Jonas Kaufmann (born 1969) is a lirico spinto tenor born in Munich, Germany. Kaufmann completed his musical studies in his native Munich and also participated in master classes with James King, Hans Hotter, and Josef Metternich. He began his professional career at Staatstheater Saarbrücken in 1994 and was soon invited to make debuts in important German theaters, such as the Stuttgart Opera and Hamburg State Opera, as well as international debuts at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opéra National de Paris, and La Scala.