Waldemar Kmentt

Waldemar Kmentt ( born February 2, 1929 in Vienna) is an Austrian tenor who is particularly known as an opera performer.

Life and work

Waldemar Kmentt, who wanted to be a pianist, studied from 1949 singing at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, among others, Elizabeth Radó. At the age of 21, he was invited to the tenor part in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony to sing under the baton of Karl Böhm. Since 1951 he has been an ensemble member of the Vienna State Opera, whose member he remained more than 35 years.

As a young lyric tenor, he was a member of the Vienna Mozart Ensemble. The repertoire of his long career includes more than 80 opera and operetta roles from the lyric, youthful heroic to character roles. He has sung at all major opera houses both in Europe and in Japan and America. At the Salzburg Festival, he was seen for many years as a guest. He also appeared at the festivals of Bayreuth, Edinburgh and Aix -en- Provence. As a concert singer he worked under Herbert von Karajan, Otto Klemperer, Carlos Kleiber, Karl Richter, Karl Böhm, Eugen Jochum, Sergiu Celibidache and Leonard Bernstein.

Kmentt conducted from 1978 to 1995, the Opera Studio at the Vienna Conservatory, from which emerged many now well-known singers such as Wolfgang Bankl, Malin Hartelius Mehrzad Montazeri or.

At the age of 72 years he celebrated his Met debut with the role of steward in Ariadne auf Naxos. For several years he has been successful in smaller opera character roles at the Volksoper in Vienna on stage.

Awards

• Kammersänger
• 2002 Gold Decoration for Services to the City of Vienna