Erwin Schrott

Erwin Schrott, one of the most astonishing singers on the opera stage today, is celebrated in Europe and America as one of the most exciting and charismatic artists of his generation. His compelling portrayals of Don Giovanni and Leporello in Don Giovanni, as well as the title role of Le nozze di Figaro, combined with his dark, velvety, and sensual bass-baritone, have particularly ignited a frenzy of enthusiasm among critics and audiences alike. He has since performed at the most prestigious opera houses in the world, including La Scala in Milan, the Metropolitan Opera, the Vienna State Opera, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Opéra National de Paris, the Washington Opera, the Teatro Colón Buenos Aires, the Théâtre Royale de la Monnaie, the Teatro Comunale Florence, the Los Angeles Opera, and many others. Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1972, Erwin Schrott made his official debut at the age of 22 in Montevideo as Roucher in Andrea Chénier. He was subsequently invited to the Teatro Municipal in Santiago, where he first performed in several leading roles, including Timur in Turandot, Colline in La Bohème, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, and Ramphis in Aida. In 1996, Schrott received a scholarship to study in Italy and soon after made his debut there at the Teatro Regio Turin in Boris Godunov. In 1998, Schrott gained instant international recognition when he won first prize from both the audience and the jury at the international Operalia Competition, sponsored and organized by Plácido Domingo. Remarkable debuts followed in quick succession, and by 2000, he had already performed on major international opera stages – at the Arena di Verona, the Vienna State Opera, the Met, the Washington Opera, the Opéra National de Paris, the Teatro Comunale Florence, in Nice and Hamburg – singing in a wide variety of operas, including Macbeth, Rigoletto, Don Giovanni, La Bohème, L’elisir d’amore, and Turandot. In the following years, Schrott further developed the roles he had already performed and brought greater diversity to his repertoire with several important debuts: in two Bellini roles, Rodolfo in La sonnambula in Rio de Janeiro and Giorgio in I puritani for his debut at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa; in a new production of Macbeth under Antonio Pappano in 2001 at the Théâtre de la Monnaie Brussels; in 2002 as Colline at the Chicago Lyric Opera; as Banquo at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden; as Narbal at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in the new production of Hector Berlioz's opera Les Troyens under Zubin Mehta; as Méphistophélès in Faust, in Tchaikovsky's opera Eugene Onegin; as Escamillo in Carmen, as well as in the roles of the four villains in Les Contes d’Hoffmann. Schrott has also added key works to his concert appearances – Verdi's Requiem at the Teatro Real in Madrid and Rossini's Stabat Mater with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. In September 2003, Schrott appeared at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden as Leporello in Don Giovanni under Antonio Pappano, where he was met with unanimous acclaim. His first appearance at La Scala in Milan then followed as Pharaon in the new production of Rossini's Moïse et Pharaon under Riccardo Muti. In spring 2003, he sang the title role of Don Giovanni for the first time in performances at the Washington Opera and made his role debut as Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro in 2004. Erwin Schrott continues to be a regular guest at the Vienna State Opera, in Los Angeles, at the Metropolitan Opera, and at Covent Garden. He began the 2007/2008 season with the title role in Le nozze di Figaro at the Met, where he was again praised by critics and audiences for his witty and mischievous portrayal of the role. He will sing the same role in Seville and appear as Pagano in I lombardi in Naples. This summer, he will debut as Leporello in Don Giovanni at the Salzburg Festival. His engagements in future seasons include the title role in Don Giovanni at the Met, Le nozze di Figaro in Vienna, and Escamillo (Carmen) at La Scala under Daniel Barenboim.