Concert
Norma
Adalgisa
The State Opera
Biography
Mezzo-soprano Štěpánka Pučálková made her debut at the State Opera in 2014 as the Page in Strauss’s Salome and in 2023, she also appeared in Schoenberg's Gurre-Lieder. At the National Theatre, she debuted in 2018 as Charlotte in Massenet's Werther. She also performed at concerts such as Hommage a Smetana, Kovařovic, Ostrčil, Smetana Gala, and Mahler-Martinů. At the Estates Theatre, she performed under the baton of maestro Plácido Domingo for the concert Mozart’s Birthday 2019, and in 2023, she sang Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder at the first Song Recital.
Born in Berlin, she successfully completed her master's degree at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg in 2012, where she studied with Prof. Elisabeth Wilke KS, E. Gramsse, and J. Wallnig. For her extraordinary achievements, she was awarded the Lilli Lehmann Medal by the Stiftung Mozarteum.
At the Semperoper in Dresden, where she has been a soloist since the 2018/2019 season, she has performed a number of mezzo-soprano roles, including the Messenger (L'Orfeo), Adalgisa (Norma), Prince Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus), Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro), Sesto Pompeo (Giulio Cesare), Varvara (Káťa Kabanová), and most recently, Ascanio in Berlioz’s opera Benvenuto Cellini. Under the baton of Christian Thielemann, she debuted in the tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen in the roles of Wellgunde (Das Rheingold, Götterdämmerung) and Waltraute (Die Walküre). She also appeared in Mahler's 8th Symphony, conducted by Christian Thielemann and accompanied by the Staatskapelle Dresden. At the Vienna Volksoper, she shone in the title role of Carmen. In 2024, she made her debut as Octavian in Strauss's opera Der Rosenkavalier in Leipzig.
She performs at prestigious festivals, such as the Mozartwoche Salzburg, Salzburg Festival, Salzburg Easter Festival, Beijing Music Festival, Dvořák Prague, Smetana's Litomyšl, etc. At the 30th International Music Festival in Český Krumlov, she performed at the opening gala concert as a guest of Plácido Domingo. At the 50th Salzburg Easter Festival, she debuted in the role of Siegrune in Die Walküre, conducted by Christian Thielemann, accompanied by the Staatskapelle Dresden, and directed by Vera Nemirova. In collaboration with the Beijing Music Festival, this production was also presented in Beijing in autumn 2017, where Štěpánka once again performed as Siegrune.
In the current season (2025/2026), in addition to the National Theatre, where she will appear as Carmen and Adalgisa, she is a guest at a number of other opera houses, including the Semperoper in Dresden, Mozartwoche Salzburg, Accademia nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, and Theater an der Wien.
In 2015, she was a finalist in the Hans Gabor Belvedere Competition in Vienna and also won the Best Female Voice award at the Vincenzo Bellini International Belcanto Competition in Marseille. She was nominated for the Thalia Award for her role as Charlotte in the National Theatre production.
www.stepankapucalkova.com
