Vitalij Kowaljow is a bass
opera singer living in Switzerland. He initially studied piano as a child, but inspired by his parents, who sang in the choir of his Baptist church in
Cherkasy, Ukraine, he took advantage of an offer to study choral conducting for the church. While studying at the Moscow Theological Institute, it was suggested that he take up singing. Working as a fireman at the time, a back injury caused him to cease that job, and he spent more time working with the choir. During a concert where the bass soloists were ill, Kowaljow stepped in, and a Swiss woman present at the concert was impressed by his voice, and arranged for him to audition for the
Bern Opera in Switzerland. He went on to study at the Bern Conservatory of Music with Elisabeth Glauser, and obtained a Master's degree.
Career
In 1999, Kowaljov entered the Operalia competition, founded by Plácido Domingo, and won the CultureArte Prize.
In 2003, Kowaljow stepped in to replace another singer as Procida in
Giuseppe Verdi's
I vespri siciliani at the Opéra National de Paris with
James Conlon conducting, which led to his recognition and a long working relationship with Conlon.
In 2010, he sang Wotan in
Richard Wagner's
Ring cycle at the Los Angeles Opera, conducted by James Conlon, and the following year he sang in Wagner's
Die Walküre at
La Scala in Milan under
Daniel Barenboim.
Kowaljov has more than forty roles in his repertoire,
Recordings
Kowaljow has made a number of recordings, including
Giacomo Puccini's
La bohème, conducted by Bertrand de Billy in 2008; Leoncavallo's
I Medici, conducted by
Alberto Veronesi in 2010; and Mozart's
Don Giovanni, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin in 2012. All his recordings are on the Deutsche Grammophon label. He also appeared the 2008 film of
La bohème directed by
Robert Dornhelm.
External links
