Jan-Hendrik Rootering

Jan-Hendrik Rootering is the son of the Dutch tenor Hendrikus Rootering (1921-97), who had a significant career in the 1950´s, particularly at Munich’s Gärtnerplatztheater. Jan-Hendrik Rootering received his musical education from his father and at the Hamburg Music Academy. He made his own theatrical début in 1979 at the Festival in Eutin as the Hermit in “Der Freischütz”. In 1980, he received his first permanent engagement at the Theater im Revier in Gelsenkirchen (débuting in Puccini´s “La Bohème”). His career then developed rapidly. As early as 1982, he became a member of the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, and in 1983, he moved on to the Bavarian State Opera. In the following years, guest engagements took him to the opera houses in Vienna, Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels, Geneva, Hamburg, London, etc. In 1987 he was engaged by Rudolf Bing to sing at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where his début role was the Landgrave in “Tannhäuser”. Since then he has been a regular guest artist at this house. In 1986 the Bavarian State Opera made him a Kammersänger, and the Munich Music Academy appointed him to a professorship. In 1995 he made his début at the Salzburg Festival as Baron Ochs in Herbert Wernicke´s “Rosenkavalier” production. That same year he sang his first Hans Sachs in Amsterdam, and since then has been a great interpreter of this role in theatres such as Munich, Stuttgart and the Chicago Lyric Opera. Further guest engagements in this role followed in Frankfurt, Paris, London and Dresden. The State Opera in Munich has invited him to assume the role of Hans Sachs in a new production scheduled for 2004.

His first Wotan in “Die Walküre” also received an enthusiastic reception in 1999 in Stuttgart. He will also assume the role of Wotan in a new production of the “Ring” at the Munich State Opera (2002/2004). In the summer of 2000, Jan-Hendrik Rootering could be heard at the Opéra Bastille in “Der fliegende Holländer” and at the Sydney Opera. In November 200 he made guest appearances with “Zauberflöte” and “Der fliegende Holländer” at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Apart from his theatrical career, he has also enjoyed an equally significant career on the concert stage, especially as soloist in oratorio, but also as a song recitalist and ballad singer. Jan-Hendrik Rootering´s extensive repertoire is documented on a large number of CD recordings.