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Kristján Jóhannsson

About this Artist

Icelandic tenor KRISTJÁN JÓHANNSSON (Count Almaviva) has established himself as the leading dramatic tenor of our time with his mesmerizing performances of Italian and French opera. His strong, secure, and vibrant singing has made him especially popular in Verdi, Puccini and the verismo operas, as well as in heroic French roles.

Born in Akureyri, Iceland, into a musical family, Jóhannsson did not begin his musical studies until he was 20, working at first at the College of Music in his native city with Sigurdur Demetz. He then went to live in Italy to pursue additional vocal training, attending the Conservatorio Nicolini in Piacenza under the guidance of Gianni Poggi, and later taking further private study from the renowned coach Ettore Campogalliani and from the legandary tenor Ferruccio Tagliavini, establishing a firm knowledge and command of true Italian style.

Kristján Jóhannsson made his operatic debut in 1980 at the Teatro La Nuova Fenice di Osimo in Puccini´s Il Tabarro and Gianni Schicchi and quickly attracted the attention of major opera houses in Great Britain and Italy.

Jóhannsson’s repertoire encompasses all of the major Italian roles. He has been hailed for his singing in the world’s prestigious theaters and cultural capitals, including the Metropolitan Opera and Carnegie Hall in New York, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Baltimore Opera, the Teatro alla Scala, Teatro dell’Opera in Rome, Maggio Musicale in Florence, Teatro San Carlo in Naples, the Vienna State Opera, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Arena di Verona, Peking National Opera, and in Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Paris, Warsaw, Zagreb, Seoul, Tokyo, and Tel Aviv.