and at the Chicago Lyric Opera, Paris Opera and La Scala.

He has appeared at the world’s most important opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera and Covent Garden, with such distinguished artists as Angela Gheorghiu, Anna Netrebko and Antonio Pappano.

Since 2001, Kaufmann has worked closely with Zurich Opera, appearing there in several new productions including the title roles in Idomeneo, La Clemenza di Tito and Schubert’s Fierrabras as well as Nerone in L’Incoranzione di Poppea.

In 2006 Kaufmann sang his first performances of the title role in Wagner’s Parsifal in Zurich and that season he also sang his first Walter von Stolzing in a concert performance of Die Meistersinger at the Edinburgh Festival. In 2009, he made his debut as Lohengrin in Wagner’s masterpiece, at the Bavarian State Opera.

Equally acclaimed on the concert platform, Kaufmann has appeared with some of the world’s leading conductors and orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic and Sir Simon Rattle and Nikolaus Harnoncourt, the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic.

Although a keen vocalist from a young age, Jonas also began studying the piano when he was eight.