BENEDIKT KRISTJÁNSSON
TENOR
REVIEWS
“Seit dem Karfreitag geht der Name des isländischen Tenors Benedikt Kristjánsson um die Welt als der eines der besten Bach-Sänger der Gegenwart."
— Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
“Kristjánsson was my hero of this first festival day … he was the absolute highlight of the concert.”
— Bachfest Leipzig
Icelandic tenor Benedikt Kristjánsson is internationally celebrated for his unique combination of vocal brilliance, intellectual curiosity, and compelling stage presence. Widely regarded as one of today's foremost interpreters of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, he has built an exceptional career that bridges historically informed performance, innovative concert formats, and profound musical storytelling.
A frequent guest at many of the world's leading concert halls and festivals, Benedikt has appeared at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Konzerthaus Wien, Philharmonie Berlin, Bachfest Leipzig, Beethovenfest Bonn, and Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht. His artistic collaborations include renowned ensembles such as Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Freiburger Barockorchester, Concerto Copenhagen, Gaechinger Cantorey, and Nederlandse Bachvereniging, alongside conductors including Philippe Herreweghe, Vladimir Jurowski, Václav Luks, Peter Dijkstra, Hans-Christoph Rademann, and Lars Ulrik Mortensen.
Born and raised in Húsavík, Iceland, Benedikt studied first with his mother, the distinguished singer and pedagogue Margrét Bóasdóttir, before continuing his training at the Reykjavík Conservatory and later at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin. His artistry was further shaped through work with some of the most influential musicians of their generation, including Christa Ludwig, Peter Schreier, Elly Ameling, Robert Holl, and Thomas Quasthoff.
International recognition came early through major successes at the Bach Competitions in Greifswald and Leipzig, where he received both jury and audience awards. Since then, he has developed a singular artistic profile distinguished by a rare ability to combine scholarly insight with direct emotional communication.
Beyond the traditional concert platform, Benedikt is particularly admired for creating innovative projects that bring classical music to new audiences. His acclaimed chamber adaptation of Bach's St John Passion for tenor, harpsichord and percussion earned the OPUS Klassik Award for Innovative Concert of the Year and has been performed throughout Europe to extraordinary critical and public acclaim. During the pandemic, his complete livestream performance of the work reached audiences worldwide and further established him as one of the most imaginative voices in today's classical music landscape.
Highlights of the current and upcoming seasons include appearances at Bachfest Leipzig with Gaechinger Cantorey under Hans-Christoph Rademann, performances with Orchester Wiener Akademie under Martin Haselböck, concert engagements at the Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele, and a range of recital and oratorio projects that continue to showcase his exceptional affinity for Bach, early music and Nordic repertoire.
Whether performing Bach's Evangelists, the great oratorio repertoire, Lieder, or his own innovative concert concepts, Benedikt Kristjánsson brings an unmistakable artistic voice to every project—one marked by authenticity, intelligence, and an exceptional gift for communicating the human stories at the heart of music.
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J.S. Bach
St Matthew Passion BWV 244 – Evangelist, Tenor
St John Passion BWV 245 – Evangelist, Tenor
Christmas Oratorio BWV 248 – Tenor
Mass in B minor BWV 232 – Tenor
Actus Tragicus BWV 106 – First Tenor
Magnificat
Komm, Jesu, komm BWV 229
Selected Cantatas
BWV 13 Meine Seufzer, meine Tränen
BWV 14 Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit
BWV 16 Herr Gott, dich loben wir
BWV 17 Wer Dank opfert, der preiset mich
BWV 18 Gleich wie der Regen und Schnee vom Himmel fällt
BWV 20 O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort
BWV 21 Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis
BWV 29 Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir
BWV 30 Freue dich, erlöste Schaar
BWV 46 Schauet doch und sehet
BWV 48 Ich elender Mensch, wer wird mich erlösen
BWV 50 Nun ist das Heil und die Kraft
BWV 60 O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort
BWV 66 Erfreut euch, ihr Herzen
BWV 76 Die Himmel erzählen die Ehre Gottes
BWV 78 Jesu, der du meine Seele
BWV 80 Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott
BWV 90 Es reißet euch ein schrecklich Ende
BWV 95 Christus, der ist mein Leben
BWV 103 Ihr werdet weinen und heulen
BWV 105 Herr, gehe nicht ins Gericht mit deinem Knecht
BWV 117 Sei Lob und Ehr dem höchsten Gut
BWV 135 Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder
BWV 137 Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren
BWV 146 Wir müssen durch viel Trübsal
BWV 147 Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben
BWV 155 Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange
BWV 162 Ach! ich sehe, itzt, da ich zur Hochzeit gehe
BWV 163 Nur jedem das Seine
BWV 173 Erhöhtes Fleisch und Blut
BWV 214 Tönet, ihr Pauken, erschallet Trompeten
C.P.E. Bach
Magnificat
Johann Ludwig Bach / J.S. Bach
Denn du wirst meine Seele nicht in der Hölle lassen JLB 21
Handel
Messiah
Jephtha
Brockes-Passion – Evangelist
Haydn
Il ritorno di Tobia – Tobias
Beethoven
Symphony No. 9
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Handel
Acis and Galatea – Acis, Damon
Lully
Atys – Le Sommeil, Morphée, Un Zéphir
Rameau
Les Boréades – Calisis
Charpentier
David et Jonathas
Purcell
King Arthur
Blow
Venus and Adonis – Haute-contre
Monteverdi
Vespro della Beata Vergine
Janáček
Zápisník zmizelého (The Diary of One Who Disappeared)
Mitterer
Das tapfere Schneiderlein – Title Role
Poulenc
La Voix humaine
SPECIAL PROJECTS
Johannespassion für Tenor allein
Judas
Drang in die Ferne
Icelandic Folk Songs
Nordic Song Repertoire
