Lutz-Michael Harder

Lutz-Michael Harder (4 September 1942 – 24 August 2019) was a German lyric tenor known mostly for his interpretation of Mozart opera roles and as a baroque concert soloist. He was also an academic voice teacher at the Musikhochschule Hannover.

Life
Born in Langenfeld (today Długoszyn), Harder made his operatic debut in 1975 at the Eutin Festival as Ferrando in Mozart's Così fan tutte. He became a member of the Oldenburgisches Staatstheater for a year and then was member of the Staatsoper Hannover for several years. In 1978, he sang Don Ottavio in Mozart's Don Giovanni at the Ludwigsburg Festival. In 1985, he starred as Hans Scholl in the world premiere of the second version of Udo Zimmermann's Weiße Rose at the Hamburg State Opera, a role which he reprised and recorded two years later at the Vienna State Opera. He went on to perform several roles in major houses throughout Germany, Austria, and Switzerland appearing mainly in the works of Mozart.

Harder also had a prolific concert singing career, particularly as a Bach interpreter. In addition to recording Hans Scholl, Harder has recorded the role of Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, the title role in Carl Martin Reinthaler's Jephtha, and several Bach cantatas, among others.

Harder lectured from 1982 at the Musikhochschule Hannover, where he was appointed professor of voice on 15 March 1989. He taught there for 25 years.