Mr. Kaufmann, how does it feel to stand on stage with a waiting crowd and take that deep breath before singing your first note?
It is a very positive feeling. I had stage fright when I was a youngster. When I sang little solo numbers when I was still at school, in front of my classmates, that was very embarrassing. Classical music in general was something they never came across and to see their friend up there doing such awkward things, it was difficult. But the moment I gained confidence in my instrument, my voice, it got better and better. And now I can only describe it as inspiring to see the crowd, to be in front of a lot of people. I know some singers who love when the house is completely dark, so they don’t have to see people, but I always say “No, no, no, when I do a concert, I want to see the faces. I want to communicate with the people.” This is part of my inspiration. I really feel this extra energy boost comes to help me perform the way I do.
So you don’t get stage fright anymore?
Well, I remember the very first time I sang at La Scala, I thought of all the great singers which have sung there, and when the curtain opened, I almost fainted! (Laughs) I was also really nervous before my debut at the MET. I was so puzzled by this massive audience, almost 4000 people in that hall. During my first scene I overlooked a wall lamp and cracked my head which caused a loud BANG! The audience laughed. After that moment, I was relaxed, and so I started really going for it.
“Every time, it’s new. You are starting each and every evening from scratch. Nothing is for granted.”
Would you say that performing is when you feel most fulfilled as an artist?
Yes, probably! There are these special moments where suddenly everything falls into place. You have the ideal partner in the perfect set and orchestra, and everything and everyone is in great form and shape. And you just think, “Wow, This is as good as it gets.” It’s really nice.
Are those moments rare as a performer?
Fortunately, they are rare — otherwise you would not constantly seek to find them again, but just take them for granted. But there are also many different kinds of successful performances, in my opinion. Sometimes you can sing a not-so-mainstream, not-so-popular piece, one that is not well known, and the audience ends up really loving it. That’s also a kind of success for me. But there are also times when a spark simply goes up because the song is very well loved, like “Nessun dorma” from Puccini’s Turandot, they’re waiting for the last note because they all want to stand up and cheer. That’s an equally beautiful moment.
It sounds like it doesn’t ever get less special to be on stage.
Never! And this is also part of the thrill, because every time, it’s new. You are starting each and every evening from scratch. Nothing is for granted, you have to work for the success of every evening. That’s very inspiring to me.
I can imagine that the right collaborators and the right venue are also key ingredients to the success of a performance.
Sure, over the decades, I’ve had several houses where I’ve felt very at home: Covent Garden, for example. The Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, the town I was born in, during the period of Klaus Bachler being the general manager there, I sang many, many, many, many shows. The connection to the houses is of course important, as well as connections with other singers and especially conductors. I have one conductor that I always tour with, who does all my solo concerts, we are great friends as well. I’m a very loyal person, and I like very much when a relationship can develop and grow.
Which partnerships outside the stage have been important for you?
Well, offstage I’ve only ever had two partners and one of them is Rolex. We’ve worked together for a very, very long time. Of course, it’s fantastic what the brand does for sports, but certainly also for the arts. It’s very nice to have this loyalty. I mean, it’s just like their watches, which are built for eternity. I have some really old ones and they are still in perfect shape. This partnership is much the same.
That kind of trust must also really give you strength and confidence as an artist.
Absolutely. I was selected to be part of a very small group of artists and it’s a true privilege to name oneself an ambassador to this brand. They are working with the best of the best, the who’s who in opera, not only for the singers like Cecilia Bartoli and Bryn Terfel, but also the best venues like The The Royal Ballet and Opera in London and the Paris Opera. We as artists are very thankful for this because our art form is one that only lives with an audience. If I would be a sculptor, my work could be recognized as something special even 30 years after I am dead. But as opera singers if we aren’t recognized when we’re performing, it doesn’t work. The support of these houses is essential to our success. This is why I’m always proud to be part of the Rolex family.
That ongoing support must also give you hope for the future of opera, no?
I’m very positive for the future. If we make the right decisions and don’t screw it up, I think opera and live music in general is so strong and so powerful and so alive that in one form or another, it will always exist. I’m absolutely certain of that.
It seems like a certain amount of devotion is needed to keep this craft alive.
Absolutely, not only to keep the craft alive, but to keep yourself alive as a singer. There’s a lot of frustration, distraction, and sacrifices you need to deal with on the way to the top. You need that burning flame to give you the courage to fight your way through. I think that is very important and the most essential part of that is not to destroy the joy that you have. Suddenly it can come to a point where this work becomes only stressful and depressing, because the results are not what you expected, and it’s no longer just about making music, but rather about decisions and routine and that’s very dangerous. I’m convinced an audience hears the difference between a musician who is just embracing this craft, and someone who is doing it because they signed the contract and have to pay their rent.
And for you personally? How do you keep that flame burning?
I think it’s a mix of different things. First, it’s important for you to do what you want to be doing, and have no regrets. I love the variety I have explored, the wide repertoire. I’ve done so many different parts and roles in my career and that has kept me going, because it’s always new. It’s crucial that you don’t end up in a routine. And second, you need to master your instrument, your voice to a place where you can freely interpret and are not afraid to go on stage. You can’t hesitate or doubt abilities, but instead really enjoy it. It’s not easy! Opera is very emotional. It’s something that sits very close to your heart, you have to open up and unfold all your feelings, all your emotions, and be as vulnerable as you can.
“That’s one of the key ingredients: find your voice and accept it as it is. Stick to it.”
Is there a balance you have to strike, in not being emotional to the point where you’re not able to sing?
Of course, it’s a fine line between being totally involved and losing control. My advice is to just inhale it and make it yours. You come to the point where you forget for a moment that you are Jonas Kaufmann and become completely one with the character on stage. That’s fascinating and thrilling. But this can only work if you are free from thinking about vocal technique. That’s why good singing technique is so important: It gives you the freedom to become completely immersed in the character’s emotional world.
Has it taken you a long time to be able to reach that ability to really make a piece yours? Or have you always been gifted with the ability to interpret?
Every voice sounds different. The challenge is to find your true sound, your instrument. Very often early on, you just end up copying other sounds and other voices. We know that from obedience, one can make a lot of different sounds and styles, but it will never feel as safe and relaxed as when it’s just your natural instrument. That’s one of the key ingredients: find your voice and accept it as it is. Stick to it. I was very lucky to find my sound quite early in my career.
Were you dreaming about becoming an opera singer, even when you first started singing?
No, not at all! I fell in love with music early on, but it never occurred to me that this could be my profession. It was actually maybe too beautiful to spoil it as something that you have to do, instead of something that you want to. So I started studying math, and realized at some point that I can, well live without math, but I cannot live without music. So I said, “Well, I’ll give it a try.” And now, here we are.