German-American baritone Karl Buttermann is quickly gaining traction to becoming a major talent in the opera world. Recently, Mr. Buttermann explicated the roles of Prophet/King in the Minnesota premiere of Nico Muhly’s Dark Sisters with Journey North Opera Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Previously, he executed the role of Donner in Das Rheingold with TUNDI Productions in August 2022, as part of their “Wagner in Vermont” festival in Brattelboro, Vermont. In June of that year, Mr. Buttermann interpreted the role of Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music with MIOpera in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, in which he was praised for his “dashing classically-trained singing voice” (The Pantagraph). In December 2021, Mr. Buttermann played King Melchior in Amahl and the Night Visitors, also with MIOpera. He was scheduled to sing as Count Monterone in Opera North’s production of Rigoletto in the summer of 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the performances were postponed. 

From 2016-2020, Mr. Buttermann worked on expanding his lower range, and performed as a bass. Within this time frame, he was a member of the 2019-2020 Herndon Emerging Artist Program with Virginia Opera in Norfolk, Virginia, in which he sang Alidoro in La Cenerentola and covered Ramfis in their canceled production of Aida. Mr. Buttermann was a 2019 Apprentice Artist with Opera Southwest in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and a 2016-2018 fellow of the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He sang the part of the Sergeant in Piedmont Opera’s production of La Bohème in December of 2018, also in Winston-Salem. In addition, Mr. Buttermann was a 2017 participant in Martina Arroyo’s Prelude to Performance summer training program in New York, New York, in which he sang Betto di Signa in Gianni Schicchi.

From 2013-2016, Mr. Buttermann had his first performances as a baritone. In these years, he was given numerous roles suitable for an artist at a college level, as well as at an advanced level. These include Mozart’s Don Alfonso, Count Monterone, Father (Hansel and Gretel), Le Roi (Cendrillon), and Rabonnier (La Rondine).

Mr. Buttermann’s next engagement will be singing in the ensemble of La Bohème with Minnesota Opera in the spring of 2024.