It has been announced that on February 9, 2022, German bass singer and director Rolf Wollrad passed away at the age of 84.

Born in 1938 in Dobeln, Germany, Wollrad studied at the Leipziger Musikhochschule and the State Conservatory in Sofia, Bulgaria. He spent four years in the Opera Studio of the Staatsoper Dresden, after which he won the Bach Prize in Leipzig. At the age of 26, he started a long-term engagement with the Landesbuhne Sachsen, making his professional debut as Sarastro in “The Magic Flute.”

His roles comprised of both buffo and serio works, such as Leporello in “Don Giovanni,” Rocco in “Fidelio,” Bartolo in “Barber of Seville,” Daland in “Der fliegende Hollander,” Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof,” and more.

In 1989, Wollrad was appointed Director of Opera at the Staatsoper Dresden, and was made an honorary member after his retirement in 2003 for his service to the company.

Following a vocal heath-related break, Wollrad appeared in productions from 2005 until 2013, ending his career at the Goethe Theater in Bad Lauchstadt in their production of “Barber of Seville.”