Jonas Kaufman: biography and creativity

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

In this material, your attention will be presented to the biography of Jonas Kaufman. This man is one of the most sought-after tenors in the world opera. His schedule is scheduled five years in advance. The program "My Italy" Jonas Kaufman presented in the city of Turin, at the Teatro Carignano. In 2009, this man received the Classica Awards from the hands of Italian critics.

It should be noted that the photo of Jonas Kaufmann on the concert poster is a guarantee that the event will be sold out. He has performed at the finest American and European opera houses. The strengths of the artist also include special charisma and stage appearance. He is an example for the younger generation. Noisy success hit the artist in 2006 after a successful debut on the stage of the Metropolitan. It seemed to many that the tenor and the handsome man emerged from nowhere, some even today consider him a darling of fate. At the same time, Kaufman's biography is an example of harmonious progressive development, a well-built career and the artist's genuine passion for hisprofession.

Overture

Jonas Kaufmann's love for music and opera began at an early age, while his parents were not musicians, they found refuge in Munich in the early sixties and come from East Germany. The father of the future musician worked as an insurance agent, and his mother was a teacher.

After the birth of her second child (Jonas has a sister who is five years older than him), the mother devoted herself entirely to raising children and family. Grandpa lived upstairs. He was a passionate admirer of Wagner and often went down to his grandchildren to play his favorite operas on the piano.

The father of the children put records with a variety of symphonic music, this collection included concerts by Rachmaninov and Shostakovich symphonies. The general respect for the classics was so great in the family that for a long time children were not allowed to turn the records over so that they would not inadvertently damage them.

The boy was taken to an opera performance at the age of five, it turned out to be not at all a children's production of Madama Butterfly. The singer still likes to remember that bright first impression. However, after this incident, there was no music school or endless lessons with the bow or the keys. Jonas began learning to play the piano at the age of eight.

Smart parents sent their son to a classical strict gymnasium, where, in addition to ordinary subjects, he was taught ancient Greek and Latin. Until the eighth grade, girls and boys were taught separately. But there was a choir, led by an enthusiastic young teacher. Sing within these wallsuntil graduation was considered an award.

Even the boy's age-related mutation went smoothly, he did not interrupt his studies for a day. Then the first paid performances of the young man took place, he participated in city and church holidays. In the last class, he even served in the Prince Regent Theater as a chorister.

The future musician grew up like an ordinary guy, he was a little mischievous in the lessons, played football, showed interest in the latest technology, even assembled a radio. At the same time, he also had a family subscription to a visit to the Bavarian Opera.

The conductors and singers of world renown performed there in the eighties. In addition, the young man went on trips to the cultural and historical places of Italy every summer.

Vocal and fencing

Jonas Kaufman doesn't like to think about the conservatory teachers who taught him vocals. According to him, these people believed that German tenors should sing with a light, light sound. Ballet and fencing have served Kaufman in good stead, his Jose, Don Carlos Faust, Lohengrin and Sigmund are convincing vocally and plastically, even when the artist is holding weapons in his hands.

Giorgio Strehler

Jonas Kaufman in 1997-1998 found the most important works, and also mastered a fundamentally different approach to his work in the world of opera. Fateful was the meeting that took place in 1997 between the musician and the legendary Giorgio Strehler. The latter chose Jonas from among several hundred applicants to play the role of Ferrando in the production of Così fantutte.

Germany and Austria

Since 2002, Kaufmann has been a regular soloist of the Zurich Opera. At the same time, the repertoire and geography of the performer's performances in the cities of Austria and Germany is expanding. He performed Verdi's The Robbers and Beethoven's Fidelio.

Kaufman also demonstrated Schubert's chamber cycles, Liszt's Faust Symphonies, Berlioz's Requiem, Schubert's E flat major, The Creation of the World, Beethoven's Solemn Mass, the Christ on the Mount of Olives oratorio, tenor parts in the ninth symphony.

In 2002, there was a meeting with Pappano, under his leadership, the performer at La Monnaie took part in the production of the stage oratorio "The Condemnation of Faust" by G. Berlioz.

Modernity

Jonas Kaufmann achieved even greater success in 2006. Lead tenor Rolando Villazon has taken a break from performances due to voice problems. Alfred was needed in La Traviata. Kaufmana suggested Georgiou, who is particularly capricious in choosing partners.