Pavel Černoch

Bio

Pavel Černoch is recognized as one of today's leading tenors, frequently performing on major opera stages such as Teatro alla Scala, Vienna, Paris, Dutch National Opera, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, and at the Salzburg and Glyndebourne Festivals. Renowned for his versatility, he is especially praised for his interpretations of Czech and Slavic repertoires, while also excelling in French and Italian roles. Černoch collaborates with many of the world’s top conductors, including Daniel Barenboim, Kirill Petrenko, Simon Rattle, Andris Nelsons, John Eliot Gardiner, Charles Dutoit, and Semyon Bychkov.

In the current season, his notable performances include reprising his acclaimed role as The Prince in Rusalka at the Wiener Staatsoper and in a new production at the Staatsoper Berlin; making his debut at the Lyric Opera of Chicago as Laca in Jenůfa; and returning to the Opéra national de Paris as Albert Gregor in The Makropulos Affair and to the Hamburg State Opera as Sergei in Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk.

„Sergey, a role to which Pavel Cernoch brings both feline grace and loutish opportunism.“

- Financial Times -

„Pavel Černoch as Max sang with a clear and brilliant voice, fearlessly and impressively scaling the heights of his arias.“

- Bachtrack -

„Pavel Cernoch […] excels in this role where Shostakovich takes pleasure in diverting the image of the heroic tenor.“

- Concert Classic -

„Pavel Černoch’s dashingly attractive, if weak-willed Boris. (…) Černoch is very much her equal – warm in tone, ardent yet vacillating, and simmering with resentment at his treatment brutal Dikoj.“

- The Guardian -

„Pavel Cernoch is a moving Laca with flaming tenor heights, whose change from aggressive to a devoted lover is impressive.“

- Die Deutsche Buehne -

During the 2022/23 season, Černoch appeared as Apollo in Romeo Castellucci’s new production of Daphne at the Staatsoper Berlin. He also performed as The Prince in Philipp Stölzl’s new production of Rusalka at the Dutch National Opera and in Prague, and took on the title role of Faust at the Staatsoper Hamburg. On the concert stage, he joined the Norwegian National Opera under Edward Gardner in Le Damnation de Faust.

In recent seasons, Černoch made significant debuts as Florestan in Fidelio at the Staatsoper Berlin and as Max in Der Freischütz at the Bayerische Staatsoper. He also performed one of his signature roles, Cavaradossi in Tosca, at Staatsoper Hamburg, La Monnaie, and The National Theatre Opera in Prague. Additional career highlights include The Prince in a new production of Rusalka by Christoph Loy at Semperoper Dresden and Canadian Opera Company; Vladimir in Barrie Kosky's new production of Prince Igor at Opera National de Paris; the title role in Don Carlo at Staatsoper Hamburg and Opera National de Paris; Giasone in Médée at the Salzburg Festival; Sergei in Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District at Opera de Paris; Boris in Katja Kabanová at Royal Opera House Covent Garden; Don José in Carmen at Greek National Opera, Staatsoper Hamburg, and Glyndebourne; Lensky in Eugene Onegin at the Bayerische Staatsoper, Opera National de Paris, and Wiener Staatsoper; Laca in Jenůfa at Bayerische Staatsoper, Dutch National Opera, Staatsoper Stuttgart, and Theater an der Wien; Jenik in The Bartered Bride at The National Theatre in Prague and Opera National de Paris; Lykov in The Tsar’s Bride at Berlin Staatsoper and Teatro alla Scala; Rodolfo in La bohème at Staatsoper Hamburg; Pinkerton in 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 the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Bamberger Symphoniker. Recent concert performances include Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Gewandhausorchester, Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with the Prague Philharmonic, Rachmaninov’s The Bells with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Verdi’s Requiem at the Bergen Festival.

He made his professional debut in his hometown with Die Zauberflöte, followed by performances in Prague, Riga, Cagliari, Athens, Graz, and at the Wiener Volksoper. Černoch began singing as a child with the Cantilena Chamber Choir and later studied at the Janáček Academy in Brno. He continued his vocal training in Italy with Paolo de Napoli, who remains his mentor today.