Josef Metternich (2 June 1915 – 21 February 2005) was a German operatic baritone. Metternich was born near Cologne in Hermühlheim. He began singing before World War Two in smaller German opera houses, but his career was delayed by the war. His career took off when he was able to return to the opera stage in the later 1940s. Metternich made his Covent Garden debut at the Royal Opera House in a 1951 performance of Wagner's The Flying Dutchman. His Metropolitan Opera debut was in 1953 in a performance of Verdi's La forza del destino. Metternich retired in 1971 after performing for more than three decades.
