Helen Tintes-Schuernann

• Helen Tintes-Schuermann is a versatile singer-actress who performs in opera, operetta and musical theater in roles including Carmen, Azucena (Il Trovatore), Suzuki (Madame Butterfly), Marcellina (Le Nozze di Figaro), the Witch (Hansel and Gretel) and Mme. Giry (The Phantom of the Opera). She was recently praised for her performance as the Zia Principessa in Puccini’s Suor Angelica: “Tintes-Schuermann plays the princess as a cold authority figure unable to crack...it’s a dark role, but (she) plays it with a self-righteous relish, making for a memorable homecoming” (Inforum Press, USA).
• Tintes has performed with many European and USA companies, including the Gran Teatro del Liceu (Barcelona), Staatstheater Kassel (Deutschland), Theater an der Wien/Raimund Theater (Vienna), Chicago Opera Theatre, Light Opera Works (Chicago), F-M Opera (Minnesota), St. Petersburg Opera (FL), Gulfshore Opera (Fl). She has also sung at numerous European festivals, including the Monte Carlo Festival, Ascona Festival, Bodensee Festival and Fest in Hellbrunn/Salzburg. An international operatic highlight was performing with Gwyneth Jones in Strauss’ Elektra at the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, Spain.
• As a concert artist, Tintes has appeared as soloist with orchestras, fine arts series and universities throughout the USA and is a frequent recitalist in German Lied and Spanish/Latin American song. Her performance in Verdi’s Requiem (USC Symphony) was praised: “Surely in heaven there is a mezzo soprano who constantly sings that opening phrase of the Lacrymosa as beautifully as Tintes-Schuermann sang it” (The State/South Carolina). Recent engagements include performances with Gulfshore Opera in Verdi’s Rigoletto (Giovanna) and La Traviata (Annina), as well as Handel’s Messiah with the Ft. Myers Mastersingers (FL) and concerts with the SW Florida Symphonic Chorale (“Sing-Out”and “Mass Appeal”).
• Tintes is a recognized master voice teacher, who has taught at important conservatories and universities, including the Music and Arts Private University of Vienna (MUK), Northwestern University, the University of South Carolina (Columbia) and Ave Maria University. Through the prestigious Erasmus (European Union) program, she has performed and given masterclasses throughout Europe (Austria, Spain, Hungary, Estonia, Finland, Greece) and has also performed and taught in China. She is currently adjunct faculty at Florida Gulf Coast University (Ft. Myers, FL) and St. Leo University (Tampa, FL) and maintains residences in SW Florida and Vienna, Austria, where she recently began her private studio venture called “Vienna Voce”.
• Upcoming events include concerts in Naples, Florida and Vienna, Austria. Tintes is currently accepting private students both online and in-person in both SWFL and Vienna.

I enjoy a multi-faceted career as a singer-actor, voice professional, and director of music study courses and festivals. My formative studies as a pianist, organist, and church music director in ND/MN (USA Upper Midwest) prepared me for my first European adventures in Spain, where I performed in Early and Contemporary Music, as well as accompanying singers and working with opera choruses. Studies at the Escuela Superior de Canto and experiences in Spain solidified my love of Spanish music and culture which has evolved into a concentration in Spanish and Latin American vocal music and the development of the ISMCenter.

After completing the Masters in Vocal Performance at the University of Minnesota, I returned to Europe on a Rotary Scholarship to study German Lied and Oratorio at the renowned Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria…and changed ‘fach’ from soprano to mezzosoprano. The vocal shift (and personal one as well) brought me many more singing opportunities in opera and musical theater. I moved to Vienna, Austria and joined the cast of Phantom of the Opera, where I met my future husband, Klaus Schuermann. We embarked on an over 25-year partnership in music, travel, and general love of the arts, as performers and educators.

I sing in a variety of musical styles, including operas such as Carmen, Il Trovatore, The Medium, Elektra, Il Trittico, in concert works such as Mozart’s and Verdi’s Requiems, Bach Passions, Mahler Lieder, and in contemporary works including Bernstein’s Jeremiah Symphony and many world premieres. I have also performed in numerous musical theater productions such as Sondheim (A Little Night Music, Into the Woods) and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music.

I am an avid recitalist in German Lied and Spanish/Latin American song literature and have performed selections from the Great American Songbook with jazz ensembles as well.

As the music world adjusts to a new era of challenges during the pandemic, I am beginning a new phase of opera and theater performance in character roles. I also continue my concert and recital performances with the goal of introducing new talent through my voice studio “Vienna Voce”, which offers masterclasses and coaching based on years of experience in the field.