{{short description|Austrian operatic tenor (born 1968)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Johannes Chum | image = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1968}} | birth_place = Vorau, Styria, Austria | death_date = | death_place = | education = {{plainlist| * Vienna Boys' Choir * University of Music and Performing Arts Graz }} | occupation = Operatic tenor | organizations = | title = | website = {{url|https://www.johanneschum.com/}} }} '''Johannes Chum''' (born 1968) is an Austrian operatic tenor who has made an international career, first in concert, then in opera. Initially known for historically informed performance of Baroque oratorios and Mozart operatic roles, he has developed a large repertoire which also includes Wagner's ''Lohengrin'' and contemporary opera.
== Life == Born in Vorau, Styria, Chum began his musical education with the Vienna Boys' Choir, where he also appeared as a soloist. He first studied theology. He then studied music at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz where he achieved a position as lecturer for historically informed performance. He appeared as a soloist in concerts during his studies, and afterwards studied voice further with Kurt Equiluz and Arthur Korn.<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" />
=== Concert === From 1994, Chum has appeared in concerts successfully. He has sung the tenor parts in Bach's ''Christmas Oratorio'', ''St John Passion'' and ''St Matthew Passion'', in Handel oratorios, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, and work by Mendelssohn, among others, with the Gewandhausorchester in Leipzig conducted by Riccardo Chailly.<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" /> At the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, he also sang Schubert's ''Winterreise'' in the orchestral version by Hans Zender.<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" />
Chum has also worked with conductors including Sylvain Cambreling, Dennis Russell Davies, Christopher Hogwood, René Jacobs, Fabio Luisi, Sir Charles Mackerras, Ingo Metzmacher, Sir Roger Norrington, Jordi Savall, Peter Schreier and Bruno Weil.<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" />
=== Opera === Chum made his operatic debut <!--in 1994--> at the Landestheater Niederösterreich as Lysander in Britten's ''A Midsummer Night's Dream''.<ref name="Narodni divadlo" /> He focused on Mozart roles, such as Belmonte in ''Die Entführung aus dem Serail'', Tamino in ''Die Zauberflöte'', Ottavio in ''Don Giovanni'', and the title role in ''La clemenza di Tito''.<!--Ferrando in ''Così fan tutte'', the title roles in ''Idomeneo'' and ''La clemenza di Tito''.--><!--But he also sang Belfiore in ''La finta giardiniera'' (in Graz) and Aufidio in ''Lucio Silla'' (in Amsterdam), as well as the smaller roles Don Curzio (in ''Le nozze di Figaro'') and Arbace (in ''Idomeneo''). In addition, he took on Jaquino in Beethoven's ''Fidelio'', the Singer in ''der Rosenkavalier'' and the Young man in ''Die Frau ohne Schatten'', both by Richard Strauss.--><ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" /><!--This was followed by Caramello in Strauss Operetta ''Eine Nacht in Venedig'' at the Stadttheater Klagenfurt and then performances at important opera houses and {{Ill|Festspiele|de}} in Europe, such as at the Graz Opera, the Opéra Bastille in Paris and the De Nederlandse Opera in Amsterdam, as well as the Mozartwoche, the Lucerne Festival, the Bregenz Festival and then the Salzburg Festival. will see-->
He was recognized internationally in 1998 performing the title role of Mozart's ''Idomeneo'' at the Landestheater Salzburg.<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" /> At the Burgenland {{Ill|Haydn-Festspiele|de}}, he appeared as Germando in ''L'isola disabitata'' in 1998 and Rinaldo in Haydn's ''Armida'' in 1999. He performed as Nerone in Monteverdi's ''L'incoronazione di Poppea'' at the Oper Frankfurt.<ref name="Narodni divadlo" /><!--at the Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik in Contis ''Don Chisciotte in Sierra Morena'', and at the Staatsoper Berlin in the title role of Monteverdi's ''L'Orfeo''. He made his debut as Don Ottavio at the Volksoper Wien and the Rouen Opera House. At the Bregenz Festival in 2002, Chum sang Michel in Martinů's ''Julietta'', at the Liceu Teatro of Barcelona he took over the Conte di Libenskof in Rossini's ''Il viaggio a Reims'' and at the Vlaamse Opera in Antwerp he embodied Trimalchio in the opera ''Satyricon'' by Bruno Maderna.-->
From 2000, the singer worked at the Komische Oper Berlin with director Harry Kupfer for many years. He performed the Mozart roles of Tamino, Titus, Ferrando and Don Ottavio, Romeo in Gounod's ''Roméo et Juliette'', <!-- as well as the part of Jonathan in Handel's oratorio ''Saul''--> and Piquillo in Offenbach's ''La Périchole''.<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" /> At the Theater an der Wien, Chum appeared among others in 2008 as Kudrjaš in Janáček's ''Katja Kabanowa'', in 2009 as Graf Hohenzollern in Henze's ''Der Prinz von Homburg'',<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" /> and in 2013 as Jaquino in Beethoven's ''Fidelio'' conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. In 2013, he also sang two tenor roles there in a concert performance of Viktor Ullmann's chamber opera ''Der Kaiser von Atlantis''. <!--In 2012, Chum made his debut at the Copenhagen Opera House (in a scenic version of ''Messiah''), in 2013 at Munich Theater am Gärtnerplatz (in Flotow's ''Martha'') and at Prage Estates Theatre (in Mysliveček's ''L'Olimpiade'').--> In Graz, he performed the title role in Offenbach's ''Barbe-bleue'', and for the first time the title role of Wagner's ''Lohengrin''.<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" /><!--In 2014, he made his role debut as Verdi's ''Don Carlos'' and as Stolzing in Wagner's ''Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg'', both at the Opernhaus Chemnitz, and as Loge in ''Das Rheingold'' at the {{Ill|Tiroler Festspiele Erl|de}}.-->
== Recordings == Chum recorded the Evangelist in Bach's ''St Matthew Passion'' in 2009 with the Thomanerchor, the Tölzer Knabenchor and the Gewandhausorchester, conducted by Chailly.<ref name="Clements" /> A reviewer noted: "... certainly the most essential narrative role is taken with great élan by Johannes Chum, who makes a fine Evangelist, dealing with Bach's extremes of range with capable ease."<ref name="Clements" /> In 2015, Chum was the tenor soloist in a recording of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, with the Arnold Schoenberg Choir and the Concentus Musicus Wien conducted by Harnoncourt.<ref name="Thompson" /> A reviewer from ''Gramophone'' described the approach as "a deeply devotional reading" and Chum's singing as "seraphic".<ref name="Osborne" />
== Awards == In 2000, he was awarded the {{Ill|Eberhard-Waechter-Medaille|de}}.<ref>[https://www.wienerzeitung.at/nachrichten/kultur/mehr_kultur/350384_Waechter-Medaillen.html Waechter-Medaillen] (in German) ''Wiener Zeitung'' 2 June 2000</ref> In 2001, he received the {{Ill|Karl-Böhm-Interpretationspreis|de}} of Styria.<ref>[https://www.verwaltung.steiermark.at/cms/dokumente/11681895_74837317/fe7265af/00%20Preistr%C3%A4ger%20ab%201999.pdf Großer Interpretationspreis des Landes SteiermarkPreisträgerinnen / Preisträger] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201122120406/https://www.verwaltung.steiermark.at/cms/dokumente/11681895_74837317/fe7265af/00%20Preistr%C3%A4ger%20ab%201999.pdf |date=22 November 2020 }} (in German) Styria 2020</ref>
== References == {{reflist| | refs =
<ref name="Clements">{{cite web | last = Clements | first = Dominy | url = http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2010/May10/Bach_St_Matthew_Chailly_4782194.htm | title = Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) / ''St Matthew Passion'' | website = musicweb-international.com | date = May 2010 | access-date = 14 November 2020 }}</ref>
<ref name="Osborne">{{cite journal | last = Osborne | first = Richard | url = https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/beethoven-missa-solemnis-harnoncourt | title = Beethoven Missa Solemnis (Harnoncourt) | journal = Gramophone | date = August 2016 | access-date = 14 November 2020 }}</ref>
<ref name="Thompson">{{cite web | last = Thompson | first = Simon | url = http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2016/Nov/Beethoven_missa_88985313592.htm | title = Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) / Missa Solemnis, Op. 123 | website = musicweb-international.com | date = November 2016 | access-date = 14 November 2020 }}</ref>
<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens">{{cite book | last1 = Kutsch | first1 = K.-J. | author1-link = Karl-Josef Kutsch | last2 = Riemens | first2 = Leo | author2-link = Leo Riemens | chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=dsfq_5dFeL0C&pg=827 | chapter = Chum, Johannes | title = Großes Sängerlexikon | publisher = Walter de Gruyter | edition = 4th | language = de | date = 2012 | pages = 827–828 | isbn = 978-3-59-844088-5 }}</ref>
<ref name="Narodni divadlo">{{cite web | url = https://www.narodni-divadlo.cz/en/profile/johannes-chum-1606405 | title = Johannes Chum | publisher = National Theatre (Prague) | access-date = 14 November 2020 }}</ref>
}}
== External links == * {{official|https://www.johanneschum.com/}} * {{discogs artist}} * [https://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Chum-Johannes.htm "Johannes Chum (Tenor)"], Bach Cantatas website 2001 * [http://operabase.com/a/Johannes_Chum/de/8466 "Johannes Chum"], Operabase * [https://biamartists.com/johannes-chum-biografie "Johannes Chum"] (management, in German, list of roles) biamartists.com
{{Portal bar|Biography|Opera|Austria}} {{Authority control|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chum, Johannes}} Category:Austrian operatic tenors Category:1968 births Category:Living people Category:People from Styria Category:20th-century Austrian male opera singers Category:21st-century Austrian male opera singers Category:University of Music and Performing Arts Graz alumni Category:Recipients of the Thalia Award