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Siegfried JerusalemGerman opera singer, heldentenor
Date of Birth: 17.04.1940
Country:  Germany |
Content:
- Biography of Siegfried Jerusalem
- Early Career
- Operatic Debut
- Bayreuth Festival and Metropolitan Opera
- Awards and Current Endeavors
- Recordings
Biography of Siegfried Jerusalem
German operatic tenor, Siegfried Jerusalem, is known for his exceptional interpretations of the roles of Siegfried, Siegmund, Lohengrin, Parsifal, and Tristan, for which he has received widespread acclaim. Born on April 17, 1940, in Oberhausen, a major city in western Germany, Jerusalem is the son of an electrical engineer.
Early Career
From 1955 to 1960, Jerusalem studied at the School of Arts in Essen, focusing on playing the bassoon and piano, with a minor interest in violin. In 1961, he secured the position of first bassoonist in the Hofer Symphoniker and later became a member of the Schwäbischen Sinfonie-Orchester Reutlingen in 1962. From 1971 to 1977, he served as the second bassoonist in the Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Stuttgart. During this time, Jerusalem also pursued singing lessons with Hertha Kalcher.
Operatic Debut
In 1975, Jerusalem unexpectedly made his operatic debut when he replaced Italian tenor Franco Bonisolli in a television production of the operetta "The Gypsy Baron." This marked the beginning of his singing career. He initially performed minor roles in Stuttgart before debuting as Lohengrin in Darmstadt in 1976 and later in Aachen in 1977. Despite starting his singing career relatively late, Jerusalem quickly rose to prominence and performed in major opera houses worldwide, predominantly known for his powerful and expressive Wagnerian tenor.
Bayreuth Festival and Metropolitan Opera
Jerusalem first appeared at the Bayreuth Festival in 1976 as Froh in "Das Rheingold." He returned to Bayreuth in 1988 to perform in "Siegfried" and in 1989 for "Götterdämmerung." In 1990, he made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera, singing Siegfried under the baton of James Levine. His performance was televised and later released on DVD. In 1993, Jerusalem debuted as Tristan at the Bayreuth Festival and went on to portray the character in leading European opera houses.
Awards and Current Endeavors
On October 9, 1997, Siegfried Jerusalem was honored with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his contributions to the country. He last performed at the Bayreuth Festival in 1999, reprising the role of Tristan. Currently, he teaches at the Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg and served as its president until 2009.
Recordings
Numerous audio and video recordings of Wagner's operas featuring Jerusalem were made primarily in the 1980s and 1990s.
