Michael Volle

Baritone Michael Volle possesses exceptional range as a vocalist, encompassing works from Bach through Hans Werner Henze while also maintaining a busy schedule in lieder and orchestral settings. Born during 1960 in Freudenthal within Germany’s Black Forest, he counts two siblings among his family: actor Hartmut and fellow opera singer Dietrich. His training came under Josef Metternich and Rudolf Piernay, after which he launched his stage career at Nationaltheater Mannheim. He has kept strong ties to that theater as well as to Zurich Opera House, where he belonged to the ensemble between 1999 and 2007 and earned acclaim for an expansive array of parts that included the title role in Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Marcello in Puccini’s La bohème. Wagner roles have taken him to multiple theaters, beginning with his 2007 Bayreuth Festival debut as Beckmesser in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and continuing with his 2017 return there to portray Hans Sachs in a fresh staging. That same year he left Zurich to become a member of Bavarian State Opera in Munich, while additional engagements have brought him to La Scala in Milan, Staatsoper Berlin, and Covent Garden in London. On the concert platform he has appeared with Zubin Mehta, Seiji Ozawa, and Riccardo Muti, collaborating with Staatskapelle Dresden and the Israel Philharmonic among other ensembles. He makes his home in Berlin alongside his wife, soprano Gabriela Scherer. His discography includes releases on Oehms, Orfeo, and Harmonia Mundi; in 2019 he issued Michael Volle Sings Brahms on Brilliant Classics. Opernwelt magazine designated him Singer of the Year in 2008, and he has received several further major awards from European institutions.