
Jean Teitgen
“With cavernous low notes, burnished timbre, and commanding stage presence, Jean Teitgen portrays a benevolent Arkel, as moving as he is complex. ”
Toute la Culture, Opéra National de Paris, March 2025
French bass Jean Teitgen is a regular presence on the stages of many of Europe’s most important theatres and has amassed a large and varied repertoire of roles since his studies at Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris. With a strong sense of legato, rich timbre and great vocal power, Teitgen is at home as much in the great bass roles by Verdi, Puccini, and Donizetti as he is by Debussy or Gounod.
In the current season, following his great successes at Opéra national de Paris, as Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, conducted by Oksana Lyniv, and as Arkel in Pelléas et Mélisande, conducted by Antonello Manacorda, Teitgen makes his first foray into Wagner territory, debuting as Daland in Der fliegende Holländer at Théâtre du Capitole, Toulouse under Frank Beermann. The 2025/26 season includes his return to Wiener Staatsoper as Arkel, to Opéra national de Bordeaux as Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte and to Teatro Real as Frère Laurent in Roméo et Juliette, conducted by Carlo Rizzi.

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Jean Teitgen’s buoyant career has seen collaborations with many important conductors including Bertrand de Billy, Thomas Hengelbrock, Louis Langrée, Marc Minkowski, Sir Antonio Pappano, Evelino Pidò and Simone Young to name but a few, and his regular presence on the stages of numerous prestigious theatres including Opéra national de Paris, Theater an der Wien, Grand Théâtre de Genève, La Monnaie, Royal Opera Covent Garden, Teatro Real Madrid and Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.
Jean Teitgen made debuts last season at Wiener Staatsoper as Gessler in Guillaume Tell, and at the 2024 Salzburg Festival as Claudius, King of Denmark in Hamlet, both conducted by Bertrand de Billy and otherwise among his vast performing experience to date, he has appeared as Arkel in Pelléas et Mélisande at Théâtre des Champs Élysées, Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoorat Opéra national de Bordeaux, Frère Laurent in Roméo et Juliette at Grand Théâtre de Genève, Opéra national de Paris and Opéra de Monte Carlo, and Prince Gremin in Eugene Onegin at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. Further performances include Banquo in Macbeth at Opéra national de Lorraine and Opéra de Nice, Le roi in L’Amour des trois oranges at Maggio Musicale Firenze and Grand Théâtre de Genève, Gessler in Guillaume Tell at Opéra national de Lyon, Capellio in I Capuleti e I Montecchi at Opéra national de Paris, Luther and Crespel in Les Contes d’Hoffmann at Opéra de Paris, Alvise in La Gioconda at La Monnaie, and Fiesco in Simon Boccanegra at Opéra National de Montpellier and Royal Danish Opera.
Concert repertoire includes Berlioz’s L’Enfance du Christ, Verdi’s Messa da Requiem, Mozart’s Requiem, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis and Symphony No.9 and Donizetti’s Requiem.
Contacts
Shirley Thomson Senior Director, VOICE at HarrisonParrott | Head of CSR
General Management
General Management
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“The sonorous bass Jean Teitgen is a dignified and tender Arkel.”
“With cavernous low notes, burnished timbre, and commanding stage presence, Jean Teitgen portrays a benevolent Arkel, as moving as he is complex. ”
“Arkel is enhanced by Jean Teitgen’s extraordinary voice.”
“Jean Teitgen establishes himself as the most venerable Pontifex Maximus ever heard, conveying chills in the Finale which he leads with sovereign authority. The sublime French basse chantante flawlessly masters all the challenges .. especially the terrifying high E‑natural attack on De son front que la honte accable … the intelligence of every inflection is astonishing.”
“Jean Teitgen embodies a mysterious, profound Sarastro … he impresses with both his vocal performance and his stage presence.”
“Gesler is excellently sung by Jean Teitgen.”
“In superlative vocal form, Jean Teitgen is magnificent as Frère Laurent, embodying authority, noble tone, and benevolence … Buvez donc ce breuvage is delivered with sovereign legato.”
“Jean Teitgen masterfully inhabits the role of Sarastro with his deep, resonant bass. He skillfully portrays the character’s solemnity and humanity, embodying the ruler of light and reason with precision and talent. His performance on stage is widely admired, reinforcing the immense talent of the French bass.”
“The magnificent Jean Teitgen possesses the magnanimous authority that is fitting for the role of Sarastro.”