thumb|Heldentenor [[Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld and his wife, Malvina, in the title roles of Tristan und Isolde, 1865.]]
A heldentenor (;
It is distinct from other tenor fächer by its endurance, volume, and dark timbre, which may be, in its middle register, like that of a baritone. The voice may also sound clear or metallic. It is one of the rarest voice types in opera. Heldentenor roles, such as the title roles in Siegfried and Lohengrin, often require commanding stage presence and strong acting ability. In some cases, due to reasons such as voice misidentification, singers may begin their careers as baritones before later transitioning. The term heldentenor may be used to refer to both a singer and their voice.
The treble counterpart of the heldentenor is the Wagnerian soprano.
thumb|The heldentenor [[Vocal range|range from approximately (B<sub>2</sub>) to (C<sub>5</sub>)
- Rienzi, Rienzi
- Siegfried, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung
- Tannhäuser, Tannhäuser
Richard Strauss
- Aegisth, Elektra
- Apollo, Daphne
- Bacchus, Ariadne auf Naxos
- Guntram, Guntram
- Der Kaiser (The Emperor), Die Frau ohne Schatten
Other
- Aeneas, Les Troyens (Berlioz)
- Peter Grimes, Peter Grimes (Britten)
- Samson, Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns)
Example singers
Germany
- Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld
- Siegfried Jerusalem
- René Kollo
- Max Lorenz
- Albert Niemann
- Georg Unger
Northern, Central, and Western Europe
- Karel Burian
- Lauritz Melchior
- Jean de Reszke
- Leo Slezak
- Josef Tichatschek
- Christopher Ventris
- Walter Widdop
North and South America
- Richard Cassilly
- Stephen Gould
- Ben Heppner
- James King
- Gary Lakes
- Robert Dean Smith
- Jon Vickers
- Ramon Vinay
- Meat Loaf (Michael Lee Aday)