Jan Kristof Schliep
Foto: Holger Katenkamp
Tenor for Opera and Concert
Jan Kristof Schliep is a German character tenor and young dramatic tenor whose artistic development leads from the lyric character tenor repertoire towards character-driven roles and selected lyric-dramatic parts. His work is distinguished by clear diction, detailed character interpretation, and strong stage presence. He began his artistic career in Hanover, where he studied voice at the University of Music, Drama and Media.
Since 2016, Jan Kristof Schliep has been working as a freelance singer. Since then, his artistic focus has shifted towards character roles and parts within the young dramatic tenor repertoire, which today form the core of his artistic profile. His repertoire is centred on key roles of the German operatic tradition, particularly in 19th- and 20th-century music theatre.
In the 2026/27 season, he appears as Graf Elemer in Strauss’ Arabella at Theater Altenburg Gera, as Altoum in Puccini’s Turandot at Theater Magdeburg, and as Zwackelmann in the family opera Der Räuber Hotzenplotz at the Staatsoper Hannover.
In the 2025/26 season, he appeared as Walter in Weinberg’s The Passenger (Die Passagierin) at Theater Krefeld Mönchengladbach, as the Clerk Licht in Ullmann’s Der zerbrochene Krug at the Deutschen Nationaltheater Weimar, as Graf Elemer in Strauss’ Arabella at Theater Altenburg Gera, as well as in the roles of Altoum and Schwartenmagen and Father in Wurst by S. Schwab at the Staatsoper Hannover. In 2024, he stepped in at short notice to sing the role of Ktesiphar in Eugen d’Albert’s Die toten Augen at Theater Altenburg Gera, performing in the premiere after a short preparation period.
Alongside his operatic work, Jan Kristof Schliep is also active as a concert singer. His repertoire ranges from Haydn’s The Creation, Saint-Saëns’ Oratorio de Noël, and Rossini’s Petite Messe solennelle to Orff’s Carmina Burana and Verdi’s Messa da Requiem. His concert engagements have taken him beyond Germany to the Netherlands and Italy.
He received his training from Prof. Gerhard Faulstich at the University of Music, Drama and Media Hanover. Even during his studies, he appeared as a guest performer at Theater Lübeck and Stadttheater Hildesheim.
After graduating, Jan Kristof Schliep was a member of the ensemble at TfN · Theater für Niedersachsen Hildesheim for ten years. During this time, he appeared in more than 40 productions and developed a broad repertoire ranging from lyric character tenor roles to more characterful assignments. His roles included Monostatos in The Magic Flute, David in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Bob Boles in Peter Grimes, as well as parts in rarely performed works such as Ullmann’s Der zerbrochene Krug and Busoni’s Doktor Faust. For his artistic achievements, he received the Artists’ Prize of the Friends of TfN.
For several years, he has been working with vocal coach Axel Heil, whose collaboration continues to support his technical and artistic development in his freelance career.
Jan Kristof Schliep lives in Nieuwegein near Utrecht in the Netherlands and is a member of ensemble artists e. V.