Juhan Tralla

b. 18.04.1974 Tallinn

Juhan Tralla is a well-known singer foremost from opera stages in Estonia and abroad. Long-time cooperation engages Tralla with theatres Estonia and Vanemuine. He has worked also with theaters in Austria and Germany. Besides the opera roles, Tralla is also an active concert soloist.

Juhan Tralla graduated from the Tallinn Music High School, where he studied violin under the guidance of Ivi Tivikson. He continued studies as a violinist, graduating from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre in 1997 under the guidance of Mari Tampere. At the same time, he started facultative singing studies with Mati Palm and continued at Universität für Musik in Vienna in the class of professor Gerhard Kahry. In 2003, Tralla improved his singing skills at Toma Popescu private lessons in Vienna and in 2008, at Carlo Bergonzi Accademia Verdiana.

Juhan Tralla has been a soloist at Vienna Volksoper in 2000–2003 and at German National Theatre in Weimar. In 2005–2009, Juhan Tralla was freelance singer cooperating with several theatres. Tralla has sung at theatres in Germany (Aachen, Bielefeld and Münster City Theatres, Halle Opera House), Moskva Novaja Opera, La Monnaie Theatre in Brüssel, Luzern Theatre. Active cooperation engages him with theatre Estonia since 1999.

Juhan Tralla is also known as a chamber singer, one of his partners has been pianist Ivari Ilja. Tralla has also participated at performances of several large-scale works. He has sung tenor part at J. S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor, L. van Beethoven's 9th Symphony, W. A. Mozart's, A. L. Dvořak's, G. Rossini's and G. Puccini's Masses, G. Verdi Requiem etc. He has cooperated with such orchestras as Tonkünstler-Orchester Niederösterreich, Moscow Symphony Orchestra, Bochum Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of Radio Television Belgrade, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and Latvian National Symphony Orchestra. Tralla has participated at opera and operetta galas, he has given recitals in Serbia, Croatia, Israel, Italy, Iran, Belgium, Switzerland, Russia, Latvia, Finland etc.

Since 2009, Juhan Tralla is a soloist at Mannheim National Theatre. Tralla considers his most important roles Tamino, Belmonte, don Ottavio, Idomeneo and Titus (W. A. Mozart's The Magic Flute, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Don Giovanni, Idomeneo, La Clemenza di Tito), Rodolfo, Rinuccio (G. Puccini La Bohěme, Gianni Schicchi), Almaviva, Othello (G. Rossini The Barber of Sevilla, Othello), Alfred (J. Strauss’s The Bat), Steersman (R. Wagner’s Flying Dutchman) etc. At the Estonian National Opera Juhan Tralla has sung repeatedly Alfredo's part in G. Verdi’ opera La Traviata.

As a violinist Tralla has played with several chamber ensembles and given recitals at festivals in Paris and Berlin, he has also been the first performer of René Eespere's Violin Concerto in Estonia.

Honours:
- I prize at Tiit Kuusik Singing Competition (1997)
- Grand Prix at Sabin Drăgoi International Singing Competition in Timişoaras, Romania (2003)
- Diploma at Mirjam Helin International Singing Competition in Helsinki (2004)
- Estonian representative at BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Contest in Great Britan (2007)

The texts on the EMIC's homepage are protected by the copyright law. They can be used for non-commercial purposes referring to the author (when specified) and source (Estonian Music Information Centre).