Annette Jahns

Annette Jahns (24 June 1958[1] – 11 September 2020) was a German operatic mezzo-soprano and contralto, and opera director, based at the Semperoper in Dresden. She appeared at international opera houses and festivals, with a focus on contemporary music including world premieres. She taught at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden.

Annette Jahns
Born(1958-06-24)24 June 1958
Dresden, Germany
Died11 September 2020(2020-09-11) (aged 62)
Dresden, Germany
Occupation
Organization
Websitewww.annette-jahns.de

Life

Born in Dresden in 1958[2] to a family of opera singers,[3][4][5] Jahns began her vocal studies in 1975 at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden;[4] she attended master classes with Judith Beckmann, Ute Niss and Theo Adam.[2] In 1982, she was accepted into the opera studio of the Semperoper, and from 1986, she was a member of the ensemble of the Semperoper.[3][4] She appeared there, in addition to classical contralto and mezzo-soprano roles, in world premieres, such as Sarah Chatterton in Thomas Chatterton by Matthias Pintscher on 25 May 1998, repeated at the Volksoper in Vienna. She performed in the world premiere of Peter Ruzicka's Celan on 25 March 2001.[3]

She portrayed the title role in Bettina by Friedrich Schenker to a libretto by Karl Mickel, premiered at the Theater im Palast in Berlin on 2 September 1987, and recorded.[6] The opera's only singing role portrays Bettina von Arnim, who expresses herself through speaking, singing, whispering, and screaming.[6] Since 1999, Jahns worked as a freelance singer and director.[4] In 2000 and 2001, she appeared at the Bayreuth Festival as Grimgerde in Die Walküre.[7] She directed Puccini's Madama Butterfly in Dresden in 2003.[4]

Jahns taught at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber from 1995.[2] She collaborated with Pina Bausch from 1996.[2] In 2000, she recorded a CD of songs by Johannes Brahms with the pianist Damian Zydek. She worked as secretary of the performing arts and film class at the Sächsische Akademie der Künste from 2005 to 2008.[2][8]

Jahns died from a long illness in Dresden on 11 September 2020 at age 62.[4][9]

Staged productions

Jahns's stage productions included:[2]

Awards
  • 1987 Kritikerpreis for the Berlin premiere of Bettina[2]
  • 1995 Förderpreis der Landeshauptstadt Dresden[2]

References
  1. "Annette Jahns (Contralto) – Short Biography". www.bach-cantatas.com.
  2. "Annette Jahns / Opernsängerin und Opernregisseurin / Klasse Darstellende Kunst und Film". Sächsische Akademie der Künste (in German). 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  3. Kutsch, K. J.; Riemens, Leo (2012). Jahns, Annette. Großes Sängerlexikon (in German) (4th ed.). Walter de Gruyter. pp. 2222–2223. ISBN 978-3-59-844088-5.
  4. "Dresdner Opernsängerin Annette Jahns ist tot" (in German). Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten. 11 September 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  5. Annette Jahns, Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden / Seltsame Kinder euro-scene.de
  6. "Friedrich Schenker (1942–2013) / Bettina / Opera for an Actress 1984/85 duration: 80' Text: Karl Mickel". Breitkopf & Härtel. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  7. "Annette Jahns" (in German). Bayreuth Festival. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  8. Annette Jahns Naxos
  9. "Dresdner Opernsängerin Annette Jahns ist tot" (in German). Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten. 12 September 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
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