The German bass Tareq Nazmi studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München with Edith Wiens and Christian Gerhaher and received private tuition from Hartmut Elbert. He began his career at the Opera Studio of the Bavarian State Opera, where he was a member of the ensemble until 2016. Since then, he has established himself on international stages as one of the most sought-after singers in his field, celebrated for his distinctive character portrayals.
Milestones in his career include such defining roles as Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte), King Heinrich (Lohengrin), Alvise (La Gioconda), Banquo (Macbeth), Ferrando (Il trovatore), the Commendatore (Don Giovanni), Zaccaria (Nabucco), King Marke (Tristan und Isolde), Oroveso (Norma) and Gremin (Eugen Onegin), among others. He has performed these roles at venues including the Salzburg Festival, the Vienna State Opera and Theater an der Wien, the Bavarian State Opera, the Tokyo Spring Festival, the Grand Théâtre de Genève, the Staatsoper Unter den Linden and the Semperoper.
The role of Gurnemanz (Parsifal), which he has already performed in Geneva, Tokyo and at the Bavarian State Opera, has become one of his defining signature roles and will bring him back to the Munich State Opera in the 2026/27 season. The current season also features several major highlights: Tareq Nazmi makes his debut at the Bayreuth Festival as Landgrave Hermann in Tannhäuser. At the Royal Opera House in London, he appears in a new production of Ponchielli’s La Gioconda. At the Deutsche Oper Berlin, he takes on two central roles of his repertoire: Daland (Der fliegende Holländer) and Filippo II (Don Carlo). He also returns to the Vienna State Opera as Rocco (Fidelio).
Tareq Nazmi is equally in demand as a concert soloist, with a repertoire ranging from Bach and Brahms to Mahler. In the 2026/27 season, highlights include performances of Mozart’s Requiem at the Salzburg Festival and at the Tonhalle Zurich. Further engagements include Beethoven’s Missa solemnis with the SWR and his Ninth Symphony in London. Previously, he has collaborated with leading orchestras such as the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics, The Cleveland Orchestra and the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, working with conductors including Kirill Petrenko, Daniel Barenboim, Franz Welser-Möst, Antonio Pappano, Andris Nelsons, Marek Janowski, Daniel Harding, Teodor Currentzis, Vladimir Jurowski, Joana Mallwitz, Philippe Herreweghe, Thomas Hengelbrock, John Eliot Gardiner and Manfred Honeck.
A passionate interpreter of German art song, Tareq Nazmi maintains a regular collaboration with pianist Gerold Huber. Their partnership has taken them to prestigious venues and festivals including the Schubertiade Hohenems, London’s Wigmore Hall and the Tokyo Spring Festival.
