Siegfried Jerusalem, born 17 April 1940 in Oberhausen, Germany, began music studies at eight and later studied oboe, piano, and violin at Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen. His vocal training started in 1962, and he made his first recital that year. Jerusalem’s breakthrough came with his 1976 debut as Lohengrin in Darmstadt and Aachen, leading to a prolific Wagnerian career. He recorded Violanta (1980), which received a Grammy Award in 1982, and Die Walküre (1981). Jerusalem, who also went by the stage name Siegfried Salem, performed at the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House, and Vienna State Opera, and appeared at festivals such as Bayreuth, Tanglewood, and Verbier. He earned the title Austrian Kammersänger in 1993, the Bambi award in 1996, and the Federal Cross of Merit 1st Class in 1997. In 2012, he received the Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art, and in 2021, he was named honorary senator of the Nuremberg University of Music.
