Kristinn Sigmundsson
Encyclopedia
Kristinn Sigmundsson is an Icelandic foremost bass opera singer with an international career. He studied biology at the University of Iceland and worked for some time as a teacher before commencing his song studies under Guðmundur Jónsson
at the Reykjavik Academy of Singing.
Later, he studied at the Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna, Austria, under Helene Karusso, Christian Möller and Wolfgang Gabriel; after that he studied with John Bullock
in Washington, D.C.
The singer has subsequently performed in many of the leading European and US opera houses and concert halls, including those in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Florence, Geneva, Hamburg, Cologne, Milan, New York and Paris. Also, he has appeared with a number of well-known conductors, such as James Levine
, Riccardo Muti
, Bernard Haitink
and Sir Colin Davis
.
Kristinn Sigmundsson began his freelance career in 1992 and now regularly sings at the Metropolitan Opera
, Covent Garden
, L'Opéra de Paris
, Staatsoper Vienna
, Staatsoper Munich
and Semperoper Dresden
. Recent opera roles have included Rocco in Fidelio
in New York, Osmin in Il ratto dal serraglio (Die Entführung aus dem Serail
) in Trieste (May 2006), Baron Ochs in Der Rosenkavalier
in Munich (June 2006), Mustafa in L'italiana in Algeri
in Vienna (June 2006), King Marke in Wagner's Tristan und Isolde
in San Francisco
(September 2006), and Landgrave Herrmann in Tannhäuser
in Amsterdam (January/February 2007). From April to July 2007, Sigmundsson sang the roles of Méphistophélès (in Dresden) and Il Commendatore and Baron Ochs (in San Francisco). He repeated the latter role in the Met's revival of Rosenkavalier in January 2010
. The latter was awarded the French Diapason d'or and the German Schallplattenpreis. He also sang the role of Christ in Frans Brüggen
's recordings of Bach's St John Passion and St Matthew Passion. Other recordings include a set of opera arias with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra
and Arnold Östman, and Schubert's Schwanengesang
and Winterreise
with pianist Jónas Ingimundarson.
Guðmundur Jónsson
Guðmundur Jónsson is an Icelandic architect who lives in Norway.He was educated at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design and ILAUD in Italy in autumn 1979...
at the Reykjavik Academy of Singing.
Later, he studied at the Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna, Austria, under Helene Karusso, Christian Möller and Wolfgang Gabriel; after that he studied with John Bullock
John Bullock
John Bullock O.S.A. was an Augustinian canon and prelate active in the 15th century Kingdom of Scotland. While earning a university degree between 1409 and 1417, Bullock gained several benefices in Scotland, and claimed the headship of St Andrews Cathedral Priory before becoming Bishop of Ross in...
in Washington, D.C.
The singer has subsequently performed in many of the leading European and US opera houses and concert halls, including those in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Florence, Geneva, Hamburg, Cologne, Milan, New York and Paris. Also, he has appeared with a number of well-known conductors, such as James Levine
James Levine
James Lawrence Levine is an American conductor and pianist. He is currently the music director of the Metropolitan Opera and former music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Levine's first performance conducting the Metropolitan Opera was on June 5, 1971, and as of May 2011 he has...
, Riccardo Muti
Riccardo Muti
Riccardo Muti, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI is an Italian conductor and music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.-Childhood and education:...
, Bernard Haitink
Bernard Haitink
Bernard Johan Herman Haitink, CH, KBE is a Dutch conductor and violinist.- Early life :Haitink was born in Amsterdam, the son of Willem Haitink and Anna Haitink. He studied music at the conservatoire in Amsterdam...
and Sir Colin Davis
Colin Davis
Sir Colin Rex Davis, CH, CBE is an English conductor. His repertoire is broad, but among the composers with whom he is particularly associated are Mozart, Berlioz, Elgar, Sibelius, Stravinsky and Tippett....
.
Kristinn Sigmundsson began his freelance career in 1992 and now regularly sings at the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
, Covent Garden
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
, L'Opéra de Paris
Opéra Bastille
L'Opéra Bastille ' is a modern opera house in Paris, France. It is the home base of the Opéra national de Paris and was designed to replace the Palais Garnier, which is nowadays mainly used for ballet performances....
, Staatsoper Vienna
Vienna State Opera
The Vienna State Opera is an opera house – and opera company – with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera . In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian...
, Staatsoper Munich
Bavarian State Opera
The Bavarian State Opera is an opera company based in Munich, Germany.Its orchestra is the Bavarian State Orchestra.- History:The opera company which was founded under Princess Henriette Adelaide of Savoy has been in existence since 1653...
and Semperoper Dresden
Semperoper
The Semperoper is the opera house of the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden and the concert hall of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden . It is located near the Elbe River in the historic center of Dresden, Germany.The opera house was originally built by the architect Gottfried Semper in 1841...
. Recent opera roles have included Rocco in Fidelio
Fidelio
Fidelio is a German opera in two acts by Ludwig van Beethoven. It is Beethoven's only opera. The German libretto is by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of Jean-Nicolas Bouilly which had been used for the 1798 opera Léonore, ou L’amour conjugal by Pierre Gaveaux, and for the 1804 opera Leonora...
in New York, Osmin in Il ratto dal serraglio (Die Entführung aus dem Serail
Die Entführung aus dem Serail
Die Entführung aus dem Serail is an opera Singspiel in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The German libretto is by Christoph Friedrich Bretzner with adaptations by Gottlieb Stephanie...
) in Trieste (May 2006), Baron Ochs in Der Rosenkavalier
Der Rosenkavalier
Der Rosenkavalier is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from the novel Les amours du chevalier de Faublas by Louvet de Couvrai and Molière’s comedy Monsieur de Pourceaugnac...
in Munich (June 2006), Mustafa in L'italiana in Algeri
L'italiana in Algeri
L'italiana in Algeri is an operatic dramma giocoso in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Angelo Anelli, based on his earlier text set by Luigi Mosca...
in Vienna (June 2006), King Marke in Wagner's Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde
Tristan und Isolde is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by Gottfried von Straßburg. It was composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bülow conducting...
in San Francisco
San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera is an American opera company, based in San Francisco, California.It was founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola and is the second largest opera company in North America...
(September 2006), and Landgrave Herrmann in Tannhäuser
Tannhäuser (opera)
Tannhäuser is an opera in three acts, music and text by Richard Wagner, based on the two German legends of Tannhäuser and the song contest at Wartburg...
in Amsterdam (January/February 2007). From April to July 2007, Sigmundsson sang the roles of Méphistophélès (in Dresden) and Il Commendatore and Baron Ochs (in San Francisco). He repeated the latter role in the Met's revival of Rosenkavalier in January 2010
Recordings
The bass has made a number of recordings, including Sarastro in Arnold Östman's version of the Magic Flute, and Commendatore in his version of Don GiovanniDon Giovanni
Don Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the Teatro di Praga on October 29, 1787...
. The latter was awarded the French Diapason d'or and the German Schallplattenpreis. He also sang the role of Christ in Frans Brüggen
Frans Brüggen
Frans Brüggen is a well-known Dutch conductor, recorder player and baroque flautist.-Biography:Brüggen studied recorder and flute at the Amsterdam Muzieklyceum. He also studied musicology at the University of Amsterdam. In 1955, at the age of 21, he was appointed professor at the Royal...
's recordings of Bach's St John Passion and St Matthew Passion. Other recordings include a set of opera arias with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra
Icelandic Symphony Orchestra
Sinfóníuhljómsveit Íslands is an orchestra based in Reykjavík, Iceland. The ISO is an autonomous public institution under the auspices of the Icelandic Ministry of Education...
and Arnold Östman, and Schubert's Schwanengesang
Schwanengesang
Schwanengesang is the title of a posthumous collection of songs by Franz Schubert.Unlike the earlier Die schöne Müllerin and Winterreise, it uses poems by three poets, Ludwig Rellstab , Heinrich Heine and Johann Gabriel Seidl . Schwanengesang has the number D 957 in the Deutsch catalogue...
and Winterreise
Winterreise
Winterreise is a song cycle for voice and piano by Franz Schubert , a setting of 24 poems by Wilhelm Müller. It is the second of Schubert's two great song cycles on Müller's poems, the earlier being Die schöne Müllerin...
with pianist Jónas Ingimundarson.