Nikolaj Višnjakov

Biography

The tenor Nikolaj Višnjakov is a native of Siberia. As a student of the Music Academy in Sverdlovsk he was engaged by the Perm Opera Theatre, where he debuted in the role of Lensky in Eugene Onegin. After graduation he became a soloist at the Voronezh Opera House and created on this stage a number of tenor parts in operas by Russian and Italian composers. In 1992, he participated in the Fyodor Shalyapin International Opera Festival in Kazan. One year later, he won a prize at the same festival’s international singing competition. In 1996, he started his collaboration with the Prague State Opera in Musorgsky’s Boris Godunov, and  appeared there in a formidable gallery of leading roles, including Don Carlos, Faust, Lensky (Eugene Onegin), Manrico (Il trovatore), the Duke of Mantua (Rigoletto), Alfredo (La traviata), Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), and Radames (Aida). He also sung the role of Radames at Gelbeschat, Germany, and in Tokyo. Since January 2012, he has been a soloist of the Czech National Opera. In 2001, he took part in the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra’s touring programme, visiting Brazil, Lebanon, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands, Turkey, and Japan. In 2004 and 2005, he was engaged for a prestigious touring stage production of Carl Orff’s cantata Carmina burana, which was performed in France, Spain, Portugal, Canada and the USA. In 2008 he toured in Italy, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates (Aida, Carmina burana), as well as in Spain, Portugal and France (Carmen). In 2009 he sang the Duke of Mantua (Rigoletto) and Erik (Der fliegende Holländer) in Spain, and in 2010 he was cast as Cavaradossi (Tosca) and as Don José (Carmen) at the Macerata Festival in Italy, and as Manrico (Il trovatore) in The Netherlands. In 2012, he created Enzo Grimaldi in Ponchielli's La gioconda at the J. K. Tyl Theatre in Plzeň.

Update: September 2012