Carnegie Hall

Hailed as “the world’s greatest tenor” by The Telegraph, Jonas Kaufmann has performed more than 70 roles in the world’s leading opera houses. One of today’s greatest interpreters of the lieder repertoire, Mr. Kaufmann is also in high demand on international concert stages. His performances and recordings have earned him many honors and awards, including eight ECHO Klassik (now OPUS Klassik) awards. He has been named singer of the year by classical music magazines Opernwelt, Diapason, and Musical America. 

Mr. Kaufmann’s 2020–2021 season—greatly reduced due to the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis—includes Rodolfo in La bohème at the Bavarian State Opera, Radamès in a new production of Aida at the Opéra national de Paris, title roles in Don Carlos and a new production of Parsifal at the Vienna State Opera, and Cavaradossi in Tosca at the Salzburg Easter Festival. He performed in concert at the Teatro alla Scala and in Bergamo, Bologna, and Madrid.

In 2020, Mr. Kaufmann released Selige Stunde, a collection of German lieder accompanied by Helmut Deutsch; and It’s Christmas!, comprising Christmas songs in English, French, German, and Italian—both on Sony Classical.

Excelling in a wide variety of repertoire, Mr. Kaufmann has received recognition for his performance of French, German, and Italian roles. Standout roles include Don José, Werther, Don Carlo, Otello, Andrea Chénier, Maurizio, Lohengrin, Parsifal, and Florestan, which he has performed at houses that include the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Metropolitan Opera; and Opernhaus Zürich, among others. He has released many recordings that encompass a diverse repertoire, including opera, lieder, operetta, and more. 

A native of Munich, Germany, Mr. Kaufmann completed his vocal studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München.

Helmut Deutsch ranks among the world’s finest, most successful, and in-demand song recital accompanists. He was born in Vienna, where he studied at the Conservatory, Music Academy, and University. He was awarded the Vienna Composition Prize in 1965 and appointed professor at the age of 24. 

Although he has performed with leading instrumentalists as a chamber musician, Mr. Deutsch has concentrated primarily on accompanying in song recitals. At the beginning of his career, he worked with soprano Irmgard Seefried and baritone Hermann Prey, whom he accompanied as a permanent partner for 12 years—the most significant collaboration of his early career. Subsequently, Mr. Deutsch has partnered with many of the most distinguished recital singers and performed in the world’s major music centers. His collaborations with Jonas Kaufmann, Diana Damrau, and Michael Volle are currently among his most celebrated. 

Mr. Deutsch has recorded more than 100 albums. In recent years, the development of young talent has been especially close to his heart. After concluding his professorship in Vienna, he continued teaching primarily in Munich at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater, where he worked as professor of song interpretation for 28 years. He serves as visiting professor at various other universities, and is increasingly sought-after for master classes in Europe and Asia.