Around the Music Festival

Leading bass singer Theo Adam died on 10th in his home town Dresden. He was 92 years old. Adam was born in 1926. Since 1937 he belonged to the Holy Cross church choir. Afterwards, he studied vocal music at Rudolf Dietrich of “Court Singer”, became a member of the Dresden State Opera in 1949, and sang a role as a hermit of Weber’s “The Freeshooter” to debut opera.

In 1952, he debuted as “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” Ortel in the Bayreuth festival of the second year after World War II. At the festival he sang the role of King Heinrich of “Lohengrin”, Sachs of “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg”, Amphiethus of “Parsifal”, among them the role of Wotan of “Der Ring des Nibelungen” In Bayreuth he continued singing for 12 years.

Became a member of the Berlin State Opera in 1953. In the following year, it became a guest singer with Frankfurt Opera and international activities started. In 1955 he received the title “Court Singer”. Since 1967, he repeatedly appeared in the world’s major opera house such as the Vienna State Opera and the Bavarian State Opera. In 1969 he debuted at the Salzburg Festival and also at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. He appeared at the Salzburg Festival by 1999 and has also appeared in premiere of contemporary Operas.

He retired from the opera stage in 2006, when he reached 80 years old. The last stage was the “The Freeshooter” of the former Dresden State Opera, now the Saxon State Opera, where the opera debut was held. It is said that he will sing in his lifetime more than 100 roles.

Photo：Bayreuther Festspiele　/　Hansjoachim Mirschel