Thomas Thomaschke

Born: August 2, 1943 - Pirna, Saxony, Germany

The German bass, Thomas Thomaschke, became first a gardener, then he studied horn, and finally singing at the College of Music Dresden with Harry Schwickardi. He was winner of the international singing competitions of s'Hertogenbosch and Moscow.

Thomas Thomaschke made his debut in 1965 at the State Theatre of Freiburg (Saxonia) as Sakristan in Puccini's Tosca. In 1970 he started an engagement with the Opera House of Leipzig. He worked regularly also at the State Opera of Dresden, and at the Comic Opera Berlin. In 1969 he sang at the Dresden State Opera in the premiere of the opera Maître Pathelin by Rainer Kunad, in 1976 at the State Opera of Munich in Die Versuchung by Josef Tal. He made guest appearances at the National theatre of Prague, at the Opera of Brno (Brünn), at the Milan's La Scala (starting with the role of Hunding in Walküre in 1974), at the Teatro Fenice Venice and at the Opera Festival of Wiesbaden. Since 1977 he was a member of the Opera of Cologne. In 1978 and 1980 he appeared at the Festival of Glyndebourne in the role of Sarastro. He sang this role also in 1976 at the State Opera of Munich and in 1984 in an appearance of the Cologne opera in Tel Aviv. He appeared in 1986 at the Opera of Lüttich as Landgraf in Tannhäuser. Further appearances at the Covent Garden Opera in London, at the State Opera of Hamburg, at the Opera House of Zürich, at the Teatro San Carlos Lisbon, and at the Deutsche Opera Berlin. In 1995 he participated in the Teatro Politeama Palermo in performances of Zemlinsky’s Der Traumgörge. His strong, deep bass mastered an extensive stage repertoire with high points in the Wagner as in the Italian roles.

In addition, Thomas Thomaschke excelled as concert and above all oratorio bass singer. He sang in 1975 at the Vienna Festival Weeks the bass solo in Missa Solemnis by Beethoven. In the concert hall he appeared also as soloist in the German Requiem by Johannes Brahms, in The Creation by J. Haydn, in works of J.S. Bach and Georg Frideric Handel.

Thomas Thomaschke had educational activity at the College of Music of Lübeck and in master-classes.

Recordings: on labels Eterna, HMV, Philips (Kuno in Freischütz), Decca (Jephtha by G.F. Handel), Metronom (Christus by Franz Liszt), Da Camera (Great Mass by Wilhelm Petersen); SL-Longman-Video (Zauberflöte).