Countertenor Nils Wanderer: Portrait of the versatile singer with the poignantly high voice

Now he runs with the big dogs! Countertenor Nils Wanderer has won second prize at the Operalia. Operalia is the largest competition in the world for up-and-coming opera singers aged 18 to 32. The prestigious contest was initiated by iconic tenor Placido Domingo in 1993. Nils Wanderer, who was born that very same year, is the first German man to win an Operalia prize. With this accolade, he’s now secured himself a place in the conventional opera business.

When it comes to Nils Wanderer, his name says it all: the young countertenor sees himself as a wanderer who likes to try out new things – and who always has a surprise or two up his sleeve. His broad repertoire already extends from Baroque to contemporary, from opera to oratorio and regular songs. Nils Wanderer’s high voice never fails to touch fans of the bel canto style.

This portrait of the German-born countertenor presents the entire range of his work to date. In a detailed interview, Wanderer tells the story of his meteoric career and talks in a refreshingly candid way about what constitutes his personality as a singer. He also touches upon aspects of his private life; that he’d love to have a dog, for example. The singer’s portrait is complemented with musical excerpts showcasing samples of Nils Wanderer’s vocal artistry. Thus producing a film that is a thrilling snapshot of the life of a countertenor on the path to a highly promising future.

At a glance:
00:00 Handel: Stille amare, from Tolomeo, re d’Egitto
00:46 Operalia awards ceremony 2022
01:14 Wanderer on what the award means to him
02:07 Impressions of Operalia 2022
02:44 Wanderer on working with Placido Domingo
03:07 Purcell: Music for a While, from Oedipus
04:35 Wanderer on his musical career
05:58 Bach: Es ist Vollbracht, from St John Passion
06:31 Wanderer on his surname representing his life
06:55 Wanderer at Berlin’s Mauerpark
07:10 Wanderer on his sense of curiosity
07:39 George Benjamin: This Says the Boy, from Written on Skin
08:30 Wanderer on his voice
09:30 Britten: I Know a Bank, from A Midsummer Night’s Dream
10:42 Wanderer on his love of dogs
11:16 Britten: I Know a Bank, from A Midsummer Night’s Dream
12:27 Wanderer on the production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Lille’s opera house
13:13 Britten: I Know a Bank, from A Midsummer Night’s Dream
13:47 Wanderer on Oberon’s role
14:36 Schubert: Die Krähe, from the song cycle Winterreise
15:08 Wanderer on the confusion that countertenors can cause
16:04 Schubert: Die Krähe from the song cycle Winterreise
16:24 Wanderer on prejudice against queer people and his work to create tolerance
17:46 Schubert: Die Krähe from the song cycle Winterreise
18:21 Wanderer on his success and his goals
19:13 Handel: Stille amare from Tolomeo, re d’Egitto

Thumbnail: © Guido Werner

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