A broad range of repertoire on leading international stages distinguishes Peter Kálmán as one of the most dynamic bass-baritones before the public today. Highly regarded for his engaging character portrayals in the Italian buffo tradition, he is no less accomplished in the dramatic roles of Bartók, Strauss, and Wagner. Collaborations have yielded performances with many of the world’s most prestigious conductors including Alain Altinoglu, Christoph von Dohnányi, Ádám Fischer, Valery Gergiev, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Enrique Mazzola, Nello Santi, Stefan Soltész, Franz Welser-Möst, and Jaap van Zweden.
The native of Budapest, Hungary has a varied and vibrant diary in the 2023-24 season. Highlights include a new production by Martin Kušej of Le nozze di Figaro at the Salzburger Festspiele led by Rafaël Pichon, La cenerentola for a debut at Semperoper Dresden and in a new production by Damiano Michieletto at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées led by Thomas Hengelbrock, Giulio Cesare at the Wiener Staatsoper in a production by David Livermore conducted by Gianluca Capuano, L’elisir d’amore at the Latvian National Opera, productions of Cavalleria rusticana and Giulio Cesare at Opéra de Monte-Carlo, and Der Ring des Nibelungen and Tosca at the Hungarian State Opera.
Last season the artist bowed as Baron Scarpia in Tosca, the Villains in Les contes d’Hoffmann, and as Klingsor in Parsifal, all at the Hungarian State Opera; as Alberich in Der Ring des Nibelungen for Müpa Budapest; in Handel’s Alcina at Opéra de Monte-Carlo and in a European tour production of La clemenza di Tito with Les Musiciens du Prince-Monaco under the baton of Gianluca Capuano and starring his frequent musical collaborator, Cecilia Bartoli.
In the 2024/25 season, he will make his debut at the Covent Garden as Bartolo in The Marriage of Figaro, and at the Metropolitan Opera as Bartolo in The barber of Seville.
At the Hungarian State Opera he will be singing the title role of Falstaff and the role of Mephistofele in Gounod’s Faust.
He will be also singing the role of Alberich in a new production of Das Rheingold in Opera de Monte-Carlo next season, directed by David Livermore.