Thomas Quasthoff facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thomas Quasthoff
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Quasthoff, 2010
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| Born | 9 November 1959 (age 65) |
| Occupation | Bass-baritone |
Thomas Quasthoff (born 9 November 1959) is a famous German singer. He is a bass-baritone, which means he sings with a deep, rich voice. Thomas Quasthoff loves many kinds of music. He sings classical pieces, German songs called lieder, and even jazz. He was born with some physical differences because of a medicine called thalidomide.
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Early Life and First Steps
Thomas Quasthoff was born in Hildesheim, Germany. His mother took a medicine called thalidomide when she was pregnant. This medicine caused him to have some birth differences.
When he was young, Thomas wanted to study music at a special school. However, he was not allowed in because he could not play the piano. This was not because he lacked talent for singing. Instead, he studied singing with a private teacher. He also studied law for three years. Before becoming a full-time musician, he worked as a radio announcer. He also did voice-over work for TV shows.
A Career in Music
Thomas Quasthoff's music career really began in 1988. He won a big music competition in Munich, Germany. Famous singer Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau praised his performance. People loved his detailed and clear singing of lieder. They also admired his wide vocal range.
In 1995, he sang for the first time in America. This was at the Oregon Bach Festival. Later, in 1998, he helped premiere a new piece called Credo. The recording of this piece won a Grammy Award. In 2003, he performed in an opera for the first time. He played Don Fernando in Beethoven's Fidelio. He also sang in another opera, Parsifal, in 2004.
Thomas Quasthoff recorded many albums with Deutsche Grammophon. Besides classical music, he released a jazz album in 2007. It was called The Jazz Album: Watch What Happens. He worked with other great jazz musicians on this album.
In 2012, Thomas Quasthoff announced he would stop performing in public. He mentioned being sick and the difficulties of touring. He also spoke about his brother's death. However, he later returned to performing. He sang in concerts in 2016. He also performed in a play called Twelfth Night. He still performs with his jazz group. In 2021, he had a spoken role in an opera at a festival.
Thomas Quasthoff also teaches singing. He used to teach at a music school in Germany. Now, he is a professor at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin. He also helped start an international singing competition called Das Lied in 2009.
Awards and Recognitions
Thomas Quasthoff has won three Grammy Awards. In 2000, he won for his recording of Mahler's Des Knaben Wunderhorn. He sang with Anne Sofie von Otter and the Berlin Philharmonic. He won his second Grammy in 2004. This was for Schubert: Lieder with Orchestra. He sang with von Otter and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. His third Grammy came in 2006. It was for his recording of J. S. Bach's Cantatas. In 2008, he was also part of a Grammy-winning recording of Brahms's Ein Deutsches Requiem.
In 2005, Germany gave him a special award called the Great Cross of Merit. In 2009, he received the Herbert von Karajan Music Prize. The Royal Philharmonic Society also gave him a gold medal for his amazing music skills that same year.
Personal Life
In 2006, Thomas Quasthoff married Claudia Stelzig. She is a German TV journalist.
Thomas Quasthoff is also interested in world events. He believes in fairness and helping others. He was against the Iraq War. He also hoped that the conflict between Israel and Palestine could be solved peacefully.
See also
In Spanish: Thomas Quasthoff para niños
