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Zdenek Plech, bass

      Zdeněk Plech, bass, has been engaged as a soloist with the National Theatre in Prague since 2004. Born in 1977 in Brno, Plech studied voice at Janáček Academy of Performing Arts during which time he was awarded a Laureate at the International M.S.Trnavský Singing Competition (1998, Slovakia) and was a finalist in the prestigious Feruccio Tagliavini Bel Canto competition (2002), whose jury members included G. Aragall and K. Riciarelli. Other distinctions include receiving first prize in the 2005 Karlovy Vary Youth Theatre Festival Competition and in the same year nominations for the prestigeous Thalia Prize in the category of musical theatre for his performance as the King of the cats in Andrew Lloyd-Weber's Cats, and the Komerční banka Prize for the National Theatre's best performance in the role of Ramphis in Verdi's Aida. In 1998 the renown Czech composer Ilja Hurník wrote a one-act opera especially for his voice.

      Plech first appeared as a guest at the Moravian Theatre in Olomouc, and between 2000 and 2004 was a soloist of the National Theatre in Brno, where he re-created many of the repetoire's most important leading roles such as Sarastro, Ramfis, Colline, Burgrave Filip etc. Plech has soloed with outstanding orchestras and conductors in numerous countries throughout the world, including in Germany, France, Austria, Hungary and Japan. In 2004 he performed at the San Sebastian Festival the role of Tom in Un Ballo in Maschera alongside leading soloists of the Metropolitan Opera. His 2006 appearances included several roles at the Canadian Opera Company of Toronto (Berg's opera "Wozzek", Oroveso in Bellini's "Norma" with June Anderson), his debut as Hagen and Fasolt in the entire Wagner's "Ring" production of Toronto and his debut at the Berlin Staatsoper as Il Re. His future engagements lead him back to Toronto he shall perform in Verdi's "Don Carlo" and Janacek's "From the House of the Death", back to Berlin with Il Re and Phoenix with Ramphis.

He has frequently performed together with the opera diva Eva Urbanová, with whom he recorded the CD entitled "Christmas" on the Supraphon label. His other recordings include Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen (BBC) Dvořák’s Stabat Mater (Sony Classical), and Janacek's "Excursions of Mr. Broucek" (Deutsche Gramophon).

Zdenek Plech's rich concert repertoire includes cantatas, oratorios such as Dvorak's "Stabat Mater", Verdi's "Requiem" he performed in numerous countries, including in Germany, France, Austria, Hungary and Japan. He has soloed with outstanding orchestras throughout the world such as Bavarian State Philharmony, French National Orchestra, BBC Symphony etc. Zdeněk Plech has also devoted himself to concert performances, including oratorios, cantatas such as Dvořák's Stabat Mater, Rossini's Petite Messe Solennele and Bach's Weihnachtsoratorium, song cycles by Tchaikovsky, Musorgsky and Grieg among others, and musicals, including the lead role in the Czech version of Cats. Moreover, he has also composed two musicals of his own: The Prodigal Son and The Preacher.

Important international opera engagements

2008 Phoenix Metropolitan Opera /La Bohème /Colline
2007 Toronto COC - Don Carlo /Gran Inquisitore
San Sebastian - Un ballo in Maschera /Tom (conductor Jesus Lopez Cobos, soli Elena Zaremba,Francesco Casanova,Vasilij Gerello)
Bilbao - Madama Butterfly /Zio Bonzo
Paris - Requiem Verdi (Orchestre National de France, conductor Yoel Yofti)
Gars Open Air Festival - La Traviata
Tosca (soli- Dvorský,Kammersängerin Fink)
Don Giovanni /Il Commendattore, Leporello, Masetto

2006 Toronto COC Götterdämmerung /Hagen (soli F.Ginzer, Ch.Franz)
Wozzek
Norma /Oroveso (soli June Anderson)
Das Rheingold /Fasolt (soli Clifton Forbis, Adriane Pieczonka)

Important international concert performances

2007 BBC Symphony London - Excursions of Mr Brouček on concert
2007 Bamberg -Te Deum Bruckner, Requiem Verdi
Rennes - Stabat Mater Dvořák
La Coruna - Stabat Mater Dvořák
San Sebastian - Stabat Mater Dvořák
Hamburg - Petite messe solennele Rossini
Budapest - Petite messe solennele Rossini
Tokyo - Stabat Mater Dvořák - conductor Turnovský, recording
Bamberg - Stabat Mater Dvořák -soli Dvorský,Benačková

Collaboration with outstanding artists

Such conductors as Bradschaw, Cobos, Bělohlávek, Turnovský, Fisch
Such singers as Andersson, De Vol, Urbanová, Benačková, Dvorský Peter and Miro, Ryhänen, Zaremba, Casanova, Pieczonka

Awards

1998 Křička Prize for the best graduate from Conservatory
1998 Laureate of the M. S. Trnavský International Singing Competition, Slovakia
1998 Ilja Hurník composed a one act opera dedicated to Plech
2001 Finalist od the International Feruccio Tagliavini Singing Competition
2005 First Prize in the Karlovy Vary Youth Theatre Festival Competition
2005 Nomination for the prestigeous Thalia Prize in the category of musical theatre for his perfoprmance as the King of the cats in Andrew Lloyd-Weber's Cats
2006 Nomination for the Komerční banka Prize for the National Theatre's best performance in the role of Ramphis in Verdi's Aida

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