Testimonials

Franz Hawlata, the "Bayreuther Hans Sachs 2008"

On his farm in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps, Franz Hawlata finds the peace and tranquility he needs in between his many appearances that take him from New York to Tokyo and from Berlin to Barcelona. A lover of watches, he particularly likes to wear his MeisterSinger when it is time to let go of everything and to relax. The "W" designed by Albrecht Dürer and adopted by Richard Wagner, adorns this special edition and acts as a subtle reminder to his greatest passion: singing.

Franz Hawlata was born in 1963 in the Bavarian town of Eichstätt where he began his musical training. He completed his studies of musicology and singing at the Musikhochschule in Munich and by the late 80s had won several competitions and made his professional debut at Munich’s Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz. His international career began shortly thereafter, with engagements in Lyon, San Francisco and Amsterdam. In 1994, he gave his debut at the Metropolitan Opera New York. He has performed at the Vienna State Opera, at the Opera National de Paris, Covent Garden, the Salzburg Festival, Bayerische Staatsoper Munich and the San Francisco Opera. Since the early 90s, Franz Hawlata has enjoyed a close relationship with the Staatsoper in Vienna where he has now sung in over 200 performances. Franz Hawlata sang his first Hans Sachs (Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg) with Zubin Mehta at the Maggio Musicale in Florence in the 2003/04 season.

2007 marked Franz Hawlata’s debut at the Bayreuth Festival as Hans Sachs in the new production of Die Meistersinger directed by Katharina Wagner. He performed the role in 2008 and will again in 2009

Special Edition celebrating the 140th Anniversary of the premiere of "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg".
Now available at your authorized MeisterSinger dealer.