1964-09-04 ( 60 years old ) in Dresden, Germany
"René Pape’s bass showed considerable velvet sheen and elegant dynamic play; purely as singing and star presence, he impressed."
Born in Dresden, Black Diamond Bass Rene Pape has been a member of the Berlin State Opera since 1988, but considers New York’s Metropolitan Opera his operatic “home away from home.” Since his house debut in 1995, he has appeared every season at the Met, in 18 roles and more than 160 performances, including four major debuts: Méphistophélès in Faust, Gurnemanz in Parsifal, Escamillo in Carmen, and the Old Hebrew in Samson et Dalila. But it was at the famous Unter den Linden – home of the Berlin State Opera – where Pape honed most of the great roles of his career.
Music Director Daniel Barenboim was an early supporter, and the Berlin State Opera has played host to Pape’s performances as King Marke in Tristan und Isolde; King Heinrich in Lohengrin; Sarastro in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte; Pogner in DieMeistersinger; Rocco in Beethoven’s Fidelio; Fasolt in Das Rheingold; Hunding in Die Walküre; and the title role in Don Giovanni. The opera house was also the venue for Pape’s appearances as Ramfis in Verdi’s Aida; Figaro in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro; Leporello in Don Giovanni; and Orest in Strauss’s Elektra. Pape’s first CD of solo arias, Gods, Kings & Demons, was released in 2008 on Deutsche Grammophon with his hometown orchestra, the Staatskapelle Dresden conducted by Sebastian Weigle. The disc won a coveted “ECHO” award, the German equivalent of a Grammy.
Pape performs regularly in major opera houses, concert halls, and symphony orchestras around the world, as well as opera festivals such as Bayreuth, Glyndebourne, Lucerne, Orange, Saint-Petersburg, Salzburg, Verbier and White Nights. He currently resides in Austria and Berlin.
Movies
The Metropolitan Opera: Fidelio
2025-03-15
Daphne - Berlin Staatsoper
2023-03-12
Giacomo Puccini: Turandot
2022-06-18
Metropolitan Opera: Boris Godunov
2021-10-09
The Metropolitan Opera: Boris Godunov
2021-10-09
Die Zauberflöte aus der Semperoper Dresden
2021-04-05
Lohengrin
2020-12-13
Metropolitan Opera At Home Gala
2020-04-25
Verdi: Simon Boccanegra (Salzburg Festival)
2019-08-20
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde
2018-09-11
The Metropolitan Opera: Die Zauberflöte
2017-10-14
The Metropolitan Opera: The Magic Flute
2017-10-14
Schumann - Scenes from Goethe's Faust
2017-10-01
The Metropolitan Opera: Tristan und Isolde
2016-10-08
Parsifal
2016-09-09
Don Carlo
2016-05-22
Mefistofele
2016-01-01
Verdi: Macbeth
2015-10-30
The Metropolitan Opera: Macbeth
2014-10-11
Macbeth
2014-10-11
Tannhäuser
2014-04-01
Wagner : Parsifal
2013-12-18
Wagner: Das Rheingold
2013-09-02
Verdi: Requiem
2013-07-08
Solti Centenary Concert
2013-04-30
Parsifal
2013-03-02
Lohengrin: Opera romantica in tre atti
2012-12-07
Gounod: Faust
2011-12-10
Faust (The Royal Opera House)
2011-09-18
Salzburg Festival Opening Concert
2011-08-30
Hunter's Bride
2010-12-23
The Metropolitan Opera: Boris Godunov
2010-10-23
Strauss R: Elektra
2010-08-01
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde
2008-01-18
The Magic Flute
2006-12-30
The Magic Flute
2006-09-07
The Magic Flute
2006-06-09
Ludwig van Beethoven: Fidelio
2003-10-15
Die Meistersinger Von Nürnberg
2001-12-08
Beethoven: Fidelio
2000-06-02
Tristan und Isolde
1999-12-18
Le nozze di Figaro
1999-01-01
Samson et Dalila
1998-09-28
Mozart Requiem
1991-01-01
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