"The singer has an exemplary vocal balance, warmth of flow and dramatic differentiation at his command." Words of praise indeed in the daily paper "Die Welt" for bass-baritone Raimund Nolte after a lieder recital in Berlin.

After first completing studies in mathematics, music pedagogy and viola in Cologne, he was violist with Musica Antiqua Cologne for a number of years. His formative vocal training was with Prof. Josef Metternich and Prof. Irmgard Hartmann. He received his diploma at the Musikhochschule in Mainz and is now working with Gundula Hintz.

Following initial stage appearances with the opera studio of the German Rhine Opera he was heard by Harry Kupfer in 1996 and asked to join the Komische Oper in Berlin, remaining an ensemble member for the following four crucial years. Further engagements led him on to numerous European opera houses (Bielefeld, Potsdam, Brandenburg, Karlsruhe, Darmstadt, Kassel, Salzburg, Rouen, Copenhagen, Catania, Amsterdam and the opéra national du rhin in Strasbourg). Between 2005 and 2009 he was engaged at the opera house in Halle, in demand not least as a notable Handelian (earning him the accolade from the magazine "Opernwelt" of "Rising Young Singer of the Year") in addition to singing many other major roles belonging to his vocal métier. Thus he sang the title roles of Dallapiccola's "Il Prigioniero", Eugene Onegin, Don Giovanni, the Count in "nozze di Figaro", Faninal in "Rosenkavalier", Wagner's "Das Rheingold" and "Die Meistersinger", the father in "Hänsel und Gretel" and Enrico in "Lucia di Lammermoor". He has worked freelance since 2009.

In recent seasons he has performed at the Opéra national du Rhin in Strasbourg, at the Hamburg State Opera, Semperoper in Dresden and the Berlin State Opera, where he sang Sprecher in "Die Zauberflöte" and Sagrestano in "Tosca". At the Opéra Bastille in Paris, he made his debut as Melot in Peter Sellars' production of "Tristan und Isolde", conducted by Philippe Jordan. Last season he first returned to the Opéra national du Rhin as Kurwenal conducted by Axel Kober. At the Bayreuth Festival, where he is also obliged in the future, he made his debut as Melot in the new production of "Tristan und Isolde" directed by Katharina Wagner and conducted by Christian Thielemann. In 2017, he also took on the role of Meister Ortel in the new production of "Die Meistersinger von Nürenberg", directed by Berry Kosky and conducted by Phillippe Jordan. In Bayreuth he is also obliged in the future. In the new production of "Der Ring der Nibelungen" in 2022 he sang "Donner" in "Das Rheingold".

As a concert singer Raimund Nolte has appeared from the outset at the leading European festivals, such as at the Styriate in Graz under Nikolaus Harnoncourt's baton, at the Dresden Musikfestspiele with René Jacobs, at the Festwoche in Innsbruck with Howard Arman, in the role of Jesus in Bach's Matthew Passion under Trevor Pinnock during the "Bach" year of 2000 (Salzburg Festspiele, tour throughout Europe and Japan). As a guest he has been heard at the Bachwochen in Ansbach, the Flanders and Holland Festivals, in Prague, Paris, London, at the Schlossfestspiele in Ludwigsburg, the Handel Festivals in Karlsruhe, Göttingen and Halle. Conductors of the likes of David Stern, Martin Haselböck, Alan Curtis, Gustav Kuhn, Enoch zu Guttenberg, Hans-Martin Schneidt, Bruno Weil, Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden, Nicholas McGegan, Jan Willem de Vriend, Konrad Junghänel, Laurence Cummings and Reinhard Goebel have all been convinced of his versatility.

Recent highlights were Wagner's Tristan and Isolde with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Karina Canellakis in Stockholm Konzerthuset, "Jesus" in Bach's Matthäus Passion with the Nederlands Kamerorchest under the direction of Jonathan Cohen in Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Messiah with La Chapelle Harmonique in Versailles and Mendelssohn's Elias in the Brussels Palais Beaux-Arts. In Badajoz he debuted as Gurnemanz in Wagner's "Parsifal" under the direction of Pablo Heras-Casado.

Among his numerous CD recordings particlar mention should be made of his performance as Jesus in the Bach Matthew Passion conducted by Helmut Müller-Brühl for NAXOS, Bernstein's "Candide" with Loriot as narrator (CAPRICCIO), Bach's B Minor Mass under Frieder Bernius's baton (CARUS Label, Editor's Choice, Gramophone magazine), Michael Haydn's "Andromeda e Perseo" under Reinhard Goebel's direction (OEHMS CLASSICS) and Handel's Messiah in the "Herder" version with Wolfgand Katschner (Deutsche HARMONIA MUNDI), Carl Heinrich Graun's Weihnachtsoratorium (OEHMS CLASSIC), and Handel's oratorio "Susanna" (ACCENT). His complete recording of Handel's Italian solocantatas for bass (WDR in coproduction with label ACCENT) got best reviews in international magazines.

Raimund Nolte is lecturer in singing at the University of Music and Dance in Cologne.

Version November 2023

After first completing studies in mathematics, music pedagogy and viola in Cologne, Raimund Nolte studied singing principally with Prof. Josef Metternich and Prof. Irmgard Hartmann. He received his diploma at the Musikhochschule in Mainz and is now working with Gundula Hintz.

Following initial stage appearances with the opera studio of the German Rhine Opera he was heard in 1996 by Harry Kupfer and asked to join the Komische Oper in Berlin, remaining an ensemble member for the following four crucial years. Further engagements led him on to numerous opera houses, most recently to the opera company at Halle (2005 - 2009). There he was in demand not least as a Handelian, but also in many of the major roles of his vocal métier, for example the title roles of Eugene Onegin, Don Giovanni and Dallapiccola's "Il Prigioniero".

As a concert singer he has worked with major conductors such as Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Trevor Pinnock, René Jacobs and Reinhard Goebel, appearing under their baton at many of the leading European music festivals, for example, Salzburg, Ansbach, Prague, Paris, London, Graz. Ludwigsburg, Dresden, Canary Islands, Flanders and Dutch Festivals, Handel Festivals in Karlsruhe, Halle and Göttingen.

After his debuts in recent seasons at the Opéra national du Rhin in Strasbourg, at the Hamburg State Opera, the Berlin State Opera, the Semperoper in Dresden, the Opéra Bastille in Paris and the Teatro Real in Madrid since 2015 Raimund Nolte is regularly heard at the Bayreuth Festival. In 2022 and 2023 he sang "Donner" in "Das Rheingold" in the new production of "Der Ring der Nibelungen". Other highlights this year are Wagner's Tristan and Isolde with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Karina Canellakis in the Stockholm Konzerthuset, Bach's Matthäus Passion with the Nederlands Kamerorchest under the direction of Jonathan Cohen in the Concertgebouw, Messiah with La Chapelle Harmonique in Versailles and Mendelssohn's Elias in the Brussels Palais Beaux-Arts. In Badajoz he debuted as Gurnemanz in Wagner's "Parsifal" under the direction of Pablo Heras-Casado.

Numerous CDs covering Bach to Bernstein attest to his versatility. His complete recording of Handel's Italian solocantatas for bass got best reviews in international magazines.

Raimund Nolte is lecturer in singing at the University of Music and Dance in Cologne.

Version November 2023

» Word document

The bass-baritone Raimund Nolte initially studied mathematics, school pedagogy and viola and was a viola player in the ensemble musica antiqua köln for several years.

He studied singing with Prof. Josef Metternich and Prof. Irmgard Hartmann.

For several years he was a member of the ensembles of the Komische Oper Berlin and the Halle Opera House. Guest engagements led him to the state operas in Berlin and Hamburg, the Semperoper Dresden, the Paris Opéra Bastille, the Opéra national du Rhin and the Teatro Real in Madrid, among others.

He has been appearing regularly at the Bayreuth Festival since 2015 and sang “Donner” in Rheingold in the new ring in 2022 and 2023.

As a concert singer, he works with well-known conductors, including Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Trevor Pinnock, René Jacobs and Reinhard Goebel, under whose direction he sang at many important European festivals (e.g. Salzburg Festival, Vienna Festival Weeks, Ansbach, Prague, Paris, London, Graz, Ludwigsburg, Dresden, Canary Islands, Flanders and Holland Festival, Handel Festival in Karlsruhe, Halle and Göttingen). Under the direction of Pablo Heras-Casado he recently sang Gurnemanz in Wagner's Parsifal for the first time.

Numerous CD productions from Bach to Bernstein document his versatility. His complete recording of G.F. Handel's Italian solo cantatas for bass received the highest critical acclaim.

Raimund Nolte is lecturer in singing at the University of Music and Dance in Cologne.

Version November 2023

» Word document