Biography
Peter Straka studied in Düsseldorf, Cologne, and at IOS (Internationales Opernstudio) in Zürich. He is a member of the Zürich Opernhaus, where he first performed in Monteverdi’s works and in a cycle of Mozart operas. Later on he played a wide repertoire of tenor roles, such as Tamino, Titus, Nemorino, Hans, the Prince in Rusalka, Florestan, Erik, Aegisthos, Alfred and Narraboth, and Stravinski’s Oedipus. Within an international engagement, he has performed on numerous occasions at the State Operas in Munich, Berlin and Hamburg, at London’s Covent Garden and New York’s Metropolitan Opera. Other stages include Milan’s La Scala and the Salzburg and Edinburgh festivals. He has also performed in Paris (Bastille) and Chatelet, Barcelona, Cologne, Amsterdam and Tokyo, where he has sung key tenor parts, for instance, Erik, Boris, Laca, Florestan, Narraboth, Tambourmajor, Loge, Lensky, Alwa, Rodolfo, Jim Mahoney and Siegmund. In both operas and concerts he has worked with renowned orchestras and conductors, among them L. Maazel, S. Celibidache, Sir C. Mackerras, J. Levine, S. Cambreling, H. Blomstedt, N. Harnoncourt, C. von Dohnanyi, G. Albrecht, K. Masur, Sir C. Davis, E. Inbal, J. Tate, F. Haider, I. Metzmacher, F. Welser-Möst, V. Gergiev, H. Stein and J. Conlon. The CD recordings of Janáček’s Zápisník zmizelého (The Diary Of One Who Vanished), Káťa Kabanová and Šárka (Sir C. Mackerras) and Orchesterlieden by R. Strauss (F. Haider) featuring this artist are truly exceptional. Worthy of mention among other Peter Straka CD recordings are also Berg’s Lulu with J. Tate / U. Schirmer, Bruckner’s F-moll Messe (Mass In F-minor) with S. Celibidache, Janáček’s Fate and Dvořák’s Vanda with G. Albrecht.