Jonas Kaufmann has operation, now to Return to the Met as Planned for October 30 Recital Debut

Aug 23, 2011 by admin

UPDATE 9-25-2011  From the Met press office:

Jonas Kaufmann to Return to the Met as Planned for October 30 Recital Debut
and New Production of Faust in November

New York, NY (September 20, 2011) – The Metropolitan Opera received
confirmation today that tenor Jonas Kaufmann is doing well after his recent
surgery and will return to the Met as planned for his October 30 recital and to
begin rehearsals for the new production of Faust which opens November 29. 

Alan Green, of Zemsky Green Artists Management said, "I am pleased to say
that Jonas Kaufmann's surgical procedure to remove a node from his chest
went smoothly and that he will be fully recovered in time to return for his Met
recital debut in October and the new production of Faust in November.”

            Kaufmann’s debut recital on the Met stage on October 30 will feature
a program of lieder and art songs accompanied by pianist Helmut Deutsch. 

            The Met’s new production of Gounod’s Faust, conducted by Yannick
Nézet-Séguin and directed by Des McAnuff in his house debut, opens on
November 29 with Kaufmann in the title role. The cast also includes Marina
Poplavskaya as Marguerite, Michèle Losier as Siébel, Russell Braun as Valentin,
and René Pape as Méphistophélès. Faust will be transmitted worldwide as part
of The Met: Live in HD series on December 10 with the premiere cast.

 

REPRINTED FROM INTERMEZZO
Jonas Kaufmann and ‘that’ operation

Jonas Kaufmann has revealed exactly why he’s withdrawn from the Bologna Opera tour of Japan next month. A letter published on the promoter Fuji’s website (and reproduced in full below) reveals he needs an operation to remove a node from his chest.

He hints at the possibility the node may be cancerous. Let’s all hope not.

“Dear Friends,

I regret very much having to tell you that I will unfortunately not be able to sing the performances of Carmen for you next month. I was so looking forward to coming to Japan now and I want to assure everyone that this decision has nothing do with the difficult issues you have had to face in Japan in these last months. The fact is that I need to have an operation to remove a node in my thoracic area. I do not wish anyone to become alarmed reading this, but my physicians have ordered me to have the surgery as soon as possible. This will take place after my appearance in Stockholm on September 2. I am pretty sure that the results of the histological examination will come up “benign” but as I said, this procedure could not be further delayed.

I am extremely sorry I must cancel my trip to Japan and thus disappoint many friends. From my previous appearances in Japan, I have the most lovely memories of the audience there as especially enthusiastic, knowledgeable and kind. I have always regarded the great affection lavished on me there as an exceptional honor. I therefore hope for the understanding of those of you who empathize with my situation, or who may even have been in a similar position themselves, and I hope to come to you as soon as possible in the future.

With warm regards,
Jonas Kaufmann”