Last season’s highlights included a critically acclaimed role debut as the title role in Verdi’s Stiffelio at Teatro Municipale di Piacenza, Teatro Comunale di Modena and Teatro Valli Reggio Emili, Calaf in Puccini's Turandot for Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía and Torre del Lago Puccini Festival, Osaka in Mascagni’s Iris at Teatro Real Madrid, Radames in Aida for Opéra National de Paris and Fondazione Arena di Verona, and Oebalus in Die Grosse Stille with Hamburg State Opera. In concert, Kunde joined the Washington National Symphony Orchestra and Gianandrea Noseda as Luigi in Puccini’s Il Tabarro at the Kennedy Center & Carnegie Hall.
In recent seasons, highlights include the title role in Andrea Chénier at the Wiener Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Teatro Regio di Parma and Teatro Regio di Torino, Cavaradossi in Tosca at Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, the title role in Peter Grimes and Dick Johnson in Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West at Hamburg State Opera, Captain Vere in Britten’s Billy Budd for the Wiener Staatsoper, Calaf in Turandot at the Opéra National de Paris, Hamburg State Opera, Gran Teatre del Liceu and Teatro Real, Canino in Pagliacci at Teatro Comunale di Bologna & Teatro Regio di Parma, Eléazar in Halévy’s La Juive for the Teatro Regio di Torino, Florestan in Beethoven’s Fidelio at the Opéra Nice Côte d'Azur, Don Alvaro in Verdi’s La forza del destino for the Verdi Festival, Teatro Regio di Parma and the Semperoper Dresden, Radames in Aida for Opéra national de Paris, Wiener Staatsoper, Teatro Real Madrid and Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Manrico in Verdi’s Il trovatore for LA Opera & The Royal Ballet & Opera, Énée in Berlioz’s Les Troyens for the Bayerische Staatsoper, Jean de Leyden in Meyerbeer’s Le prophète at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the title role in Verdi’s Don Carlos for Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège, Samson in Samson et Dalila at the Metropolitan Opera, and a return to the podium to conduct Rossini Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Teatro La Fenice.
Acclaimed throughout his earlier career for his performances in French and Italian bel canto roles, Kunde has now established himself as a leading exponent of many of the Verdi roles and other such dramatic repertoire. Since his critically acclaimed debut as the title role in Verdi’s Otello at La Fenice in 2012, he has performed this signature role globally at the Wiener Staatsoper, Semperoper Dresden, Bayerische Staatsoper, Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Teatro Municipale di Piacenza, Staatsoper Stuttgart, Teatro Comunale di Modena, Royal Ballet and Opera, Opéra national de Paris, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Opéra de Monte-Carlo and Teatro Massimo Bellini. Kunde has earned the unique distinction of being the only tenor in recorded history to perform both Rossini Otello and Verdi Otello in the same season (2014/15 and 2015/16). Kunde’s prolific concert career highlights include a series of gala concerts in China, including a Pavarotti gala with Shanghai Opera with additional gala performances in Changsha, performances of his new Jazz project entitled Then and Now in a series of concerts in London and Japan and solo opera galas in Malta and Gran Canaria.
Other recent concert plans include Verdi Requiem and Calaf in Turandot with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (Zubin Mehta), Mahler Das Lied von der Erde at the BBC Proms, Faust in Berlioz's La damnation de Faust at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam (Charles Dutoit), Beethoven's Symphony No 9 with Sofia Opera & Ballet (Daniel Oren) and Verdi's Requiem in Bilbao, and the National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic and with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (Eva Ollikainen). His opera in concert includes the title role in Verdi's Ernani for the Teatro Nacional de Sao Carlos, Renato des Grieux in Puccini's Manon Lescaut for Dallas Opera, the title role in Otello at the Cincinnati May Festival and with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and the title role in Peter Grimes with Sir Antonio Pappano at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia.
Recently appointed as Patron and Mentor of the International Opera Studio at Hamburg State Opera from September 2025, Kunde works regularly with students and young artists, most recently at Accademia alla Scala, Wiener Staatsoper, Casa Verdi, Milan & Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Kunde’s discography includes his solo album Vincerò! (Universal Music Group) and his most recent jazz project Then and Now (Delos). The recipient of numerous awards, Kunde was named ‘Male Singer of the Year’ at the 2016 International Opera Awards and is the subject of a biography ‘A Life Worth Singing’ by José Luis Jiménez, published by Pygmalion.
2026/27 / 948 words. Not to be altered without permission