The tenor Martin Petzold received his first musical training as a member of the St. Thomas Boys Choir in his hometown of Leipzig. He went on to study at the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Conservatory of Music and Theater.
Since 1986 he has been a fixed member of the ensemble of the Leipzig Opera, performing to great acclaim roles such as David in “The Mastersingers of Nuremberg,” Pedrillo in “Il Seraglio,” Chanteauneuf in “Tsar and Carpenter,” Toni in “Elegy for Young Lovers,” Flute in “Midsummernight’s Dream,” Ivan in “The Nose,” and Janik in “The Diary of One Who Disappeared.” In addition to his work in the opera, Martin Petzold works closely with the St. Thomas Boys Choir and the Gewandhaus Orchestra.
Numerous concert performances have led him throughout Europe, the USA, to Israel, Japan, Korea, China and Central and South America. His interpretations of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, in particular, have not only received worldwide recognition but have served as the focal point of his music making.
The opera, oratorio and concert singer has a wide repertoire that includes the works of composers spanning all musical genres. Martin Petzold has demonstrated his extraordinary ability to interpret music under such conductors as H. Albrecht, G.C. Biller, R. Chailly, M. Haselboeck, T. Coopman, K. Masur, Y. Menuhin, K. Nagano, H. Rilling, P. Schreier und D. Timm among others.
He is a much welcomed guest at many European opera houses including the Opera Theatre in Basel, where he repeatedly worked together with director Herbert Werrnicke, the Semper Opera in Dresden, the Hamburg State Opera, Opera Messina Sicily, Royal Opera Madrid, Royal Opera House Lisbon, and the Stuttgart State Opera.
As a concert singer as well as recitalist, he has made lasting impressions in the world’s music centers including in Leipzig’s Gewandhaus, the Berlin Philharmonic, Colgne Philharmonic, Stuttgart Liederhalle, Gasteig Munich, Hamburg Laeiszhalle, Tonhalle Zurich, Vienna Musikverein, Teatro Communale di Bologna, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Palau Musica Catalana in Barcelona, in Milan, Rome, Seoul, N.Y, Chicago, Sao Paolo, San Jose in Costa Rica, Curitiba and Porto Alegre in Brasil etc.
Numerous radio, TV, CD and DVD productions document Martin Petzold’s extensive musical career. Among others, these include the part of the evangelist in Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion” with the St. Thomas Boy’s Choir in the St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, Monostatos in “The Magic Flute” under Arnold Oestmann on L’Orseau de Lyre and “Das Wunder der Heliane” by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. In addition, he played a leading role in the DECCA series “Entartete Musik” with Lothar Zagrossek and John Mauceri.
For many years, he has lectured at international masterclasses, specializing in the interpretations of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. In 2001, he was appointed “Kammersaenger,” a title awarded to a singer of outstanding merit. Martin Petzold has recorded CD’s for Philips Classics, DECCA, Ram Records, Apollon Classics, Rondeau, Querstand, Bavaria Sonor, as well as Japanese record labels. The preservation of German folk music has always been one of Martin Petzold’s great personal priorities and therefore, in 2009 he released the highly acclaimed CD “Verstohlen geht der Mond auf,” accompanied by renowned guitarist Marin Hoepfner.