Announcement

Jonas Kaufmann must cancel his guest appearances in Japan

Due to surgery Jonas Kaufmann has to cancel his performances in Japan. In September he was to have sung there several performances of "Carmen" in a production by the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, and of "Lohengrin" in the staging of the Bavarian State Opera. In this letter to his fans in Japan Kaufmann explains the need for his decision:


Dear Friends,

I'm very sorry to have to tell you that I have to cancel the performances scheduled for September in Japan. I was really looking forward to coming back to Japan, and I assure you that this decision has nothing to do with the difficult situation in which you find yourselves for months. The fact is that I undergo an operation: a knot in the breast area must be removed. I don’t want to upset anyone with this message, only my doctors have advised me to have the surgery as soon as possible, and that will be after my appearance at the gala Jussi Björling in Stockholm on 2 September.

That I therefore cancel my trip to Japan and must again disappoint many people, I am extremely sorry. From my previous appearances in Japan, I remember the local audience as particularly enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and the great affection that you have shown me time and again, I have always regarded as an extraordinary honor. But health comes first. And I hope for the understanding of all those of you who can empathize with my situation or who have ever been in a similar situation. And of course I hope that I can as soon as possible to come back to you.

Kind regards,

Your Jonas Kaufmann

[This is translated from the official announcement in German. We can only hope all goes well.]