“His coloratura technique, complete with pinprick staccatos, is formidable”
Tim Ashley, The Guardian

The crystal clear androgynous singing voice of Valer Sabadus puts him right up there in the ranks of the world’s leading countertenors. For the twice winner of the ECHO Klassik prize, the first half of the 2016/17 season will be dominated by the figure of Francesco Cavalli: Valer Sabadus is to sing the role of Giuliano in Cavalli’s opera ‘Eliogabalo’ from September 2016 at the Opéra National de Paris, before assuming the title role in his ‘Il Giasone’ at the Grand Théâtre de Genève from January 2017. These two productions will see him continue his successful collaboration with the conductor Leonardo Garcia Alarcon, which began with yet another Cavalli opera at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in 2013. The countertenor will conclude the opera season with his debut at the Theater Basel, where he will appear as Ruggiero in George Frideric Handel’s ‘Alcina’. He will be entering virgin territory in November 2016 when he collaborates with the famous German rapper Samy Deluxe. A tour of Germany, France and Switzerland is also planned; he is to join the Cappella Gabetta and the French countertenor Christophe Dumaux for performances of Pergolesi’s ‘Stabat Mater’ in the spring of 2017. Signed exclusively to Sony Classical, his new CD ‘Sacred Duetti’ is scheduled for release in the autumn; it features little-known arias and duets from oratorios by composers such as Antonio Caldara, Nicola Antonio Porpora, Alessandro Scarlatti and Giovanni Battista Bononcini. The young soprano Nuria Rial and the Kammerorchester Basel provide the perfect match for his voice on the recording.

Valer Sabadus came to international fame in 2012 for his outstanding interpretation of the role of Semira in Leonardo Vinci’s opera ‘Artaserse’ at the opera houses in Nancy, Lausanne and Cologne, the Theater an der Wien, the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, the Opéra Royal de Versailles, and the Concertgebouw Amsterdam. The production also appeared on CD and DVD, and won countless prizes. In the same year, German music critics awarded him a prize for his solo CD ‘Hasse Reloaded’ (OehmsClassics). In addition, he reaped considerable international acclaim as Menelao in Francesco Cavalli’s rediscovered opera ‘Elena’ at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence; the production also appeared on DVD. In 2013, he made his brilliant debut in the title role of Handel’s ‘Xerxes’ at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in a production by Stefan Herheim. In 2015 and 2016, he shone in the title role of ‘Teseo’ at the Handel Festival in Karlsruhe, for which he received rave reviews. He enjoyed an outstanding debut in terms of both role and venue when he appeared as Emperor Nero in Claudio Monteverdi’s ‘L’incoronazione di Poppea’ at the Theater an der Wien in September 2015.

Valer Sabadus began his vocal training at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich under Prof. Gabriele Fuchs at the age of 17, and graduated in 2013 with distinction as a member of the Bayerische Theaterakademie August Everding, specialising in Musical Theatre. The production of Johann Adolph Hasse’s ‘Didone abbandonata’, which he recorded with Hofkapelle München and Michael Hofstetter, was to prove a major milestone in his career. He debuted as early as 2009 under Riccardo Muti at Salzburg Whitsun Festival in a production of ‘Demofoonte’ (Niccolò Jommelli), which transferred to the Ravenna Festival and the Opéra National de Paris. He also enjoyed great success as Sesto in Günter Krämer’s production of ‘La Clemenza di Tito’ at the Mozart summer festival in Schwetzingen, as Ruggiero in Antonio Vivaldi’s ‘Orlando furioso’ and as Endimione in ‘La Calisto’ by Francesco Cavalli at the opera house in Frankfurt. His first appearance at the Handel Festival in Halle was in the title role of Rinaldo with the Lautten Compagney in 2011. Other engagements have taken him to the opera house in Cologne in the title role of Leucippo (Johann Adolph Hasse), to the Staatsoper Berlin, the Semperoper Dresden and the Opéra Royal de Versailles. In addition to his busy life as an opera singer, the young countertenor also adores the concert and oratorio repertoire. He has performed evening recitals of lieder and arias at events such as the Lucerne Festival, the Schubertiade in Hohenems, and the ‘Winter in Schwetzingen’ Festival. He has already given solo performances at the Philharmonie concert halls in Essen and Cologne, the Frauenkirche in Dresden, the Chapelle Royale de Versailles, the Laeiszhalle in Hamburg, at Grafenegg Festival and at Innsbruck Festival of Early Music. Valer Sabadus has frequently teamed up successfully with leading early music ensembles, including Concerto Köln, Basel Chamber Orchestra, the Hofkapelle München, the L’Arpeggiata ensemble and Il pomo d’oro. The richly varied discography of Valer Sabadus ranges from early baroque works by Claudio Monteverdi and Francesco Cavalli to Italian sacred music and opera, and contemporary works by Enjott Schneider. He has been awarded several prestigious prizes for his recordings, including the ECHO Klassik 2012 and 2015, and in 2013 he was selected by the ICMA as its Young Artist of the Year in the Vocal category.