Günter Papendell

German baritone Günter Papendell began his musical education as a chorister at the Cathedral of Augsburg, before completing his studies at the University for Music and Dance in Cologne and the University of Music and Theatre in Munich. After three years at the Musiktheater im Revier Gelsenkirchen, he was engaged in 2007 by the Komische Oper Berlin and has been a member of the company ever since. 

Günter Papendell has made numerous guest appearances at renowned opera houses like Bayerische Staatsoper, Semperoper Dresden,Theater Basel, among other places, as well as at the Edinburgh Festival.

Renowned for his great versatility as a singer-actor, his repertoire includes the title roles in Don Giovanni, Eugene Onegin, Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman), Gianni Schicchi – and several more. He also performed as Thomas Hauser in Les Bienveillantes by Héctor Parra, a role he created for the world premiere directed by Calixto Bieito at the Opera Ballet Vlaanderen in Antwerp.

Recent highlights include his celebrated performance of Pentheus in Barrie Kosky's internationally acclaimed production of The Bassarids under Vladimir Jurowski – and his his role debut at the Bayerische Staatsoper as the Hoopoe in Braunfels' rarely performed opera Die Vögel (The Birds).

In 2022 Papendell received the honorary title of Berliner Kammersänger for his services to opera and music theatre.

Season 2023/24 he sang the title role as Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman) as well as Eugen Onegin at Komische Oper in Berlin.

Highlights of the 2024/2025 season include a return to Basel as Gunther in a new production of the Ring cycle directed by Benedikt von Peter, the title role in Kirill Serebrennikov’s Le Nozze di Figaro and the role of the Broom-Maker in Dagmar Manzel's new production of Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, both at the Komische Oper Berlin.

Summer 2025 he will be Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich – together with Sonya Yoncheva as Dido.

Here in Bergen Günter Papendell will sing Frank and Fritz at the premiere of Die tote Stadt (The Dead City) on November 2nd, before Jochen Kupfer sings the next three performances from November 4th.

Updated November 2024