Herbert Alsen

Herbert Alsen, born on October 12, 1906, in Hildesheim, Germany, was a German-Austrian opera singer known for his bass voice. Initially aiming to be a violinist, Alsen's vocal talents were discovered during his music studies at the Berlin Academy of Music. He debuted as Rocco in Fidelio in 1932 and performed at theaters in Dessau and Wiesbaden before joining the Vienna State Opera in 1935. He was appointed as an Austrian Kammersänger in 1947 and was known for his roles as Gurnemanz in Parsifal, Sarastro in The Magic Flute, and Osmin in The Abduction from the Seraglio. Alsen also appeared at the Salzburg Festival. In 1957, he founded the Mörbisch Lake Festival and ended his stage career after a car accident in 1959. He also became the director of the Forchtenstein Castle Festival. Alsen passed away on October 25, 1978.