Johan Reuter
Baritone
Johan Reuter was trained at the Royal Danish Academy of Music and the Opera Academy in Copenhagen. He is one of the most internationally sought-after singers in his field and performs regularly at theatres and festivals such as the Royal Opera House in London, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Opéra Bastille in Paris, the Vienna State Opera, the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, and the Salzburg Festival. He is also a frequent concert singer in venues such as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Berlin Philharmonie, the Royal Albert Hall in London, and the Musikverein in Vienna. Johan Reuter has appeared on numerous CD and DVD recordings and has twice won the Reumert Award as Singer of the Year.
Why is opera important?
Opera is the art form that has the most means at its disposal. Storytelling, poetry, music, singing, acting, scenography, orchestra, chorus, lighting, costumes, dance—you name it, we’ve got it. All of these elements make opera the art form that can reach deepest into the soul of the audience. We have all the tools needed to reach you, and we have developed our ability to use them over hundreds of years, so we can be sure that no one escapes. To have your soul touched is essential to life—and when it also happens to be the most stylish way to spend an evening, there is really no reason to hesitate!
The most unusual thing you have experienced on stage?
Nothing “ordinary” happens on stage. Every evening is unique—that’s one of the most fascinating aspects of it. Of course, some evenings are more unique than others—especially when something goes wrong. I was singing The Flying Dutchman in Munich on an evening when, just before the performance, a gunman opened fire at a McDonald’s on the outskirts of the city. The police warned of possible further attacks, and since the theatre management knew that many people might check the news on their phones, they decided—so as to avoid panic—not to use the very powerful explosion effect that concludes that particular production.
In which direction should opera develop between tradition and renewal?
The short answer: Yes. It should develop between tradition and renewal—and it always has. We continue to perform the great classics, which have become classics precisely because they continue to speak to us, and we keep exploring how to draw everything possible out of these works. At the same time, new works are constantly being created that speak directly to us from our own time—and some of these will, in the future, become part of the great canon.
Who is your favourite singer?
An impossible question to answer—but if I must choose one, it would be Ella Fitzgerald. She can do everything.
What is your favourite opera?
I’m going to cheat a little and choose a four-in-one opera: Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen. It is more than an opera—it is an entire world.
