Dutch baritone Raoul Steffani has been praised by Opernwelt for his “fresh and lyrically clear” singing and “sensitive interpretation.” Recognized as one of the Netherlands’ leading vocal talents, he was awarded the Nederlandse Muziekprijs in 2023, the highest honour conferred on a musician by the Dutch state.

The 2026–27 season brings a diverse programme of concert and opera engagements. Highlights include Schubert’s Winterreise with fortepianist Petra Somlai at the Haydneum Eszterháza Festival in Hungary; Handel’s Messiah with the Residentie Orkest, led by Chloe Rooke; and a series of New Year’s concerts with Philzuid under the direction of Alejandro Cantalapiedra.

Further highlights include Mozart’s Requiem with the Residentie Orkest and Richard Egarr, as well as a return to London for J.S. Bach’s St John Passion with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, conducted by John Butt. The season also features a tour of the Netherlands with Bach’s St Matthew Passion, performed with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra and Cappella Amsterdam under the direction of Daniel Reuss.

The season continues with a new production of Paul Lincke’s operetta Frau Luna at Opera Zuid, followed by a tour across 16 theatres throughout the Netherlands.

Steffani studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna and with Margreet Honig at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. He made his professional opera debut as Ramiro in Ravel’s L’heure espagnole at the Opéra National de Lyon. This was followed by engagements with Dutch National Opera (Operetta Land), Wadopera (Ned Keene in Peter Grimes), Opéra de Toulon (Ramiro in L’heure espagnole), Opera Zuid (Germano in La scala di seta and Gaudenzio in Il signor Bruschino), and the Bregenz Festival (Johann in Werther).

As a soloist, Steffani has collaborated with renowned conductors including Alain Altinoglu, Jonathan Cohen, Stéphane Denève, Richard Egarr, Sir Mark Elder, Diego Fasolis, Anthony Hermus, Vladimir Jurowski, Andrea Marcon, Otto Tausk, Duncan Ward, and David Zinman. He has performed with leading orchestras and ensembles including the hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Wiener Symphoniker, La Cetra Barockorchester Basel, Arcangelo, Dutch Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Residentie Orkest The Hague, Royal Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Salzburg, and Camerata RCO.

Steffani is also an active recitalist, appearing at prestigious venues and festivals including the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the Megaron Concert Hall in Athens, and the Oxford Lieder Festival. His recital engagements have also taken him to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Paris, Munich, Vienna, and venues across Spain.

His discography reflects his broad musical interests and includes several acclaimed recordings. Among them is an album of Schumann duets with mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená. In 2022, Alpha Records released Sehnsucht, featuring Steffani alongside Barbara Hannigan and Camerata RCO, followed by a recording of Handel’s Chandos Anthems with Arcangelo under the direction of Jonathan Cohen. His most recent album, Alma Mahler, Lovers and Friends, recorded with pianist Julius Drake and released in 2025, received a nomination for the German Record Critics’ Award.