Michael Laurenz - a lyrical hero with charm

The tenor, born in Halle an der Saale, Germany, began his musical career as a trumpeter and was first trumpet for the „Berliner Symphonikem“. From 2006 on, he transitioned his musical emphasis to singing. He sang Tamino at the „Schlossfestspielen Wernigerode“ and in Die Zauberflöte  in the „U-Bahn“ in Berlin. At the Stuttgart Philharmonica he filled-in as Don Ramiro (La Cenerentola), at the „Kammeroper München“ as Don Fracasso in La finta semplice and as Marchese in Niccolò Piccinni’s La Cecchina.

Michael Laurenz was a member of the international opera studio in Zurich from 2008 – 2010 and sang the title role in Offenbachs Barbe-Bleue, Sigfried in Oscar Straus’ Die lustigen Nibelungen and the man with the donkey in Orff’s Die Kluge.  He became an ensemble member at the Opera House in Zurich from the 2010/2011 season on. Since then he has taken on the roles of Arbace (Idomeneo), Basilio (Le nozze di Figaro), Lindoro in Haydns  La fedeltà premiata, Dr. Cajus (Falstaff), Tanzmeister (Ariadne auf Naxos) and Valzacchi (Der Rosenkavalier).  Michael could also be heard in some new productions such as Iwan (Die Nase), Abdisu (Palestrina), Pedrillo (Die Entführung aus dem Serail) and as the hobo in Lady Macbeth from Mzensk.

In 2010, Michael Laurenz gave a guest performance at the Bregenzer Festspielen in Mieczysław Weinberg‘s Das Porträt  and Verdi's Aida, and also at the Paris Opera where he sang Brighella in Ariadne auf Naxos.  In 2012, he played Scaramuccio from the same opera where he made his Salzburger Festspiel debut and in 2013 he returned to Salzburg for a part as Cauchon in Braunfels Jeanne d’Arc.  Subsequent debuts lead him to the Bayrische Staatsoper München as Pedrillo (Die Entführung aus dem Serail) und Stuttgart in V. Ullmann's Der Kaiser von Atlantis.

Michael Laurenz will be seen performing on stage at the Zurich Opera House in 2013/14 as Pirzel in a new production of Zimmermann’s Die Soldaten  and as David in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg  amongst others. In addition, the Berlin Staatsopera will be the venue for a guest performance under Zubin Mehta in Salomé. Michael has worked under directors such as Harnoncourt, Adam Fischer, Rizzi, Jordan, Mehta, Metzmacher, Minkowski, von Dohnányi, Santi, Gatti, Honeck, Harding and Luisi, as well as with producers like Bechtholf, Pelly, Kupfer, Stein, Freyer, Guth, Herzog, A.Marthaler and Homoki. His concert repertoire extends from Bach to the works from the 20th century.