Cornelius Hauptmann was born in Stuttgart, Germany, and is a product of the Bern Conservatory. Subsequent masterclasses with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Hans Hotter and Elizabeth Schwarzkopf helped to shape his career. In 1982 he became a member of the Stuttgart Opera, and subsequently joined the Heidelberg and Karlsruhe Opera houses. He has also enjoyed a major concert hall career, and has been very active in the recording studio, appearing on a number of different labels.