Volksoper Wien mourns the death of baritone Josef Luftensteiner

The Volksoper Wien is mourning the death of Kammersänger Josef Luftensteiner, who passed away in Vienna at the age of 68 following a long illness.

Luftensteiner was a prominent baritone who performed in 45 different roles and appeared in 20 premieres during a 34-year stage career. He performed in over 1,450 evenings until October 2021. Beyond his artistic contributions, he held significant administrative and representative roles, serving as the chairman of the Volksoper works council and as a member of the supervisory boards for both the Volksoper and the Bundestheater-Holding.

Management at the Volksoper, including Lotte de Beer and Christoph Ladstätter, described him as a ‘great human and dear friend.’ Austrian Minister Andreas Babler also honored him, calling him a ‘true veteran of our federal theaters’ and noting his tireless commitment to colleagues both on and off the stage.