Wolfgang Schwaiger
BIOGRAPHY
Born in Innsbruck (Austria), Wolfgang Stefan Schwaiger began his musical formation with the Boy’s Choir of Wilten and was soon taking over alto parts in services and concerts.
In 2002 and 2004, he was price winner in the national youth competition Prima la Musica and first entered the stage of a theatre at the age of 10. At the Tyrolean Landestheater in Innsbruck, he participated in productions of Turandot, Carmen, A Midsummernight´s dream und Gipsy. Also abroad he sang the role of the Third Boy in Mozart’s “Magic Flute” in Bolzano, Rovigo and Trento.
Since 2010 he has been studying singing with Karl-Heinz Hanser at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna and Lied and Oratorio with Florian Boesch. He was successful in a series of competitions: in 2011, he was a finalist of the operetta and opera competition of the Kärntner Sparkasse, and won a special price for the biggest upcoming Lied-singer’s talent. He also received the Margaretha Schenk Price of the Mozart society Vienna, was a price winner “Gradus ad Parnassum” competition, the Musica Juventutis competition at the Vienna Concert house and of the international Belcanto competition Ferruccio Tagliavini.
In 2012 he made his debut as Conte d´Almaviva in Mozart’s „Le Nozze di Figaro“ at the Schlosstheater Schönbrunn as well as in 2013 as Frank und Falke in “The Bat” by Johann Strauss and the title role of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” in that same theatre.
For the season 2014/15 and 2015/16 he became a member of the Opera Studio of Opera Cologne, where he has been singing roles like Papageno in a new production of the Magic Flute, Count Dominik in Arabella, Morales in Carmen and Schaunard in La Boheme. Furthermore he guested at the State Theatre Darmstadt singing the title role of Rossini´s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia”.
Since 2016/17 he is a full cast member of Opera Cologne. There he has already sung among other roles Hans Scholl in “The white rose“, Ping in “Turandot“, again Schaunard in “La bohème“, Falke in “The bat”, Freddy in “My fair Lady” and Lescaut in “Manon”. Furthermore in 2018 he had his house debut at the State Opera Hannover in the role of Maximilian in Bernsteins “Candide”.
In the Season of 2018/19 Wolfgang will come back as Ping in “Turandot” and Freddy in “My fair Lady”. Also he will debut as Ned Keen in a new production of “Peter Grimes” staged by Frederic Wake-Walker and conducted by Nicholas Collon at Opera Cologne. The second big event in this season is not only a role but also a house debut. In March 2019 he is going to sing the role of Giove in Francesco Cavalli’s “La calisto” at the Teatro Real Madrid under the baton of Ivor Bolton.
In the summer of 2017 and 2018 Wolfgang has been soloist of the Bregenz Festival in Austria. Both seasons he sang the role of Morales in Kaspar Holten’s Production of Carmen and in the second year he also performed the role of the murderer Marzio in the rarely performed opera by Berthold Goldschmiedt “Beatrice Cenci”. In summer 2019 he will return as Marullo in „Rigoletto“ and furthermore as soloist of Ravel’s Don Quichotte à Dulcinée with the Symphony Orchestra Vorarlberg.
My
Artistic education
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Finalist at the competition for German opera and operetta Carinthia
• Finalist of the Brahms competition in Pörtschach and the special prize for the Young Talents Award • Sings the role of Günther in the children's opera "The Little Ghost", a collaboration of the Wiener Taschenoper and Opera Graz • 2nd place at the national competition "Gradus ad Parnassum" -
Winner of the competition "Musica Juventutis" at the Vienna Konzerthaus
• Finalist of the Richard-Strauss competition in Munich • Debut in the role of "Frank" (The bat) at the Schlosstheater Schönbrunn • 2nd place at the International Belcanto Competition Ferrucio Tagliavini Deutschlandsberg • Sing the role of "Saul" (David e Jonathas) in a study production of the MdW • Masterclass with Neil Shicoff • Finalist of the 1st international Otto Edelmann competition Vienna • Debut in the role of "Nardo" (La Finta Giardiniera) with the Junge Oper Austria -
Ensemble member of Opera Cologne
• since the season 2016/17 • Role debut as: Schaunard (Bohemian), Freddy (My fair lady), Pompeo (Benvenuto Cellini) • Debut at the Staatstheater Darmstadt in the role of Figaro (Barber of Seville) • Member of the international opera studio of the Bregenz Festival • Debut at the Kornmarkt Theater Bregenz as Mozart's Don Giovanni -
House debut at the State Opera Hannover
• in the role of Maximilian (Candide / Bernstein) • Role debut at the Cologne Opera as: Hawk (The Bat), Lescaut (Manon), Junius (Rape of Lucretia), Mary (The Soldiers) and Ned Keene (Peter Grimes) • Role debut at the Bregenz Festival as Marzio in Beatrice Cenci by Berthold Goldschmied