On March 19 baritone Lauri Vasar made his début at Barcelona’s famous Grand Teatre del Liceu. He sang Biterolf in Wagner’s „Tannhäuser“ under the conducting of Sebastian Weigle, directed by Robert Carsen. This is a new coproduction of Teatre del Liceu, Opéra National de Paris and Tokyo Opera Nomori. The protagonists of Barcelona’s open performance are Peter Seiffert (Tannhäuser), Bo Skovhus (Wolfram), Vicente Ombuena (Walther) and Petra Maria Schnitzer (Elisabeth). Lauri Vasar sings all the 13 evenings till April 22. This is Wagner’s original musical version from Dresden 1845.
Lauri Vasar (37) started his music studies with violin and viola playing. As a singer he has graduated from Estonian Academy of Music and Salzburg Universität Mozarteum in the class of Lilian Sukis in 1999. Since 1995 Vasar lives in Salzburg. His first opera house was Landestheater Linz (2002 – 2006) in Austria, he has sung also in Hannover Staatsoper, Hamburg Staatsoper, Lyon National Opéra, Greek National Opera, Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Teatro Real in Madrid, La Monnaie in Brussels, performed also in modern operas like Menotti’s „The Consul“, Rihm’s „Jakob Lenz“ (title part, in Linz), Henze’s „L’Upupa“ and Poulenc’s „Les Dialogues des Carmélites” (in Madrid), Wellesz’s „Die Bakhantinnen“ (début at Salzburg Festival 2003), Dallapiccola’s „Il prigionero“ (title part, in Hannover) and Henze’s „Phaedra“ (world premiere in Brussels 2007). „Phaedra“ will be performed (cond. Michael Boder, dir. Peter Mussbach, with Ensemble Modern) also at Wiener Festwochen 2008. Lauri Vasar was awarded by Mozarteum the Bernhard Paumgartner Medal and in 2006 the ‘Eberhard-Waechter-Medaille’ by the Vienna State Opera (title part, Monteverdi’s “Orfeo”).
Priit Kuusk