Kristinn Sigmundsson

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Bass-baritone Kristinn Sigmundsson is one of Iceland's foremost opera singers and one of only a handful to have gained an international reputation.

Born on 1 March 1951, Sigmundsson studied biology at the University of Iceland and worked for some time as a teacher before commencing his song studies under Guðmundur Jónsson at the Reykjavik Academy of Singing. He later studied at the Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Vienna, Austria, under Helene Karusso, Christian Möller and Wolfgang Gabriel, and later with John Bullock in Washington, DC.

Sigmundsson has since performed in many of the leading European and US opera houses and concert halls, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Florence, Geneva, Hamburg, Cologne, Milan, New York and Paris. He has appeared with a number of well-known conductors, such as James Levine, Riccardo Muti, Bernard Haitink and Sir Colin Davis. He has also made a number of recordings, including Sarastro in Arnold Östman's version of the Magic Flute, and Commendatore in his version of Don Giovanni. The latter was awarded the French Diapason d'or and the German Schallplattenpreis. He also sang the role of Christ in Frans Brüggen's recordings of Bach's St John Passion and St Matthew Passion. Other recordings include a set of opera arias with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra and Arnold Östman, and Schubert's Schwanengesang and Winterreise with pianist Jónas Ingimundarson.

Sigmundsson began his freelance career in 1992 and now regularly sings at The Met, Covent Garden, L'Opéra de Paris, Staatsoper Vienna, Staatsoper Munich and Semperoper Dresden. Recent opera roles have included Rocco in Fidelio in New York, Osmin in Il ratto dal serraglio (Die Entführung aus dem Serail) in Trieste (May 2006), Baron Ochs in Der Rosenkavalier in Munich (June 2006), and Mustafa in L'italiana in Algeri in Vienna (June 2006).