Markus Werba

The Austrian baritone Markus Werba began his vocal training aged 16. Later he studied singing at the Klagenfurt conservatory and at the Vienna Musikuniversität with Ralf Doring. Furthermore he had lessons with Robert Holl and Walter Berry and continues to work with Gerhard Kahry. Markus has been rewarded with numerous first prizes in Austria, Italy, Slovakia,Spain and Japan.

Markus started his career as an ensemble member at the Vienna Volksoper where he sang a wide range of roles including Vincenz Der fidele Bauer, Montschi ein Waltzertraum, Count Boni Kancsianu Die Csardasfürstin, Papageno Die Zauberflöte, Falke Die Fledermaus, Pappacoda Eine Nacht in Venedig, Malatesta Don Pasquale, Dandini La Cenerentola, and Danilo Die lustige Witwe.

Despite his relative youth Markus has already established a remarkable career. His past engagements include the title roles in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Hans Heiling, Don Giovanni and Schumann’s Scenes from Goethe’s Faust, Cosí Fan Tutte and the Count in le Nozze di Figaro and the title.

He has performed Papageno in Zauberflöte at Baden-Baden with Claudio Abbado and made his debut at La Scala as Harlequin in Ariadne auf Naxos with Jeffrey Tate. He has also appeared at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden playing the role of Harlequin in Ariadne auf Naxos and at the Bayersiche Staatsoper as Mercurio in La Calisto (with a repeat production at Covent Garden). He has sung repeatedly for the Salzburg Festival and on tour in Italy: Nardo in La Finta Giardiniera with Ivor Bolton, Papageno and Giorgino in Paisiello's Il Matrimonio Inaspettato both under the baton of Riccardo Muti. Markus make his US debut as Papageno with the Los Angeles Opera conducted by James Conlon. Carmina Burana at the Tanglewood Festival in USA, Des Knaben Wunderhorn at the Gergiev Festival in TheNetherlands, Don Giovanni (title role) at the Lyon Opera,Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen at the Chatelet, Harlequin in Ariadne auf Naxos for his Metropolitan Opera debut, Guglielmo in Cosí fan tutte at the Suntory Hall, Tokyo, the count in Le nozze di Figaro with the Budapest Festival Orchestra in Las Palmas

Markus is also in demand on the concert and recital platform. He has given recitals in Trieste, at the Wigmore Hall in London, the Musikverein in Vienna, St Martin in the Fields in London, the Mozarteum in Salzburg Suntory Hall, Tokyo and for the BBC in L’Derry and the Isle of Man.

Last season’s highlights included various engagements at the Vienna State Opera, performances of the Fauré Requiem at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, a concert tour of Des Knaben Wunderhorn with the Orquesta Simfonica de Barcelona Guglielmo, Don Giovanni at Lyon Opera, as well as Zauberflöte and title role in Pelleas at the Teatro Conlon, Buenos Aires and the opening concert of the Aspen Festival.

Other future engagements include Don Giovanni at La Fenice; Zauberflöte and Cosi fan tutte at Theatre des Champs-Elysees; Zauberflöte at Rome Opera and the Salzburg Festival (new production); Il Barbiere di Siviglia at the Vienna State Opera and concerts in Montreal, Rotterdam and Paris.