| Heinrich Sontheim | |
| "The King of Tenors" | |
| Birth Date: | 3 February 1820 |
| Birth Place: | Jebenhausen, Wuerttemberg, Germany |
| Death Place: | Germany |
| Occupation: | Tenor |
| Employer: | Stuttgart Opera |
| Parents: | Moses Loeb Sontheimer and Ruchele Rosenheim |
Heinrich Sontheim (1820–1912), also known as Honas Bär Sontheimer, was a prominent late-19th-Century tenor and kammersänger (chamber singer) based in Stuttgart, Germany.
Sontheim was born on 3 February 1820 in Jebenhausen, Wuerttemberg, Germany. His parents were Moses Loeb Sontheimer and Ruchele Rosenheim.[1] A convert to Protestant Christianity as a young man, Sontheim returned to Judaism in 1847, following the death of his non-Jewish wife. He was a first cousin twice removed of Albert Einstein.[2]
Coached from an early age, Sontheim earned international acclaim in the mid-to-late 19th Century. He was hailed in Germany as "The King of Tenors".[3] He was known for his roles, among others, as Eléazar in Halévy's La Juive and the title role in Rossini's Otello. He was given a contract with the Stuttgart Opera, where he sang from 1850–1872. His appearances in Vienna as Eléazar secured his international reputation.[4]