Johannes Martin Kränzle

Johannes Martin Kränzle (born 1962) is a German baritone in opera and concert who has made an international career. For years a member of the Frankfurt Opera, he was chosen as Singer of the Year in 2011 after creating the leading role in Wolfgang Rihm's Dionysos at the Salzburg Festival. He made his debut at the Royal Opera House as Don Alfonso in Mozart's Così fan tutte, and at the Bayreuth Festival as Beckmesser in Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in 2017.

Born in Augsburg, Kränzle learned to play the violin and composed two operas while a student of the local humanistisches Gymnasium St. Stephan. He studied direction of music theatre in Hamburg. He studied voice at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main with Martin Gründler . His first theatre engagement was from 1987 to 1991 at the Theater Dortmund, followed by the Staatsoper Hannover from 1991 to 1997. Kränzle was a member of the Frankfurt Opera from 1998 to 2016. He has appeared as a guest internationally.

As an academic teacher, he has been a guest professor in Natal from 1989. He was a guest professor at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln from 2013 to 2015. In 2011, he was chosen as Singer of the Year by Opernwelt.

In 2015, Kränzle was diagnosed with MDS and underwent a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. He returned to the stage with a successful debut at the Royal Opera House in London as Don Alfonso in Mozart's Così fan tutte in September 2016. He made his debut at the Bayreuth Festival as Beckmesser in Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in 2017, conducted by Philippe Jordan and staged by Barrie Kosky, the first Jewish director at the Bayreuth Festival. Kränzle's interpretation was regarded as convincing in both his acting and the vocal characterization of his role.