Wolfgang Holzmair was born in Vöcklabruck, Austria, and studied at the Vienna Academy of Music and Dramatic Art with Hilde Rössel-Majdan (voice) and Erik Werba (lied).

The singer performs in recital throughout the world, including London, Lisbon, Moscow, New York, Seoul, Washington, at the Risör Festival (Norway), Bath, Belfast and Edinburgh festivals (UK), Menuhin Festival (Switzerland), Bregenz and Carinthian Summer festivals (Austria) in collaboration with leading accompanists and pianists of our time.

Holzmair is also active in the opera world. Roles include Masino in Haydn’s La vera costanza, Papageno and Speaker of the Temple (Magic Flute), Don Alfonso (Cosi), Eisenstein (Fledermaus), Wolfram (Tannhäuser), Faninal (Der Rosenkavalier), Music Master (Ariadne), the Father (Hansel and Gretel by Humperdinck), Danilo (The Merry Widow), Eduard (Neues vom Tage by Hindemith) or Demetrius (A Midsummernight’s Dream by Britten).

Equally in demand on the concert platform, he sings with leading European and American orchestras, such as the Israel Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Budapest Festival, Vienna Symphony, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, Cleveland and Concertgebouw Orchestras and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, under eminent conductors including Blomstedt, Boulez, Chailly, Frühbeck de Burgos, I.Fischer, Haitink, Harnoncourt, Norrington, Ozawa.

Mr. Holzmair has an extensive discography of operas, concerts and songs ranging from Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert Brahms and Wolf to contemporary composers. His recordings have met with critical acclaim. For years he has also been a committed advocate of works, especially lieder, by formerly persecuted composers as is evidenced by his Krenek, Mittler, Zeisl, Schreker and Terezin/Theresienstadt CDs. His recording of Ein deutsches Requiem with Herbert Blomstedt won a Grammy award.

Since 1998 he has taught lied and oratorio at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and given master classes in Europe, Japan and North America. He is also a visiting professor of the Royal Academy of Music (London) and a fellow of the Royal College of Music (London).