Jonas Kaufmann

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Kaufmann was born in Munich on 10 July 1969. His father worked for an insurance company, and his mother was a kindergarten teacher. He had one older sister. He started studying piano when he was eight, and he sang in his elementary school choir. Although he studied for mathematics entrance exams, in the summer of 1989 he began his vocal training at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich. While he was studying, he sang some small roles at the Bavarian State Opera. He graduated from university in 1994, achieving distinctions in both opera and concert performances. In 1995, Kaufmann received help from American baritone Michael Rhodes, who taught him a "new way of singing" and how to become "more relaxed in my voice and in myself." In Kaufmann's book Meinen die wirklich mich? he said, "To find a Michael Rhodes that can really help you and bring you to success is really a great stroke of luck."

He began his professional career at the Staatstheater Saarbrücken in 1994 and was soon invited to make debuts in German theaters such as the Stuttgart Opera and Hamburg State Opera, as well as international debuts at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opéra National de Paris, and La Scala. He made his Salzburg Festival debut in 1999 in a new production of Busoni's Doktor Faust and returned there in 2003 as Belmonte in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail and for concerts of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Berlin Philharmonic. He performed the role of Don José in Bizet's Carmen, to critical acclaim, at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in 2006/7. He made his debut as Alfredo in Verdi's La traviata at the Metropolitan Opera alongside Angela Gheorghiu in 2006, also to critical acclaim. In May 2008, he played Cavaradossi in Puccini's Tosca at Covent Garden, yet again to critical acclaim. In 2008/9, he performed in Massenet's Manon in Chicago opposite Natalie Dessay and in the title role of a new production of Wagner's Lohengrin at the Bavarian State Opera. He also sang Lohengrin on the opening night of the Bayreuth Festival in 2010, in a production staged by Hans Neuenfels and conducted by Andris Nelsons. In January 2010, he took the title role in Massenet's Werther at the Opéra Bastille in Paris. On 15 February 2013, Kaufmann made his first appearance in the title role of Wagner's Parsifal at the Metropolitan Opera. His performance received rave reviews from critics. In July of that year he was named a Kammersänger of the Bavarian State Opera by the Bavarian Ministry of Arts. On 12 September 2015, Kaufmann became the first German singer to perform the British patriotic song "Rule, Britannia!" at the Last Night of The Proms. Kaufmann has been married twice. His first marriage to mezzo-soprano Margarete Joswig produced three children, and ended in divorce. His second marriage is to the opera director Christiane Lutz. The couple married in late 2018, and have a child, born in March 2019. Kaufmann has German and Austrian dual citizenship, with Austrian citizenship awarded to him in February 2021. His current main residence is in Salzburg.

Reader's Guide

Jonas Kaufmann's significance lies in his broad repertoire, spanning German, French, and Italian opera, as well as concert and recital work. His ability to perform roles from Wagner's Siegmund and Lohengrin to Puccini's Cavaradossi and Verdi's Don Alvaro made him a rare "box-office draw" according to The New York Times. His career includes debuts at major houses worldwide, recordings with Decca and EMI, and a 2015 performance of "Rule, Britannia!" at the Last Night of the Proms as the first German singer to do so. His legacy is marked by critical acclaim for roles such as Don José, Werther, and Parsifal, and by his influence as a versatile tenor of his generation.

Did You Know?

• Kaufmann started studying piano when he was eight and sang in his elementary school choir.
• In 1995, American baritone Michael Rhodes taught him a 'new way of singing,' which Kaufmann called 'a great stroke of luck.'
• He made his Salzburg Festival debut in 1999 in a new production of Busoni's Doktor Faust.
• On 12 September 2015, Kaufmann became the first German singer to perform 'Rule, Britannia!' at the Last Night of The Proms.
• Kaufmann was named a Kammersänger of the Bavarian State Opera in July 2013.