The German tenor Josef Protschka is looking back at a highly successful ca- reer: for nearly forty years he has regularly appeared in the most important opera houses in Europe and America, in major festivals and media-events.
Born in Prague, he grew up in Düsseldorf. He studied classical philolo- gy, philosophy and German literature in Bonn and Tübingen, worked as a journalist in Germany and Austria and as the managing director of the foundation Cusanuswerk, before he dedicated himself exclusively to his singing-career. Starting in Gießen and Saarbrücken, Protschka first gained an international reputation as a Mozart tenor, before changing to the dra- matic repertoire (Don Jose, Hans Tom Rakewell, Hermann Eric etc.).
Important debuts followed very quickly at the Vienna State Opera, Salz- burg Festival, Scala di Milano, Semperoper Dresden, State Opera Ham- burg, Opera Zürich, Covent Garden London (Florestan), Teatre de la Mon- naie Brüssel (Lohengrin), Bregenz Festival (Hoffmann), Wiener Festwochen (Fierrabras), Maggio Musicale Firenze et.al.
He has worked with some of the world’s leading stage directors and con- ductors. There are over fifty recordings to his name, most of them highly praised by international critics alike.