Herbert von Karajan Award 2026: Meet the Laureates
Le Bu (Fasolt in »Das Rheingold«), Jasmin White (Erda in »Das Rheingold«), Arabel Karajan, Konstantin Krimmel (Baritonpartie in »Die Schöpfung«) © Monika Rittershaus
JASMIN WHITE - Erda in »Das Rheingold«
Jasmin White as Erda in the new opera production »Das Rheingold« (here with Christian Gerhaher as Wotan) © Frol Podlesnyi
A citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and a Cherokee-TERO-certified Indigenous fine artist, hailing from Grand Ronde, Oregon, Jasmin White is also a graduate of the Artist Diploma in the Opera Studies programme at The Juilliard School in New York.
In 2023, they won first place in the Queen Sonja Singing Competition in Norway and second place and the audience-awarded Musiq3 Prize in the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Belgium. The 2024/25 season marked Jasmin White’s first season as a member of the soloist ensemble at Volksoper Wien, where they performed as Dritte Dame in »Die Zauberflöte«, as Martha in »Jolanthe und der Nussknacker«, Suzy in »La rondine« as well as Frau Reich in »Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor«. White begins the 2025/26 season with a performance of Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, followed by the role of Juno in George Friedrich Handel’s »Semele« at the Dutch National Opera.
In 2025, Jasmin White made their debut in Salzburg under the baton of Esa-Pekka Salonen, and in the 2026 festival season White appears as Erda at the Salzburg Easter Festival.
KONSTANTIN KRIMMEL - Baritone Choral Concert I: HAYDN
Konstantin Krimmel © Geoffrey Schied
Maxim Emelyanychev
Konstantin Krimmel, of German-Romanian descent, received his first musical training with the St. Georgs Chorknaben in Ulm. At the age of 21, he began studying singing with Teru Yoshihara, graduating with honours in 2020.
Even during his studies, Konstantin Krimmel developed a special love for the concert and song repertoire, which he quickly expanded. In the 2025/26 season, he performs in nearly 30 recitals worldwide. Since 2021, the baritone has been a member of the ensemble at the Bayerische Staatsoper, where he sings the central roles of his repertoire, including Figaro, Don Giovanni, Papageno, Guglielmo, Harlequin and Belcore. His musical partners include Vladimir Jurowski, Jakub Hrůša, Philippe Herreweghe, Thomas Hengelbrock, Sir Simon Rattle and Christian Thielemann.
Winning numerous competitions has significantly advanced his career. Sponsored as a BBC New Generation Artist (2021–2023), he was named Best Young Artist by the »Oper! Awards« and »Opernwelt« in 2023 and received the »Opus Klassik Award« for Singer of the Year in 2024.
Konstantin Krimmel is performing at the 2026 Salzburg Easter Festival for the first time.
LE BU - Fasolt in »Das Rheingold«
Le Bu (Fasolt, with Patrick Guetti as Fafner) in »Das Rheingold« © Frol Podlesnyi
Chinese bass-baritone Le Bu is a 2024 Operalia First Prize and 2022 Metropolitan Opera Competition Winner and a recent alumnus of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.
In recent seasons, he has performed on the stages of the Metropolitan Opera, Washington National Opera, Santa Fe Opera and the Aspen Opera Theatre. During his time at the Met, he performed roles including Biterolf in »Tannhäuser«, Angelotti in »Tosca« and the Speaker in the holiday production of »Die Zauberflöte«. This season he appeared as Monterone in »Rigoletto« with the Santa Fe Opera and returns to the Washington National Opera in the title role of »Le nozze di Figaro«.
His future engagements include debuts with the Opéra national de Paris, Royal Opera, Covent Garden and a return to the Metropolitan Opera. At the 2026 Salzburg Easter Festival he performs in the Choral Concert II as well as Fasolt in »Das Rheingold« with the Berliner Philharmoniker.