Annette Jahns facts for kids

Annette Jahns (born 24 June 1958 – died 11 September 2020) was a talented German opera singer and director. She was known for her powerful voice, singing as a mezzo-soprano and contralto. She was a main performer at the Semperoper in Dresden, a famous opera house. Annette also performed in operas around the world and at big music festivals. She was especially interested in new music and even performed in the very first shows of some operas. Besides singing, she also taught music at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden.

Her Life and Career

Annette Jahns was born in Dresden in 1958. Her family was full of opera singers, so music was a big part of her life from the start. She began studying singing in 1975 at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber Dresden. She also took special classes with famous singers like Judith Beckmann and Theo Adam.

In 1982, Annette joined the opera studio at the Semperoper. By 1986, she became a full member of their singing team. At the Semperoper, she sang many classic opera roles. But she also loved performing in new operas. For example, she sang in the first-ever performance of Thomas Chatterton in 1998. She also performed in the first show of Celan in 2001.

Annette played the main character in an opera called Bettina in 1987. This opera was special because her character, Bettina von Arnim, used many different ways to express herself, like speaking, singing, whispering, and even screaming.

From 1999, Annette started working as a freelance singer and director. This meant she could choose her own projects. In 2000 and 2001, she performed at the famous Bayreuth Festival. She also directed an opera herself, Puccini's Madama Butterfly, in Dresden in 2003.

Annette shared her knowledge by teaching at the Hochschule für Musik Carl Maria von Weber starting in 1995. She also worked with the famous dancer and choreographer Pina Bausch from 1996. In 2000, she recorded a CD of songs by Johannes Brahms.

Annette Jahns passed away in Dresden in 2020 at the age of 62 after a long illness.

Awards

Annette Jahns received several awards for her amazing work:

• In 1987, she won the Kritikerpreis (Critics' Prize) for her performance in Bettina.
• In 1995, she received the Förderpreis der Landeshauptstadt Dresden [de], an award from her hometown of Dresden.