Kannen, Günter von

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Kannen, Günter von

Kannen, Günter von, German bass-baritone; b. Rheydt, March 22, 1940. He was a student of Paul Lohmann and Franziska Martienssen. After singing in Kaiserslautern, Bonn, and Karlsruhe, he was a principal member of the Zürich Opera from 1979 to 1990. He also was engaged as Alberich in the Ring cycles at the Bayreuth Festival from 1988 to 1992. In 1992 he joined the Berlin State Opera. He also sang in Hamburg, Dresden, Vienna, Salzburg, Paris, Lucerne, Amsterdam, Chicago, and Tokyo. In addition to Alberich, he was known for such roles as Osmin, the Commendatore, Pizarro, Hans Sachs, Klingsor, the Doctor in Wozzeck, Cardillac, and La Roche.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire