Don & Giovannis

Acclaimed lyric tenor Andreas Winkler strikes new paths

The idea: A fresh approach to classical-crossover takes the most popular operatic melodies and makes them accessible to a wider public through a sound that is at once contemporary and true to the essentials of the great opera masters. Arias by Verdi, Puccini, Bizet, Händel, Mozart or Wagner are transformed through tango, swing, flamenco, klezmer- or Balkan sounds, producing a musical tightrope act that oscillates between tradition and innovation, and that ultimately fuses into a rich musical mosaic. With just one tenor voice and four instruments, Don & Giovannis create a listening experience that is familiar and nostalgic, full of surprises, witty and totally engaging.

The sound: The recordings testify to the ensemble’s broad-mindedness, versatility and exceptional virtuosity. It’s how one might imagine a heavenly jam session of musical legends: Mozart swinging with Django Reinhardt, Bach improvising a tango with Astor Piazolla, Verdi jamming with Bob Marley! Recalling romantic neapolitan songs of Enrico Caruso’s time, swinging tunes à la Cole Porter, euphoric Sicilian tarantellas or passionate Argentinian milongas, Don & Giovannis, namely mandoline, accordion, clarinet and double bass accompanying the lyrical tenor voice, produce a musical experience that evokes sunsets by the sea, dreamy bars in the shadow of the Rio de la Plata, holidays on distant shores. The

innovation: Andreas Winkler and his musicians have developed a new language in music that won’t be boxed into standard categories.

Exercising poetic license, in this project they also hark back to pre-digital times when instruments were played live and musicians didn’t worry about radio suitability or market compatibility. Don & Giovannis engage audiences with performances that captivate and truly connect them to the music. A new ensemble of inimitable sound is born:
Don & Giovannis

Andreas Winkler, Tenor
Andreas Winkler started out as an operatic lyric tenor. Born in Italy to an Italian mother and a Viennese father, he grew up in Innsbruck. In 2003, after graduating summa cum laude from the Musikhochschule

Cologne, Alexander Perreira invited the tenor to work at the Zurich Opera where he became a permanent member of the ensemble. From Zurich, Winkler launched his international career.