Born in Berlin on 30 August 1945, Lorenz studied voice in his hometown at the
Hochschule für Musik "Hanns Eisler" from 1964 to 1969, where he was a master student of Alois Orth. After receiving several prizes at international singing competitions, Lorenz was engaged as a lyrical baritone at the
Komische Oper Berlin by
Walter Felsenstein in 1969. In 1973, he became the first vocal soloist at the
Gewandhaus in Leipzig, a position which
Kurt Masur created for him. He performed and recorded several cantatas by
Johann Sebastian Bach and became known as a
Lied singer. His recordings of songs by
Franz Schubert received several awards. Recordings of Schubert songs between 1974 and 1987 were combined to form a collection covering 151 of his songs. A reviewer wrote that Lorenz "penetrated Schubert's songs for many years and this eight-CD box is the result of assiduous study and a long-term plan". Lorenz recorded the role of Beckmesser in Wagner's
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, alongside
Ben Heppner,
Cheryl Studer and
Bernd Weikl, conducted by
Wolfgang Sawallisch; this recording was nominated as the
Best Opera Recording at the
1994 Grammy Awards. He recorded Bach's solo cantatas for bass,
Ich will den Kreuzstab gerne tragen and
Ich habe genug, with the
Neues Bachisches Collegium Musicum conducted by
Max Pommer, as well as orchestral works by Mahler including
Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen conducted by
Günther Herbig and
Fünf Lieder nach Friedrich Rückert with the
Staatskapelle Berlin conducted by
Otmar Suitner. He was appointed professor in 1982, and taught from 2001 to 2003 at the
Musikhochschule Hamburg, and from October 2003 at the
Universität der Künste Berlin. == Awards ==