Ortrun Wenkel was a German operatic contralto born on 25 October 1937 in
Buttstädt, Gau Thuringia, Germany. She achieved professional recognition after
studying at the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt Weimar and the Frankfurt
University of Music and Performing Arts under Paul Lohmann. Wenkel began her
career in 1964 as a concert and oratorio soloist, performing at venues including
the Salle Pleyel and the Royal Festival Hall. She made her operatic debut in
1971 at the Stadttheater Heidelberg in the title role of the production Orfeo.
In 1975, she became a member of the Bavarian S...