About

Hamburg born Simon Bode appears at prestigious opera houses and concert halls around the globe, and he is equally beloved for his warm, bright timbre as for his forthright stage presence and distinguished artistry. The tenor is a frequent guest at prestigious international festivals including the Salzburger Festspiele, Bregenzer Festspiele, Beethovenfest Bonn, Elbphilharmonie, Heidelberger Frühling, Kissinger Sommer, Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Schleswig-Holstein, and Schlossfestpiele Ludwigsburg.

He collaborates with many of the world’s leading conductors including Constantinos Carydis, Peter Eötvös, Alan Gilbert, HK Gruber, Joana Mallwitz, Andrew Manze, Andrea Marcon, Kent Nagano, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Sebastian Weigle. Simon Bode has alsoappeared with such distinguished orchestras as the Wiener Philharmoniker, Ensemble Modern, Los Angeles Philharmonic, NDR Radiophilharmonie, Münchner Rundfunkorchester, and Les Talens Lyrique. His broad range of repertoire spans from the Bach Passions and Masses of Mozart, Haydn, and Schubert, to works written by many eminent living composers.

Engagements of the 2023-24 season include Bruckner’s Te Deum with the Wiener Symphoniker led by Constantinos Carydis, Weill’s Die sieben Todsünden with the Berliner Konzerthausorchester and Joana Mallwitz, Luigi Nono’s Il canto sospeso with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester and Jonathan Stockhammer, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Le Concert Olympique under the baton of Jan Caeyers. Bach features prominently in the tenor’s diary with performances of Das Weihnachtsoratorium, BWV 248 in collaboration with Ensemble Schirokko and Johannes-Passion, BWV 245 with Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin and RIAS Kammerchor led by Justin Doyle. The tenor makes a Carnegie Hall recital debut in autumn 2023 accompanied by Jonathan Ware in a program of Wagner, Duparc, Liszt, and Wolf.

„Seldom one hears this cycle so direct, so gripping,…seldom so close to the meaning, so well articulated as from this tenor from Hamburg…Bode transports the struggle of this ultimately forsaken lover, with a clear, strong, bright-cored voice, with an array of colors, gleaming high notes, sweet lyricism and a finessed piano, emphatic but never forcing…“

Bayerische Staatszeitung about “Die Schöne Müllerin” at Kissinger Sommer (Juli 2018)

Simon Bode has given highly praised recital performances at the Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin, the Rheingau Musik Festival, on numerous occasions at the Wigmore Hall. His frequent collaborators include pianists Igor Levit, Graham Johnson, Simon Lepper, and Nicholas Rimmer as well as accordionist Elsbeth Moser. He was Artist in Residence at The Wigmore Hall in the 2022-23 season, performing three recitals: Winterreise with Simon Lepper; Die Schöne Müllerin accompanied by Igor Levit; and a varied program of Art Song in collaboration with Jonathan Ware.

Highlights of the recent past include Rachmaninoff’s The Bells with the Los Angeles Philharmonic led by Gustavo Dudamel, Bach’s Johannes-Passion with Christoph Prégardien and the Kammerorchester Basel and RIAS Kammerchor, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Maxim Emeljanitschew and the Münchner Philharmoniker, and the world premiere of Alex Nante's Mystérion with the Orchestre National de Lille conducted by Ben Glassberg. He has appeared at the Salzburger Festspiele in a revival of the Lydia Steier production of Die Zauberflöte under the baton of Joana Mallwitz.

„…This night will leave no person untouched…“

Stuttgarter Zeitung about “Die Schöne Müllering” at Ludwigsburger Schlosskonzerte (Juli 2018)

Simon Bode and his frequent musical partner, Igor Levit, have given recitals at Kissinger Sommer, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Wigmore Hall, and at Vienna’s Musikverein, which marked the tenor’s debut in the famed Goldener Saal; recital appearances with Simon Lepper brought the artists to leading presenters throughout Germany and England.

While a member of the ensembles of Oper Frankfurt and the Staatsoper Hannover, Simon Bode received several nominations for ‘Young Singer of the Year’ from Opernwelt and recent engagements include performances at Norwegian National Opera, Opéra national de Bordeaux, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Göttingen International Handel Festival, Staatsoper Hannover, Theater Basel, and Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden. He sings principal tenor roles by Britten, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Poulenc, R. Strauss, and Wagner.

A scholar and recipient of numerous academic and performance prizes and awards, Simon Bode worked in Hannover with Charlotte Lehmann and now studies in New York with Neil Semer.

„…A stellar night of art song singing…“

Stuttgarter Zeitung about “Die Schöne Müllering” at Ludwigsburger Schlosskonzerte

„Whilst there are many existing recordings of this song cycle, (Bode’s) version you would want to take home immediately.

Stuttgarter Zeitung about “Die Schöne Müllering” at Ludwigsburger Schlosskonzerte

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„For the full two hours Bode remains clear, present and free in the high demands of the piece-an exceptional singer and -evangelist!

WIESBADENER KURIER ABOUT „ST. JOHN’S PASSION“

"When the tenor Simon Bode comes onstage as Freddy, Eliza’s admirer, the music became magnificent. Bode's voice radiates a charisma and intensity that requires no reinforcement.

Sarah Schnoor/Bachtrack (January 2020)