Martin
Koch

The tenor studied voice at the Cologne University of Music with Prof. Josef Protschka and Prof. P.-C. Runge. He has been a member of the Cologne Opera ensemble since the beginning of the 09/10 season, having previously been a member of the ensemble at Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf. Guest engagements have taken him to the Bregenz Festival, Teatro Real Madrid, Semperoper Dresden, Komische Oper Berlin, Theater Bonn, Nationaltheater Mannheim, Bremen, and Staatstheater Wiesbaden. In the summer of 2012, he made a successful debut at the Bregenz Festival as Snaut in the world premiere of Detlev Glanert’s "Solaris". He later performed the role at Cologne Opera during the 14/15 season. With Cologne Opera, he also appeared as Mime in Wagner’s "Ring des Nibelungen" (Robert Carsen’s production) at the World Expo in Shanghai.

A particular highlight in 2014 was his invitation to Komische Oper Berlin, where he made his role debut as Desportes in "Die Soldaten". He also performed this role at the 2016 International May Festival in Wiesbaden. Earlier, he had made his house debut at Semperoper Dresden as Robert Hot in Friedrich Goldmann’s "Hot", and appeared as David in "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" at Staatstheater Mainz. At his home company in Cologne, as well as at Theater Bonn and Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf, he has also appeared as David, First Grail Knight, Jaquino, Pedrillo, Monostatos, First Jew, Dr. Cajus, Pong, Dancing Master, and Lippo Fiorentino in "Street Scene".

He enjoyed great success at Cologne Opera in 2018 and 2020 with his sold-out solo evenings "Adam Schaf hat Angst" and "Mit Kreisler im Nachtzug von Wien nach Milano".

In spring 2018, the versatile tenor once again performed the role of Desportes in "Die Soldaten" at Cologne Opera and Teatro Real Madrid. In the following seasons, he also made his Cologne debut as Siegfried in the children’s version of the "Ring". At the opening of the 21/22 season, Martin Koch made his debut at Theater Bonn as Matteo in "Arabella", where he also appeared as Fatty in "Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny". Further guest appearances included First Stranger in "Der Vetter aus Dingsda" at Theater Münster and Harlequin in "Der Kaiser von Atlantis" at Deutsche Oper am Rhein. During the 22/23 season at Cologne Opera, he appeared as Pedrillo in "Die Entführung aus dem Serail", made his role debut in the title role of Zemlinsky’s "Der Zwerg", and sang Monostatos in "Die Zauberflöte". He also appeared in an operetta gala at Oper Dortmund and as the Devil in the new production of Françaix’s "Der hinkende Teufel" at Staatstheater Braunschweig.

During the 23/24 season, he appeared at Cologne Opera as Billy O’Connor in the world premiere of Frank Pesci’s "The Strangers" and as Spoletta in "Tosca". At Theater Bonn, he took part in the long-awaited new production of "Moses und Aron", singing the role of Aron. With his signature role of Desportes in "Die Soldaten", he performed at the Cologne Philharmonie, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, and the Philharmonie de Paris. At the Bayreuth Festival in 2024, he sang Heinrich der Schreiber in "Tannhäuser" and Erik in the children’s opera "Der fliegende Holländer". He returned to Bayreuth in 2025 as Kunz Vogelgesang in the new production of "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg", First Brabantian Noble in "Lohengrin", and Walther in the children’s opera "Tannhäuser". In 2026, he will sing Baroncelli in "Rienzi" and the Fourth Squire in "Parsifal".

Further guest engagements include Valzacchi in "Der Rosenkavalier" at Aalto-Musiktheater Essen and Normanno in "Lucia di Lammermoor" at Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf. His Cologne repertoire also includes Aegisth in "Elektra" and Captain Penesch in "Eine Frau von Format".

During the 25/26 season, he returned to Cologne as Second Priest / Monostatos in "Die Zauberflöte", Mime in "Das Rheingold", and Pong in "Turandot". He also performs in the children’s operas "Freikugeln" and "Max und Moritz".

The 26/27 season at the reopened Cologne Opera House on Offenbachplatz will see Martin Koch appear as Valzacchi in the opening production of "Der Rosenkavalier", Spalanzani in "Les Contes d’Hoffmann", Second Priest / Monostatos in "Die Zauberflöte", Mime in "Siegfried", and Goro in "Madama Butterfly".