Born in 1970 in Attendorn. He studied music from childhood, performed at the Detmold and Cologne music academies, and took private vocal lessons from the renowned German bass Hans Sotin. He made his debut in 1997 at the Münster Theater, then moved to the Bonn Opera, and finally in 2001 became a soloist at the Semperoper in Dresden, where he still performs.
The singer's extensive and varied repertoire includes almost all classic bass roles: Sarastro ('Die Zauberflöte'), the Commendatore ('Don Giovanni'), Figaro and Bartolo ('Le nozze di Figaro'), Don Alfonso ('Così fan tutte'), Father Superior ('La forza del destino'), Sparafucile ('Rigoletto'), Zaccaria ('Nabucco'), Banquo ('Macbeth'), Philip II ('Don Carlos'), Pimen ('Boris Godunov'), Fasolt ('Das Rheingold'), Landgrave Hermann ('Tannhäuser'), King Marke ('Tristan und Isolde'), Gurnemanz ('Parsifal'), and others. One of his finest roles is considered to be Sarastro — he has performed this part in Baden-Baden, San Francisco Opera, Theater an der Wien, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Bavarian and Vienna State Operas.
As a guest soloist, he has performed at such houses as the Vienna State Opera, Hamburg State Opera, Bavarian State Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Royal Swedish Opera, La Scala, Rome Opera, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, the Liceu (Barcelona), Grand Théâtre de Genève, and others.
A regular participant in the Bayreuth Festival, where he has performed the roles of Heinrich ('Lohengrin'), Pogner ('Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg'), King Marke ('Tristan und Isolde'), Hunding ('Die Walküre'), Gurnemanz ('Parsifal'), and Daland ('Der fliegende Holländer'). In 2002, he made his Salzburg Festival debut in Zemlinsky's opera 'Der König Kandaules' and has performed there regularly ever since. He has sung the roles of Stefano Colonna ('Rienzi'), Hans Sachs and Pogner ('Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg'), and King Karl ('Fierrabras' by Schubert).
The singer's extensive and varied repertoire includes almost all classic bass roles: Sarastro ('Die Zauberflöte'), the Commendatore ('Don Giovanni'), Figaro and Bartolo ('Le nozze di Figaro'), Don Alfonso ('Così fan tutte'), Father Superior ('La forza del destino'), Sparafucile ('Rigoletto'), Zaccaria ('Nabucco'), Banquo ('Macbeth'), Philip II ('Don Carlos'), Pimen ('Boris Godunov'), Fasolt ('Das Rheingold'), Landgrave Hermann ('Tannhäuser'), King Marke ('Tristan und Isolde'), Gurnemanz ('Parsifal'), and others. One of his finest roles is considered to be Sarastro — he has performed this part in Baden-Baden, San Francisco Opera, Theater an der Wien, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Bavarian and Vienna State Operas.
As a guest soloist, he has performed at such houses as the Vienna State Opera, Hamburg State Opera, Bavarian State Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Royal Swedish Opera, La Scala, Rome Opera, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, the Liceu (Barcelona), Grand Théâtre de Genève, and others.
A regular participant in the Bayreuth Festival, where he has performed the roles of Heinrich ('Lohengrin'), Pogner ('Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg'), King Marke ('Tristan und Isolde'), Hunding ('Die Walküre'), Gurnemanz ('Parsifal'), and Daland ('Der fliegende Holländer'). In 2002, he made his Salzburg Festival debut in Zemlinsky's opera 'Der König Kandaules' and has performed there regularly ever since. He has sung the roles of Stefano Colonna ('Rienzi'), Hans Sachs and Pogner ('Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg'), and King Karl ('Fierrabras' by Schubert).
