Jóhann Kristinsson

Icelandic baritone Jóhann Kristinsson won the Stella Maris Vocal Competition in September 2019. From 2017-19 he was a member of the Young Artists Programme at the Hamburg State Opera in Germany.

Jóhann began his vocal studies with Bergþór Pálsson in Iceland in 2009. He later studied at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin with Scot Weir and received lessons from Thomas Quasthoff, Julia Varady and Wolfram Rieger.

Jóhann won the 3rd prize and the audience prize at the International Vocal Competition Das Lied in Heidelberg. He also reached the finals in the International Robert Schumann competition. Jóhann has appeared at the Heidelberger Frühling festival, the Oxford Lieder Festival, the Dresden Music Festival, at the Hamburg State Opera, in the Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin, in the Elbphilharmonie and at the Icelandic Opera. He has worked with front rank conductors including Herbert Blomstedt, Kent Nagano, Toshiyuki Kamioka, Stefano Ranzani and Giampaolo Bisanti.

In 2018, Jóhann was named Most Promising Young Artist at the Icelandic Music Awards. He was also nominated in two other categories: Singer of the Year and Musical Event of the Year, the latter for his recital with pianist Ammiel Bushakevitz.
The Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Bamberger Symphoniker, The Copenhagen Philharmonic, Staatskapelle Halle and Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg are among the symphony orchestras he has performed with.

Jóhann has benefitted from career advice and guidance from established international singers including Thomas Hampson, Graham Johnson, Helmut Deutsch, Christian Gerhaher, Kristinn Sigmundsson, Deborah Polaski and Giacomo Aragall. He signed to Nordic Artists Management in 2019.