(Credit: Simon Pauly)

Jonas Kaufmann has canceled his upcoming performances of “Andrea Chénier” at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo.

The company said that the tenor is obliged to withdraw his participation in the new production for health issues.

In a statement, the tenor said, “I am deeply saddened to be forced to withdraw from singing in the Opéra de Monte-Carlo’s production of ‘Andrea Chénier,’ premiered next Sunday. Unfortunately, I have been recovering far longer than expected from a cold I came down with a few weeks ago, and I am still not in condition to perform this demanding work. I was very much looking forward and proud of being part of Cecilia Bartoli’s first season in Monaco and I feel so sorry for the disappointment of the audience. I do very much hope that we can find as soon as possible another opportunity for my debut at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo!”

For her part, Cecilia Bartoli said, “I am extremely sorry to learn that our friend Jonas Kaufmann is obliged to withdraw from our Andrea Chénier production for health issues. We had all been looking forward to his debut in Monaco for such a long time! The teams at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo and myself wish Jonas a speedy recovery, while at the same time, I thank our audience for its understanding: in our profession as classical singers the afflictions that befall everyone in winter are our worst enemies!”

As a result, Martin Muehle will take over the performances. He is one of today’s leading spinto tenors with a repertoire that covers heroic parts by Verdi, Wagner and the verismo composers. He already portrayed Andrea Chénier at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and various Italian opera houses.

“Andrea Chénier is set to open on Feb. 19 and runs through Feb. 25 with a cast that includes Maria Agresta and Claudia Sgura. Marco Armiliato conducts.