Biography
One of the leading tenors today, Pavel Černoch regularly appears on the most important opera stages including Teatro alla Scala, Vienna, Paris, Dutch National Opera, Royal Opera House Covent Garden and the Salzburg and Glyndebourne Festivals. A hugely versatile artist, he is particularly acclaimed for his interpretations of the Czech and Slavic repertoire but is equally at home in French and Italian roles. He works frequently with some of the worlds most acclaimed conductors such as Daniel Barenboim, Kirill Petrenko, Simon Rattle, Andris Nelsons, John Eliot Gardiner, Charles Dutoit and Semyon Bychkov.
Highlights of his current season include his signature role The Prince in Rusalka at the Wiener Staatsoper and in a new production at Staatsoper Berlin; his company debut with the Lyric Opera of Chicago as Laca Jenufa; and returns to the Opéra national de Paris as Albert Gregor in The Makropulos Affair and to Hamburg State Opera as Sergei Lady Macbeth von Mzensk.
In 2022/23 Černoch took on the role of Apollo in Romeo Castellucci’s new production of Daphne at Staatsoper Berlin. He also sang The Prince in Philipp Stölzl’s new production of Rusalka at Dutch National Opera and at home in Prague; and the title role of Faust at Staatsoper Hamburg. On the concert platform, Černoch joined the Norwegian National Opera under the baton of Edward Gardner in the title role of Le Damnation de Faust.
In recent seasons he made notable debus as Florestan Fidelio at Staatsoper Berlin; and as Max Der Freischütz at Bayerische Staatoper; as well as performing one of his most beloved roles: Cavaradossi Tosca at Staatsoper Hamburg, La Monnaie and The National Theatre Opera in Prague. Other highlights include The Prince Rusalkain a new production by Christoph Loy at Semperoper Dresden, Canadian Opera Company; Vladimir in Barrie Kosky’s new production of Borodin’s Prince Igor at Opera National de Paris; the title role of Don Carlo at Staatsoper Hamburg and Opera National de Paris; Giasone Médée at the Salzburg Festival; Sergei Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District at Opera de Paris; Boris Katja Kabanovaat Royal Opera House Covent Garden; Don Jose Carmen at Greek National Opera, Staatsoper Hamburg and Glyndebourne; Lensky Eugene Onegin at the Bayerische Staastsoper, Opera National de Paris and Wiener Staatsoper; Laca Jenůfa at Bayerische Staastsoper, Dutch National Opera Staatsoper Stuttgart and Theater an der Wien; Jenik The Bartered Bride at The National Theatre in Prague and Opera National de Paris; Lykov The Tsar’s Bride at Berlin Staatsoper and Teatro alla Scala; Rodolfo La bohème at Staatsoper Hamburg; Pinkerton Madama Butterfly at Berlin Staatsoper, Oper Köln and Staatsoper Hamburg; and a staged production of La Damnation de Faust at Teatro dell’Opera di Roma.
As much at home on the concert platform, he appears regularly with leading orchestras like the Gewandhaus Orchestra, CBSO, Boston Symphony Orchestra and Bamberger Symphoniker. Recent concert appearances include Beethoven Symphony No.9 with the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Mahler Das Lied von der Erde with the Prague Philharmonic, Rachmaninov The Bells with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Verdi Requiem at the Bergen Festival.
Černoch made his professional debut in his native city with Die Zauberflöte, followed by appearances in Prague, Riga, Cagliari, Athens, Graz and Wiener Volksoper. Černoch began singing as a child when he became a member of the famed Cantilena Chamber Choir. He studied at the Janacek Academy Brno and went on to continue his vocal studies in Italy with Paolo de Napoli, who remains his mentor today.