Michael Volle

Biography

Michael Volle is one of the most sought-after singers of our time. The baritone is a mainstay at the most renowned opera houses in the world including the Metropolitan Opera New York, the State Operas in Munich and Vienna, the Teatro alla Scala Milan, the Royal Opera House London, Opéra National de Paris and the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Staatsoper Berlin. Michael Volle maintains a very special relationship with the Staatsoper Unter den Linden Berlin, where he recently starred in two of his signature roles: the title roles of Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer and Verdi’s Falstaff, both under the baton of Daniel Barenboim. The hailed Wagner-singer is also a frequent guest at prestigious festivals such as the Salzburg and Bayreuth, as well as Festspielhaus Baden-Baden.

Michael Volle kicks off the 2020/21 season with his role debut as Boris in Mussorgski’s Boris Godunow at the Opernhaus Zurich. Later on, the Baritone returns to the Vienna State Opera as Mandryka in Richard Strauss’ Arabella and can be heard in Wagner’s Ring Cycle as Wotan (Das Rheingold and Die Walküre) and as Wanderer (Siegfried) at the Semperoper Dresden. He sings the title role in Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer at the Royal Opera House in London, performs the role of Barak (Frau ohne Schatten) at the Metropolitan Opera and debuts as Jack Rance in Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West under the baton of Sir Antonio Pappano at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin. Michael Volle ends the operatic season performing the role of Hans Sachs in Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg at the Bayreuth Festival. On the concert stage, the baritone sings several gala concerts, amongs others he joins stage with soprano Gabriela Scherer at the Opera Leipzig with excerpts by Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss and performs Haydn’s Die Schöpfung with the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra under the baton of Zubin Mehta in Florence. He sings concerts in at the Brucknerhaus Linz, the Alte Oper Frankfurt (Händel’s Messiah), two New Year’s Eve concerts at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin (Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9), at the Gewandhaus Leipzig (Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen) and performs recitals with the pianist Helmut Deutsch in Budapest, Taggenbrunn and at the brand new Lausitz Festival.

Michael Volle is one of the leading interpreters of German repertoire. This includes the title roles in Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer, Wotan/Wanderer in the Ring of the Nibelung, Hans Sachs (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg) and Amfortas (Parsifal) as well as roles by Richard Strauss such as Barak (Die Frau ohne Schatten), Johanaan (Salome), Orest (Elektra) and Mandryka (Arabella), Dr. Schön/Jack the Ripper (Lulu) and Wozzeck, both written by Alban Berg. Also, being an extraordinary interpreter of Italian repertoire, Michael Volle starred as Scarpia (Tosca), with the Metropolitan Opera, opposite Anna Netrebko in the title role, the Vienna State Opera and the Deutsche Oper Berlin, and as Jack Rance (La fanciulla del West).

Apart from his operatic career, the baritone sings concerts in the world’s most renowned concert halls and orchestras. His works regularly with conductors such as Daniel Barenboim, Zubin Mehta, Christian Thielemann, Antonio Pappano, Mariss Jansons, Franz Welser-Möst, Valery Gergiev, Thomas Hengelbrock, Simon Rattle and Frieder Bernius. Michael Volle is also a dedicated Lied singer and gives recitals with Festivals such as the Heidelberger and Schubertiade Schwarzenberg, joined by pianist Helmut Deutsch. Michael Volle has also a close collaboration with the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, they recorded a CD with Solo and Dialogue cantatas.

Numerous recordings on CD and DVD, live broadcasts to cinemas worldwide as well the film „The Hunter’s Bride“, based on the opera Der Freischütz, with Michael Volle starring as the evil Kaspar, document the artist’s legislating. Several solo CDs such as „Wagner Arias“ (Orfeo), a Song album with Helmut Deutsch (Oehms Classics), „Michael Volle sings Brahms“ (Brillant Classics) as well as „Michael Volle: A Portrait“, released with BR Klassik, top his discography off. Michael Volle was awarded with the German Theatre Price „Faust“ and was named “Singer of the Year” by the magazine „Opernwelt“ (2008 and 2014).

Photo: Gisela Shenker