Baritone


Baritone Johannes Schwarz hails from the Münsterland region in Germany. After completing his degree in school music with a focus on French horn in Frankfurt, he went on to study voice at the University of Music, Drama and Media in Hanover (HMTM Hannover) under Peter Ling, who continues to mentor him vocally.

He further refined his training in masterclasses with renowned artists such as Thomas Quasthoff, Ingeborg Danz, Peter Schreier, Falk Struckmann, and Michael Nagy. His development was supported by a multi-year scholarship from the Oscar and Vera Ritter Foundation, the Nicolaus Bruhns Prize for Voice, as well as scholarships from the Richard Wagner Association, the German Music Council, and the German Orchestra Foundation.

While still a student, Johannes made his operatic debut at the Pfalztheater Kaiserslautern as Biterolf in a new production of Wagner’s Tannhäuser (conducted by Daniele Squeo, directed by Gabriele Rech). He also appeared at the Landesbühnen Sachsen in von Einem’s Der Prozess, as Bottom in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Pforzheim, and in the title role of Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi at the Wernigerode Castle Festival.

After graduating, he joined the ensemble of the Meininger Staatstheater on a fixed-term contract, where he debuted, among other roles, as Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro (conducted by Killian Farrell, directed by Philip M. Krenn) and as Wolfram von Eschenbach in Wagner’s Tannhäuser (performed at the Wartburg, an external venue).

He is currently a member of the ensemble at Theater Plauen-Zwickau and is set to join the Theater Erfurt in the upcoming season.

Johannes is a prizewinner of the Haydn Competition for Classical Song and Aria (2019), the Concorso di Musica Sacra in Rome (2020), and the Robert Schumann Competition in Zwickau.

As a concert soloist in oratorio and lieder recitals, he has performed at prestigious venues such as the Alte Oper Frankfurt, Rheingoldhalle Mainz, Berlin Philharmonie, Laeiszhalle Hamburg, Semperoper Dresden, and the NDR Sendesaal in Hanover.