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Biography

Raoul Steffani is a Dutch baritone and recipient of the prestigious Grachtenfestival Prize 2018, the Elisabeth Evertsprijs 2016, and the Dutch Classical Talent Audience Award 2018. Since May 2021, Raoul has been a member of Equilibrium, the Young Artist Programme of Barbara Hannigan.

In the 2022-23 season, he makes his debut at Dutch National Opera in a new operetta production led by Lorenzo Viotti and staged by Steef de Jong. In the 2020-21 season, Raoul made his professional opera debut at the Opéra National de Lyon as Ramiro in Ravel’s L’heure espagnole as part of Lyon’s opera studio, after which he was invited to sing Ned Keene in Britten’s Peter Grimes in the Netherlands and again Ramiro at the Opéra de Toulon.

Other highlights of the upcoming season include Mozart aria concerts with the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Frank Martin’s Ode à la musique with the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, various St Matthew Passion concerts with the orchestra Phion (part: Jesus) led by Reinhard Goebel and with philharmonie zuidnederland (part: bass arias) led by Duncan Ward, and Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem with the Residentie Orchestra led by Anja Bihlmaier. In previous seasons, he has worked with conductors such as Sir Mark Elder, Vladimir Jurowsky, Sigiswald Kuijken, Otto Tausk, Jos van Veldhoven, and David Zinman. Orchestras with whom he has worked, include the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Residentie Orchestra The Hague, Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra, Camerata RCO, Camerata Salzburg, Dutch Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, philharmonie zuidnederland, Phion and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Highlights of last season include Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with Ensemble Domestica (musicians from the Rotterdam Philharmonic) and an international tour of Bach’s Johannes Passion (part: Jesus) with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment led by Mark Padmore.

Since the early days of his career, Raoul Steffani has been a dedicated recitalist with a great passion for the art song repertoire. He has given song recitals for Oxford Lieder Festival, International Lied Festival Zeist, Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam and Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, among other venues. This season, he performs Wolf’s Italienisches Liederbuch with soprano Laetitia Gerards and pianist Daan Boertien at numerous venues in the Netherlands. He will also return to the Concertgebouw’s Recital Hall for two solo recitals. He has recorded two Lieder albums for Challenge Classics with pianist Gerold Huber: Love’s Spring (2021), dedicated to Robert and Clara Schumann, includes songs and duets with mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená. For his debut album Deep in a dream, that includes early works by Schumann, Grieg, Sibelius and Berg, he received much critical acclaim from the international press; “This is all first-rate, refined singing with lucid diction, elegant technique, and a palpable affinity for what he is singing.” (American Record Guide, 2018) In October 2022, Alpha Records releases the album Sehnsucht, featuring Barbara Hannigan, Camerata RCO and Raoul Steffani, which includes Raoul’s performance of Berg’s Vier Gesänge Opus. 2 in a new orchestration.

Raoul studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna and at the conservatories of Amsterdam and Tilburg, from which he graduated summa cum laude. He continues working with his longtime vocal coach Margreet Honig and participated in masterclasses with Thomas Hampson, Christa Ludwig, Dame Felicity Lott and Elly Ameling. From 2016 to 2018 he was a member of the Dutch National Opera Academy, where he debuted the role of Guglielmo (Così fan tutte). Besides his vocal studies, Raoul studied Swedish language and culture at the University of Amsterdam.

News

hr-Sinfonieorchester Alain Altinoglu Raoul Steffani Johannes Passion Bach

J.S. Bach’s Johannes Passion with hr-Sinfonieorchester led by Alain Altinoglu

Raoul Steffani sings the role of Jesus in a live broadcast performance with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony at the Alte Oper Frankfurt.
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Greek mythology and Nordic sagas at Internationaal Lied Festival Zeist

Raoul Steffani & Sholto Kynoch return to the festival for a recital focussing on mythology and sagas in art song on 24th May 2024.
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Rossini’s La scala di Seta & Il Signor Bruschino

Raoul Steffani zingt de rollen van Germano en Tutore Gaudenzio in de nieuwe Rossini double bill productie van Opera Zuid.
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Nederlandse Muziekprijs 2023 uitgereikt

Steffani ontving de prestigieuze prijs uit handen van staatssecretaris Gunay Uslu (Cultuur en Media) na een concert in het Muziekgebouw aan het IJ.
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Raoul Steffani en Ed Spanjaard te zien in Podium Klassiek

In aanloop naar de uitreiking van de Nederlandse Muziekprijs brachten zij het lied Sehnsucht van Hans Pfitzner ten gehore.
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Raoul Steffani presents radio show Een Goedemorgen met…

Raoul Steffani te gast in het NPO Klassiek programma Een Goedemorgen met...
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Raoul Steffani receives the Nederlandse Muziekprijs

The prestigious prize will be awarded on October 13 by the Dutch State Secretary for Culture after a concert at the Muziekgebouw aan het IJ ...
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Debut at Bregenzer Festspiele

Raoul Steffani will sing the role of Johann in this year's production of Massenet's Werther at the Bregenzer Festspiele, opening August 14 2023.
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Operetta Land - Dutch National Opera - Foto: Marta Syrko

Rave reviews for Operetta Land at Dutch National Opera

The new production created by Steef de Jong in which Raoul Steffani sings the role of Queen has received rare reviews in Dutch national newspapers
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Interview in Luister Magazine

The november issue of Dutch music magazine Luister features an interview with Raoul Steffani about the new release Sehnsucht and his love for Vienna.
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Interlude.hk

Interlude.hk artist of the month

The Hong Kong based online music magazine features baritone Raoul Steffani as artist of the month in November 2022.
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Sehnsucht CD Barbara Hannigan Raoul Steffani Camerata RCO Alpha Classics

New album Sehnsucht with Barbara Hannigan and Camerata RCO coming soon

In Sehnsucht, Barbara Hannigan sings Berg's Sieben Frühe Lieder and the final part of Mahler's Symphony No. 4, whereas Raoul Steffani performs Berg's Vier Gesänge, ...
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Hugo Wolf’s Italienisches Liederbuch on tour in the Netherlands

In the coming weeks, the duo recital program will be presented in Bussum, Delft, Kasteel Heeswijk, 's Hertogenbosch, Enschede, Nijmegen and Eindhoven.
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Raoul Steffani joins the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment’s St. John Passion

Renowned Evangelist Mark Padmore leads us through the Johannes Passion by Bach with performances in London, Brussels, Paris, Girona, Amsterdam and Utrecht.
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Raoul Steffani in de Volkskrant

"Raoul Steffani is met zijn warme, egale baritonstem en gevoeligheid voor tekst een gedroomde liedvertolker."
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Love's Spring - new album © Tessa Posthuma de Boer

Nieuw album Love’s Spring met Magdalena Kožená en Gerold Huber

Op 5 november 2021 verschijnt Raoul Steffani's nieuwe CD Love's Spring met liederen en duetten van Robert en Clara Schumann.
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Raoul Steffani zingt baritonsolo in Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem op NPO 2

Op zondag 2 mei 14:00 uur voeren Ars Musici o.l.v. Patrick van der Linden Ein deutsches Requiem van Brahms uit.
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Het hemelse leven met Barbara Hannigan en Camerata RCO

Op uitnodiging van Barbara Hannigan is Raoul Steffani op vrijdag 30 april 2021 te horen in een livestream vanuit De Doelen.
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Ode aan Alphons Diepenbrock bij Podium Witteman

Raoul Steffani en Club Classique brengen op zondag 4 april 2021 bij Podium Witteman (NPO2) een ode aan de Nederlandse componist Alphons Diepenbrock.
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Raoul Steffani en Lucie Horsch bij Podium Witteman

Op 20 december 2020 zijn Raoul Steffani en Lucie Horsch te gast bij Podium Witteman (NPO2 18:00 uur)
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Raoul Steffani-1199 @Tessa Posthuma de Boer

Live broadcast on NPO Radio 4

The recital at Stadsgehoorzaal Leiden on December 16 2020 will be broadcasted live by Dutch NPO Radio 4.
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Interview with Place de l‘Opera (in Dutch)

Raoul Steffani joined Place de l‘Opera for an interview (in Dutch) on the opening night of Ravel‘s L‘heure espagnole at the Opéra National de Lyon.
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Raoul Steffani joins Opéra National de Lyon Studio

Raoul Steffani will join the Opéra National de Lyon Studio led by acclaimed tenor Jean-Paul Fouchécourt as of September 2020, making his debut as Ramiro ...
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Peter Grimes ‘on the beach’

Op 17 september 2021 gaat het operaspektakel Peter Grimes in première op het Wad bij Paesens-Moddergat (Fryslân). Een verhaal over verlies en verraad in een ...
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Deep in a dream

"Steffani is a remarkable singer with an excellent diction and a natural sound, able to communicate an emotion astonishingly convincible." Volkskrant (B. Luttmer)
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Webshop

Sehnsucht (new album) (CD)

Barbara Hannigan, soprano / Raoul Steffani, baritone / Camerata RCO led by Rolf Verbeek

In Sehnsucht, Barbara Hannigan sings Alban Berg’s Sieben Frühe Lieder and the final part of Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, whereas Raoul Steffani performs Berg’s Vier Gesänge, Op. 2. All these works are presented in special arrangements for chamber ensemble. Release date: 21 October 2022.

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Love's Spring (CD)

Raoul Steffani, baritone / Magdalena Kožená, mezzo-soprano / Gerold Huber, piano 
A programme devoted to both Robert and Clara Schumann and the musical dialogue that blossomed between them during the early years of their married life, through their poems and song compositions.

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Deep in a dream (CD)

Raoul Steffani, baritone / Gerold Huber, piano 
Baritone Raoul Steffani’s CD debut is a collection of early songs by major Lieder composers Schumann, Grieg, Sibelius and Berg, with pianist Gerold Huber.

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