Wolfgang Brendel was born in Münich, Germany, in 1947. He studied at Wiesbaden and made his professional début in 1969 as Guiglielmo in Mozart’s Cosi van tutte. Two year’s later he was engaged on contract by the prestigious Bavarian State Opera, and his career soon expanded to involve guest performances at all the major German opera houses, the Vienna Opera, La Scala, Milan, and the Met.
In the eighties he sang notable performances of Wolfram in Wagner’s Tannhäuser at Bayreuth, and of di Luna (Verdi’s Il Trovatore) and Onegin (in Tchaikovsky’s opera) at Covent Garden.
As well as German r├┤les, he enjoys singing a great deal of the Italian repertoire. He has a full, warm voice displaying the best of stoic Germanic qualities in the appropriate repertoire, but also possessing considerable vocal agility.
He has performed Papageno in MozartΓÇÖs Die Zauberfl├╢te throughout the world, and is well known for his portrayal of this lovable character in the traditional style, enjoying close contact with the audience and a robust sense of comedy, coupled with an ability to draw every ounce of pathos out of the characterΓÇÖs more intimate and tragic exploits.
