On Sept. 15, 2025, Harald Serafin died at the age of 93.

Born on Dec. 24, 1931, in Lithuania, Serafin’s mother was from Salzburg, and his father was Italian. His parents fled to East Prussia after the Russian occupation of Lithuania in 1939, and in 1944, they escaped the Russians again, joining a refugee trek to Bamberg.

Serafin went on to study at the University of Music in Berlin and the Conservatory in Nuremberg and trained as an opera singer. He made his debut in Switzerland and Germany and later performed at the Zurich Opera House.

His breakout came when he performed “Madame Bovary” for television, and Otto Schenk took notice.

That began a friendship with Schenk, and Serafin was cast in “Die Fledermaus” as Eisenstein, marking a turning point in his career. Serafin became known for his interpretations of operettas and went on to perform the role of Danilo in “The Merry Widow” 1,700 times worldwide.

He would go on to perform around the world and make several recordings.

He retired from the stage in 1989 when he was forced to undergo vocal cord surgery. However, he continued to work in the industry. He led the Mörbisch Lake Festival from 1992 to 2012. In 2015, he received an honorary membership in the Lake Festival.