The Austrian Bass-Baritone Martin Winkler is certainly one of the most important singers of his repertoire. He was born in Bregenz and studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna with KS Walter Berry.
After his debut in 2003 in the title role in „Le Grand Macabre“ at the Komische Oper Berlin, invitations followed to the Opéra Lyon, Prague State Opera and Volksoper Vienna, among others.
Permanent engagements led Winkler via Schwerin and Berlin, Komische Oper, in 2009 back to the Vienna Volksoper, where he sang many central roles of his repertoire for the first time – e.g. Schicchi, Bartolo/“Il barbiere di Siviglia“, Kezal/“The Bartered Bride“, as well as the Ruler/“The Miracle of Heliane“ and Falstaff/“The Merry Wives of Windsor“.
Winkler has since made guest appearances at the Bregenz Festival („Maskerade,“ „Tosca,“ „Solaris“), Graz („Wozzeck“), Rome, Brussels, Stockholm, Warsaw, Nuremberg (Alberich), Madrid Teatro Real (Alberich/“Ring,“ Waldner/“Arabella,“ „The Nose“), Covent Garden London („Maskerade,“ „The Nose“), Stuttgart (Klingsor/“Parsifal“), Düsseldorf (Alberich/“Siegfried“), at the Metropolitan Opera New York (Waldner/“Arabella,“ Tierbändiger/“Lulu“), Munich State Opera, Vienna State Opera, Dresden, Leipzig, Genève, Zurich, Brussels, etc.
In 2013 he was Alberich in the new „Ring der Nibelungen“ under Petrenko/Castorf at the Bayreuth Festival.
In 2019 followed his debut at the Salzburg Festival (Jupiter/“Orphée aux enfers“ directed by Barrie Kosky).
The Covid pandemic impeded his plans to sing the first Baron Ochs/”Rosenkavalier” in Brussels and Moscow. The production in Brussels was postponed to 2022 and became a great personal success. Future plans include his return to Munich, Zurich, to name a few. He will stay in the ensemble of Volksoper Vienna for the next seasons.
In May 2022 Martin Winkler he was awarded the honorary title “Kammersänger of the State of Austria”.
Martin Winkler was honored with the ‚Artist Award 2024‘ at the ‚Teatro Real Awards 2024‘. The prize was awarded to him for his outstanding quality as a bass-baritone and his excellent portrayal of Platon Kuzmitch Kovalyov in “The Nose” (premiere 2023).