What makes a singer? Voice ranges & finding singers for events

Singers have shaped music history for centuries. Their task goes far beyond merely performing songs: They interpret lyrics, emotions, and melodies so that an immediate impression is created in the audience. In classical music, the perfection of technique is central, while in pop or jazz, the characteristic voice and stage presence are often decisive. Many singers develop an unmistakable way of expression over the course of their career and gain great fame. Singers are therefore not only considered musicians but also as personalities who embody and convey a certain feeling of life.

Professional vocal training is demanding and can take different paths depending on the genre. At their core, all singers learn similar fundamentals — breathing technique, voice guidance, support, resonance, diction, stage presence and musical interpretation — but the emphases differ considerably.

Classical training usually takes place at music colleges and conservatories (in Germany, for example, at the UdK Berlin, the "Hanns Eisler" college of music, the college of music and theatre in Munich, or the college of music in Cologne). The training generally lasts 4 to 6 years and ends with a bachelor's or master's degree.

In jazz, musical theatre, pop and rock there are dedicated degree programmes as well as private academies and vocal coaches. Work here is often style-specific — jazz singers learn improvisation and scat singing, musical singers combine singing with acting and dance, pop and rock singers work on microphone technique, belting and stylistic versatility.

Different training directions at a glance:

• Classical: opera, concert, church music, art song
• Jazz: standards, improvisation, scat, vocal jazz
• Musical theatre: belting, acting, dance, stage
• Pop and rock: microphone technique, studio singing, live performance

Many professional singers switch between several styles and use their versatility for different engagements.

Singers perform in the most varied formations — and depending on the occasion and the desired effect, a different constellation fits. The most important formats for events:

• Solo singer: performing alone or with accompaniment (piano, guitar, loop station, band or orchestra). The solo performance is intimate and direct — the voice is clearly at the centre. Popular for ceremonies, receptions, funerals and small concerts.
• Choir: several voices sing at the same time, often arranged in multiple parts. Classic church choirs, gospel choirs, pop choirs or male voice choirs shape the picture. On connactz you will find choirs all across Germany.
• A cappella ensemble: singing without instrumental accompaniment — all sound elements are produced exclusively by human voices. Very popular for weddings, galas and corporate events, because the purely vocal form draws a lot of attention.
• Bands and ensembles with a lead voice: the singer as the front figure of a formation — from acoustic duos and cover bands to big band vocalists. In most live formats the voice is the load-bearing element.
• Backing vocals: singers who, as second and third voices, harmonically support a lead vocal — typical for pop, soul, R&B and gospel.

On connactz you will find singers in all formats and styles.

Over the decades, the German music landscape has produced a whole series of singers who have shaped the country's musical self-image. Which names should appear in a list of the best-known German singers?

• Herbert Grönemeyer: with albums such as "Bochum" and "Mensch", one of Germany's most defining pop singers; his characteristically rough timbre is unmistakable.
• Peter Maffay: a rock and pop singer with a decades-long career and classics such as "Über sieben Brücken".
• Udo Lindenberg: a pioneer of German-language rock and a defining voice for an entire generation, with great cultural-historical significance (his 1983 performance in East Berlin).
• Nena: internationally known for "99 Luftballons" (1983), which reached number 2 in the US charts — one of the few German singers with a global hit.
• Xavier Naidoo: a soul and pop singer with a major impact in the 2000s.
• Helene Fischer: especially successful in modern Schlager and pop-Schlager, with large tours and show productions that have set the standard in the German-speaking world.
• Other defining voices: Reinhard Mey (in the songwriter tradition), Sarah Connor, Andreas Bourani, Mark Forster, Yvonne Catterfeld, Adel Tawil, Roland Kaiser, Howard Carpendale, Tim Bendzko, Lena Meyer-Landrut.

These singers shape the German pop, Schlager and rock landscape and belong in any list of German entertainers.

Across all genres there are singers whose names practically everyone knows — they have helped shape what we understand today as "voice". An overview of the best-known singers by genre:

• Classical and opera: Luciano Pavarotti (Italian tenor and one of the "Three Tenors"), Jonas Kaufmann (German tenor with a global career), Anna Netrebko (Russian soprano), Plácido Domingo, José Carreras. Here vocal culture, mastery of the classical repertoire and stage presence count.
• Jazz: Frank Sinatra (the epitome of the American jazz crooner), Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Tony Bennett. Today's representatives include Diana Krall, Gregory Porter and Cécile McLorin Salvant.
• Rock: Freddie Mercury (Queen), Mick Jagger (Rolling Stones), Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin), Bruce Springsteen, Steven Tyler (Aerosmith). Icons with an unmistakable voice and stage presence.
• Pop: Michael Jackson, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, Adele, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé. These singers shape today's global chart landscape.
• Soul and R&B: Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Whitney Houston, John Legend, Lauryn Hill.
• German: Herbert Grönemeyer, Peter Maffay, Udo Lindenberg, Sarah Connor, Helene Fischer, Roland Kaiser, Andreas Bourani.
• Musical theatre: Idina Menzel (Frozen, Wicked), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), Patti LuPone.

These names give an idea of what musical skill at the highest level means. On connactz you will find professional singers all across Germany.