Jonathan Kaufman
Tenor Jonathan Kaufman possess a voice of entrancing power, beauty, and finesse, which he employs with considerable technique and musicianship. Hailed for his portrayal of Pinkerton in Winter Opera St. Louis’ production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, “Tenor Jonathan Kaufman, as Pinkerton, has a voice so grand–even heroic–that there are many times when, lost in the glory of that voice, we quite forget what a cad the Lieutenant is. Superb!” Steve Callahan of Broadway World makes it clear why Kaufman is quickly ascending the ranks as one of the greatest tenors of his generation.
In the current season, Kaufman will make returns to Opera Carolina for their production of Tosca, covering Cavaradossi, and Winter Opera St. Louis as Macduff in Macbeth. Additionally, he makes several débuts including Rodolfo in La bohème with Opera Western Reserve, as a soloist with Western Piedmont Symphony in their Foothills Pops! holiday concert, and will return to Aiken Symphony Orchestra for their Home for the Holidays concert. Future seasons see returns to the roles of Rodolfo in La bohème and Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana as well as role débuts as the title role in Les contes d’Hoffmann and Canio in I Pagliacci.
Calendar
Hickory, NC
Artist Bio
Tenor Jonathan Kaufman possess a voice of entrancing power, beauty, and finesse, which he employs with considerable technique and musicianship. Hailed for his portrayal of Pinkerton in Winter Opera St. Louis’ production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, “Tenor Jonathan Kaufman, as Pinkerton, has a voice so grand–even heroic–that there are many times when, lost in the glory of that voice, we quite forget what a cad the Lieutenant is. Superb!” Steve Callahan of Broadway World makes it clear why Kaufman is quickly ascending the ranks as one of the greatest tenors of his generation.
In the current season, Kaufman will make returns to Opera Carolina for their production of Tosca, covering Cavaradossi, and Winter Opera St. Louis as Macduff in Macbeth. Additionally, he makes several débuts including Rodolfo in La bohème with Opera Western Reserve, as a soloist with Western Piedmont Symphony in their Foothills Pops! holiday concert, and will return to Aiken Symphony Orchestra for their Home for the Holidays concert. Future seasons see returns to the roles of Rodolfo in La bohème and Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana as well as role débuts as the title role in Les contes d’Hoffmann and Canio in I Pagliacci.
More recently, Kaufman returned to Opera Wilmington as part of their summer concert series Under the Stars in Viva Italia!, joined the company of I Dream (Tappin), a new co-production between Opera Carolina and Charlottesville Opera, and also returned to Opera Carolina for their Bella Notte and Opera Hits concerts. He made débuts with Winter Opera St. Louis in both their Fall Gala and as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, with the Aiken Symphony Orchestra in their romantic concert Amore! Famous Love Songs from the World of Opera, in concert with River City Opera, and with Charlotte Symphony Orchestra as part of their Opera Masterpieces concert.
Previous engagements included débuts with Opera Delaware in their Fall Jukebox concert and with Toledo Opera and Opera Carolina as Malcolm in Macbeth. Additionally, Kaufman made appearances and performed with Opera Experience Southeast as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, as Rodolfo in La Bohème with Opera Wilmington, Central Piedmont Opera Theater, and Little Opera Company of Charlotte, Alfred in Die Fledermaus with Little Opera Company of Charlotte, Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana with Repertory Opera Theater of Washington D.C., Tamino in Die Zauberflöte with State Opera Varna, marking his international début, and as Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi with Opera Lancaster.
Kaufman was a finalist in both the Giulio Gari and The Jensen Foundation competitions, named the Winner of the Jennifer White Memorial Award in Shreveport Opera’s Mary Jacobs Smith Singer of the Year competition, Winner of the 2nd Place prize in the SAS Performing Arts Company Vocal competition, winner in NYIOP’s first-ever Anonymous Audition Project, and a finalist in the NOA Carolyn Bailey & Dominick Argento Vocal Competition.
Audio Samples
Video
“O figli, o figli miei…Ah, la paterna mano” from Verdi’s Macbeth
‘Recondita armonia” from Tosca
“Pourquoi me réveiller” from Werther
Pictures
Press
"...reminiscent of Luciano Pavarotti.” – St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Madama Butterfly – o “Kaufman, with his girth and great skill at long-held high notes, is reminiscent of Luciano Pavarotti.”
"...Kaufman was a Malcolm whose singing was worthy of the crown won by his valor.” – Voix-des-Arts
Macbeth – “…Opera Carolina had in Jonathan Kaufman a Malcolm who was anything but a conventional secondo uomo. Kaufman’s lustrous timbre gave Malcolm’s lines in the Act One sextet and finale welcome muscle, and his vocalism in the scene with Macduff in Act Four was fittingly heroic. Ascents above the stave were handled with assurance that echoed the character’s rightful authority. Regaining the power usurped by Macbeth, Kaufman was a Malcolm whose singing was worthy of the crown won by his valor.”
“…[sung] beautifully and provide[d] solid characterization.” – HEC Media
Madama Butterfly – “…[sung] beautifully and provide[d] solid characterization.” “Jonathan Kaufman embodies Pinkerton’s brashness in the first act and his remorse in the third.”
"A clear, true tenor voice." – LancasterOnline
The Light in the Piazza – "As for Jonathan Kaufman, he was endearing as the love-struck, unsophisticated Fabrizio singing out his feelings in a clear, true tenor voice."
“Kaufman’s voice encompassed me and reached my core,..." – Writing Dailey
Found in Translation: A Dramatic Opera Experience – o “Kaufman’s voice encompassed me and reached my core, where inspiration and creativity thrive. The sound beckoned me to act, feel, and follow my own passions with deepened commitment.”