Opera Star Jonathan Tetelman: Triumphs, Transformations, and New Roles Explored in Exclusive Interview

Apr 24

Jonathan Tetelman is quickly becoming one of the opera world's most in-demand tenors — not only for the distinctive radiance and warmth of his voice, but also for the wide palette of emotions he brings to the characters he portrays.

But as I discovered during a recent sit-down with Tetelman, early in his career the Chilean-American singer had many doubts about whether he could take on the deeply dramatic roles he's become known for. In fact, he almost pulled out of one of his first big European engagements — portraying Paolo in Riccardo Zandonai's Francesca da Rimini at Deutsche Oper Berlin — because of that self-doubt.

"I knew the story and thought it would be a good challenge for me," Tetelman shared in our conversation. "But as I was preparing the role, I noticed how heavy and difficult the role was, and I almost pulled the plug on the whole thing, because I felt like I wasn't ready to do it."

Then the Covid-19 pandemic forced the world into lockdown, which gave Tetelman six months to immerse himself in the role, unpack its complexities, and build the mental and physical fortitude he needed to make Paolo a character of flesh and blood — not an easy feat for a young singer.

"To perform this very dramatic role at 32 was really kind of an eye-opening experience, and an exciting possibility for me to perform other dramatic repertoire in the future. At the time I was really only singing things like Rodolfo and Alfredo, much more lyric repertoire. To get a taste of the verismo, it hooked me immediately."

Tetelman credits his success in that production to its director, Christof Loy.

"It was the first time I worked with a director who helped me bring out my characterization, and also helped me understand the characterization of my colleagues in a better way. Working with him really challenged me, but it was the thing that was kind of missing in my presentation. From then on I used a lot of the tools and ideas that he gave me for this production."

Those tools and ideas have only increased Tetelman's meteoric rise in the years since that Deutsche Oper Berlin production. His first two albums for Deutsche Grammophon, 2022's Arias and last year's The Great Puccini, received rave reviews, with the former winning Tetelman the 2023 Opus Klassik Award for Young Talent of the Year. And this month he's bringing the nuanced approach to character-building he honed with Loy to two major Puccini role debuts at the Metropolitan Opera: Ruggero in a new production of La Rondine, and the naval officer Pinkerton in Anthony Minghella's Madama Butterfly.

For Tetelman, building a legacy in the opera world now means not only bringing artistry to the music he performs, but also caring for the characters represented in opera — and helping audiences see themselves in the emotional turmoil and triumph these characters experience.

"They're supposed to be human and they're supposed to be full of emotion and everything that embodies humanity. And I think the music is just the vessel that allows us to feel those emotions. I want to be one of those people who can really bring those things out, and help other people understand and feel what these characters feel."

Madama Butterfly is on stage at the Metropolitan Opera through May 11. Tetelman's latest album, The Great Puccini, is available across all major streaming platforms.

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