Thimander, Conny

Conny Thimander is a Swedish tenor specializing in the creation of eccentric characters on stage. He received his Master of Arts degree from the Opera Academy in Stockholm and was awarded second prize in the Gösta Winbergh Award competition as well as the Bayreuth Scholarship from the Swedish Wagner Society.

The 2025/2026 season opens with a revival of Rufus Wainwright’s nostalgic and hypnotic opera Prima Donna at the Royal Swedish Opera, where Conny returns as the journalist André, a character with ambiguous motives. At the same house he will also appear in the celebration concert Nicolai Gedda 100 år, marking the centenary of the legendary Swedish tenor.

Conny is then reinvited to the Finnish National Opera to sing the role of Lars in Marc-Anthony Turnage and Lee Hall’s adaptation of Thomas Vinterberg’s haunting, Oscar-winning film Festen. Over Easter, Conny joins the Gulbenkian Foundation and its ensembles to perform the Evangelist in Bach’s St John Passion. The season concludes with an opera adaptation of the Challenger catastrophe by composer Joel Thoor Engström and librettist Sigrid Herrault, in which he portrays the troubled manager of the rocket company Thiokol. The summer will be spent as Spoletta in Tosca at the enormous outdoor stage of Hedeland, south of Copenhagen.

His unusual scenic presence has lent itself to characters such as Flute in Peter Hall’s legendary production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Malmö Opera (2021); the Police Inspector, the extreme role in Shostakovich’s The Nose at the Royal Danish Opera (2022); Orfeo in a performance version of Orfeo, Lollike’s final production as director of Sort/Hvid (2023); Pong in Turandot at Malmö Opera (2024) and the Royal Swedish Opera (2013); Mercury in Orpheus in the Underworld at Malmö Opera (2020); Philipp von Hessen in the Luther opera Schlagt sie tot! at Malmö Opera (2019); the Holy Fool in Boris Godunov, directed by Peter Konwitschny at Gothenburg Opera (2018); Tanzmeister and Scaramuccio in Ariadne auf Naxos at Gothenburg Opera (2018); Remendado in Carmen at Malmö Opera (2018) and the Royal Swedish Opera (2012); Sandon in the Swedish national opera Aniara at Malmö Opera (2017); Trotteltroll in Die Schneekönigin at Deutsche Oper am Rhein (2016); Niko and Hüseyin in Gegen die Wand at Deutsche Oper am Rhein (2014); Mond in Vom Mädchen, das nicht schlafen wollte at Deutsche Oper am Rhein (2014) and later again at Theater Bonn (2016); and Demo – the stuttering hunchback – in Il Giasone at Drottningholm Palace Theatre (2012).

The lyrical quality of his voice and his exquisite musicality have shaped roles such as Tamino in The Magic Flute at the Royal Swedish Opera (2013–2014) and Piccolo Regio (2010); Ferrando in Così fan tutte at Jyske Opera (2015); Lindoro in a youth adaptation of L’italiana in Algeri at the Baden-Baden Festspielhaus (2017); André in Rufus Wainwright’s opera Prima Donna at the Royal Swedish Opera (2021); and Ramiro in La Cenerentola at Folkoperan (2024) and Opera Hedeland (2024).

On the concert stage he has performed most of the major oratorios, with the role of the Evangelist in the Passions by J.S. Bach becoming one of his specialties. He has appeared at the Berliner Philharmonie, Royal Albert Hall, Tokyo Bunka Kaikan and the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, together with Staatskapelle Berlin, the Swedish Radio Choir and Orchestra, the Orchestra and Choir of the Gulbenkian Foundation, Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, Copenhagen Phil, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Baroque Orchestra, Eric Ericson Chamber Choir and the Copenhagen Boys Choir.

Repertoire — Opera

Composer

Work

Role

Bizet, G.
Carmen
Remendado
Blomdahl, K.B.
Aniara
Sandon
Britten, B.
A Midsummer Night´s Dream
Flute
Bunnskog, J. M.
Rhesus
Sarkozy
Cavalli, F.
Il Giasone
Demo
Castagnoli, G.
Il dragone in gabbia
Madrigal soloist
Donizetti, G.
L´elisir d´amore
Nemorino
Donizetti, G.
Don Pasquale
Ernesto
Edander, G.
The singer without ears
Hoichi
Jennefelt, T.
Bei uns
Adam
Johansson, M.
The Snow Sister
Julian
Lange, M.F.
Vom Madchen, das nicht schlafen wollte
Der Mond
Lange, M.F.
Die Schneekonigin
Trotteltroll
Lehár, F.
Die lustige Witwe
Pritschitsch
Lindahl, T.
Dolly´s Beautyshop
Pierrot
Lindahl, T.
Karlsson on the roof
Little brother
Lindahl, T.
My mother is a dragon
Åke
Lissmyr, M.
Goblin gold
Simon
Lundén-Welden, S.
Opus Opera
Alfred
Monteverdi, C.
L´Orfeo
Eco, Pastore, Spirito
Mozart, W.A.
Così fan tutte
Ferrando
Mozart, W.A.
Le nozze di Figaro
Basilio
Mozart, W.A.
Die Zauberflöte
Tamino
Mussorgsky, M.
Boris Godunov
Yurodivy, Missail
Offenbach, J.
Orpheus in Underworld
Mercure
Pallavicino, C.
Bassiano
Alindo
Puccini, G.
La fanciulla del West
Harry
Puccini, G.
Madama Butterfly
Goro
Puccini, G.
Tosca
Spoletta
Puccini, G.
Turandot
Pong
Rameau, J.-P.
Pygmalion
Pygmalion
Rossini, G.
Il barbiere di Siviglia
Almaviva
Rossini, G.
L’italiana in Algeri
Lindoro
Sandström, S.D.
The Book of Life
High Priest, Japeth
Shostakovich, D.
The Nose
Police Inspector
Smetana, B.
The Bartered Bride
Vašek
Strauss, R.
Ariadne auf Naxos
Brighella
Strauss, R.
Scaramuccio
Tanzmeister
Strauss, R.
Capriccio
The italian singer
Strauss, R.
Der Rosenkavalier
The italian singer
Strauss, R.
Salome
Narraboth
Ullén, J.
The Love Machine
Skarp
Volmer, L.
Gegen die Wand
Niko, Hüseyin
Wainwright, R.
Prima Donna
André
Weill, K.
Der Silbersee
The fat policeman
Wewrle, L.J.
Tintomara
Gustav III

Repertoire — Symphonic/ Oratorio

Composer

Work

Bach, J.S.
Cantatas (around 20 different)
Bach, J.S.
Johannes-Passion
Bach, J.S.
Magnificat
Bach, J.S.
Matthäus-Passion
Bach, J.S.
Messe h-moll
Britten, B.
Rejoice in the Lamb
Buxtehude, D.
Membra Jesu Nostri
Charpentier, M.A.
Magnificat, H. 80
Charpentier, M.A.
Missa assumpta est Maria
Charpentier, M.A.
Mors Saülis et Jonathae
Charpentier, M.A.
Le reniement de Saint Pierre
Charpentier, M.A.
Te Deum
Dvorak, A.
Mass D-dur
Haydn, J.
Die Schöpfung
Haydn, J.
Die Jahreszeiten
Händel, G.F.
Messiah
Händel, G.F.
Saul (Jonathan)
Händel, G.F.
Israel in Egypt
Mendelssohn, F.
Paulus
Mozart, W.A.
Coronation Mass
Mozart, W.A.
Great Mass c-moll
Mozart, W.A.
Requiem
Pärt, A.
Passio
Saint-Saëns, C.
Oratorio de Noël
Sandström, J.
Rekviem
Schütz, H.
Weinachts-Historie
Telemann, G.P.
Kanarienvogel-Kantate
Telemann, G.P.
Lukas-Passion
Vivaldi, A.
Gloria