Jan Vacík

Biography

Guest of the National Theatre Opera. The artist, born in Prague, started his career as an occupational musician. Before this he studied violin, oboe and composition at Prague Public Conservatoire. In 1985 he studied singing by Else Domberger-Widmayer (1985-86) in Munich. In 1987-88 he received his scholarship at Academia Verdiana in Busseto by Carlo Bergonzi. The next one he received was at Corale Verdi in Parma. After casting for the Munich Singschul 1988 and so for Wolfgang Sawallisch, he received a contract on the Bayerische Staatsoper as a permanent member (solo-tenor). Since 1993 he has become a professional. His debut was in September 1988 in Milan/La Scala with the part of Polux (R. Strauss: Love of Danae). He was a guest at Operas in Nagoya, Tokyo, by opening of the Estates theater in Prague (200th anniversary of death of Mozart) as Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni) under leadship by Sir Charles Mackerras, Rom, Volksoper Wien, Parma, Modena, Dresden, Essen, Stuttgart, Lille, Lisabon, Kopenhagen, Lyon, Eindhoven, Rotterdam, Hong Kong, Tel Aviv, in 1999/2000 again La Scala - Florestan (Beethoven: Fidelio) under leadship by Riccardo Muti. Jan Vacík had the possibility to work with directors like A. Everding, J. Herz, H. Kupfer, W. Saladin, W. Herzog, M. A. Marelli, J. Schaaf, N. Lowery, V. Patane and conductors like G. Sinopoli, L. Slatkin, F. Luisi, R. Abbado, G. Albrecht, G. Ferro, P. Auguin, J. Bělohlávek, R. Muti, M. Soustrot, M. Viotti, M. Schonwand, S. Köhler, A. Lombard, D. Robertson, Sir Norington, G. Bertini amongst others. In the Prague National Theatre he has studied Janáček’s Laca (Jenůfa), composer Živný in Osud (Fate) and the title role of Matěj Brouček (The Excursions of Mr. Brouček), for which he won the prestigious Thalia Award 2003, Yannakos in the Greek Passion by Martinů and Nick in Puccini’s La fanciulla del West. Update: April 2007