Rene Pape's 2012-2013 Season Includes Engagements in Berlin, New York, Chicago, and More

René Pape will travel to Germany to reprise his acclaimed Wotan at the Berlin State Opera, in a production of Wagner's Die Walküre conducted by Daniel Barenboim (Oct 4-14). For concerts celebrating the centennial of Sir Georg Solti's birth, the singer joins conductor Valery Gergiev and the World Orchestra for Peace at Carnegie Hall (Oct 19) and in Chicago (Oct 21). Pape returns to La Scala--where he just made his recital debut on Sunday, September 16--in December to open its opera season, portraying King Heinrich in Wagner's Lohengrin, together with his friend Jonas Kaufmann and frequent musical partner Daniel Barenboim (Dec 7-17). On New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, Pape re-joins Barenboim for performances of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 at the Staatskapelle Berlin. And in 2013, to help mark the bicentennial of Wagner's birth, Pape sings his signature Gurnemanz in the new François Girard production of Parsifal at the Metropolitan Opera, conducted by Daniele Gatti (Feb 15-March 8).

Pape's season also takes in performances at the Berlin State Opera as Sarastro in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. It was that role that put him on the operatic map, thanks to Solti selecting him for the part in a high-profile production at the 1995 Salzburg Festival – a key reason for the singer's participation in the conductor's centennial concerts this year at Carnegie Hall and in Chicago.

Pape's album, Wagner, was released by Deutsche Grammophon in 2011. The recording – with Daniel Barenboim conducting the Staatskapelle Berlin – presents the bass as Gurnemanz in Parsifal and Wotan in Die Walküre, as well as King Heinrich in Lohengrin.