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JONNY KAUFMAN
TENOR
BIOGRAPHY
Tenor Jonny Kaufman possesses a voice of entrancing power, beauty, and finesse, which he employs with considerable technique and musicianship. In their review of Kaufman’s portrayal of Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, BroadwayWorld makes it clear why Kaufman is quickly ascending the ranks as one of the greatest tenors of his generation: “…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!”
Last season, Kaufman rejoined Opera Carolina for their productions of Cavalleria rusticana and Madama Butterfly as Turiddu and Pinkerton, respectively. He sang Don José in Opera Western Reserve’s Carmen, Rodolfo in La bohème with Opera Grand Rapids, and Cavaradossi in Tosca with Opera Wilmington. He also joined the Cleveland Pops and Western Piedmont Symphony for concerts of lighter fare. This season he makes his role début as Samson in Samson et Dalila with St. Petersburg Opera, which he also covers for New Orleans Opera, and he returns to Opera Carolina to sing Don José in Carmen. He also joins Fort Worth Symphony to sing the Steersman and cover Erik in Der fliegende Holländer and North Carolina Opera to cover the title role in Ernani.
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CRITICAL ACCLAIM
“... Kaufman was a true find…” – Opera News
Madama Butterfly – “Tenor [Jonny] Kaufman was a true find. Kaufman displayed a fine technique along with a bright and gleaming sound – perfectly suited to Puccini’s vocal writing. Kaufman effectively conveyed Pinkerton’s bravado during Act I, and his tragic remorse at the end."
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"...reminiscent of Luciano Pavarotti.” – St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Madama Butterfly – “Kaufman, with his girth and great skill at long-held high notes, is reminiscent of Luciano Pavarotti.”
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"...Kaufman was a Malcolm whose singing was worthy of the crown won by his valor.” – Voix-des-Arts
Macbeth – “…Opera Carolina had in [Jonny] 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.”
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“…[sung] beautifully and provide[d] solid characterization.” – HEC Media
Madama Butterfly – “…[sung] beautifully and provide[d] solid characterization...Kaufman embodies Pinkerton’s brashness in the first act and his remorse in the third.”
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"A clear, true tenor voice." – LancasterOnline
The Light in the Piazza – "As for [Jonny] Kaufman, he was endearing as the love-struck, unsophisticated Fabrizio singing out his feelings in a clear, true tenor voice."
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“Kaufman’s voice encompassed me and reached my core,..." – Writing Dailey
Found in Translation: A Dramatic Opera Experience – “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.”