Norbert
Ernst
Tenor

Bio

Represented by
Naomi Imai
Artists Administration
naomi@mkimpresari.com
Representation
Worldwide Exclusive
“Norbert Ernst shone brightly as the fire demi-god Loge in his Met debut. His shimmering tenor perfectly suited the character’s vibrant disposition, and his physicality added depth to the role.” — OperaWire

Current and recent engagements include Loge Das Rheingold in the new production of Der Ring des Nibelungen and Shuysky Boris Godunov at Teatro alla Scala, the title role in Tannhäuser at the Royal Ballet and Opera (Covent Garden), Ein Tanzmeister Ariadne auf Naxos, and Paul Die tote Stadt at Wiener Staatsoper, Erik Der fliegende Holländer at Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Tristan Tristan und Isolde with Slovenská filharmónia, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Prague Philharmonia, and Gurre-Lieder at the Teatro alla Scala.

In earlier seasons, he appeared as Tristan Tristan und Isolde at Wiener Kammeroper, Siegmund Die Walküre at Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia, Lohengrin at Opéra de Marseille and Opéra National de Montpellier, and Florestan Fidelio at the St. Galler Festspiele.

Renowned for his interpretation of Loge Das Rheingold, Norbert Ernst has sung the role at leading houses including the Wiener Staatsoper, Opéra national de Paris, Bayerische Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, The Metropolitan Opera, and the Bayreuther Festspiele.

His discography includes the solo album Live no God (Decca), featuring arias by Beethoven, Weber, and Wagner, and the Lieder album Wohl fühl ich wie das Leben rinnt (Gramola), recorded with pianist Kristin Okerlund. Numerous DVD releases from the Vienna State Opera, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Theater St. Gallen, and the Bayreuther Festspiele and Salzburger Festspiele document the breadth of his operatic work.

He has performed in concert and recital at leading venues including the Musikverein Wien, Carnegie Hall, Philharmonie de Paris, Suntory Hall and Bunka Kaikan Tokyo, Brucknerhaus Linz, Philharmonie am Gasteig Munich, Philharmonie Berlin, and the Concertgebouw Amsterdam.

Norbert Ernst has collaborated with conductors such as Franz Welser-Möst, Christian Thielemann, Kirill Petrenko, Philippe Jordan, Semyon Bychkov, Peter Schneider, Bertrand de Billy, Simone Young, Pierre Boulez, and Kent Nagano.

Videos

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Norbert Ernst
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News

Press

Opernhaus Wuppertal - Tannhäuser
This was clearly Norbert Ernst’s evening. What we heard marked a quantum leap beyond his Paul in Kiel — the next step in his vocal development — without sacrificing the beauty of the voice, the masterful phrasing, or the always effortlessly natural interpretation of the role. Here stood a Wagner tenor on stage — one who knows how to pace himself so intelligently that both the Rome Narrative and Tannhäuser’s hymn to Venus at the beginning were delivered with pinpoint precision and beautifully shaped - mittelloge.de
Theater an der Wien -
Tristan und Isolde
concerti
Norbert Ernst brings both heroic tenor attack and a moving ability for soft singing to the role of Tristan. The Viennese tenor is fast becoming a serious alternative in the nearly empty field of Tristan tenors
Theater Kiel -
Die tote Stadt
Norbert Ernst must be mentioned first and foremost as Paul. He commands his instrument brilliantly, slipping effortlessly into spoken voice when needed, which lends the character a dramatic intensity that gives you goosebumps. His performance is focused and nuanced — even in the highly dramatic third act, Ernst hits the exposed notes with confidence and never steps out of character or emotional truth for a second - Opernglas
Opéra de Marseille -  Lohengrin
The title role is masterfully interpreted by Viennese tenor Norbert Ernst — and in this case, the name says it all, because ‘Ernst’ means ‘serious’. He achieves peak performance through a subtle harmony of strength and gentleness, and his timbre is of unspeakable elegance and charm. These vocal qualities are even heightened in his ‘In fernem Land’, where he reveals his identity - musicologie.org
Theater St. Gallen - Fidelio
oper aktuell
Norbert Ernst sings Florestan with grand sensitivity, without exaggerated drama or audible vocal strain — almost simply, but always with honest expression. He convinces with a perfectly placed, bright, and beautifully colored voice, and with an ease of vocal attack that many a Heldentenor lacks in this role