Czech bass-baritone Michal Onufer, graduated from the Janáček Conservatory in Ostrava. Later he studied at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ostrava in the Department of Vocal Studies under the guidance of Eliška Pappová and prof. Mikuláš.
In 2011 he started his professional career on the stage of the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre, where he staged several minor and major characters (Ch. Gounod: Romeo and Juliet, A. Catalani: La Wally, A. Dvořák: Armida and many others). Since 2013 he has been a soloist at the National Theatre Košice, where he has staged his profile roles: Rodolfo (V. Bellini: La Sonnambula), Ferrando (G. Verdi: Il Trovatore), Alidoro (G. Rossini: Cinderella), Colline (G. Puccini: La Bohème), Salieri (N. P Rimsky-Korsakov: Mozart and Salieri), Leporello (W. A. Mozart: Don Giovanni), Rocco (L. van Beethoven: Fidelio), Zaccaria (G. Verdi: Nabucco), quadruple for bass-baritone (J. Offenbach: The Tales of Hoffmann) and others. In 2020 he was a guest at the Dvořák Prague International Music Festival as the Hunter (A. Dvořák: The King and the Charcoal Bruner) under the baton of Tomáš Brauner. He has performed many times with the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, and is a frequent guest of the State Philharmonic Košice. He made his House debut at the National Theatre in Prague in 2018 as Samuel (G. Verdi: Un ballo in maschera), and in 2021 he has staged a new production of Mozart's Don Giovanni at the Estates Theatre as Masseto. In 2022, he made his House debut at the Slovak National Theatre in Bratislava as the Devil Marbuel (A. Dvořák: The Devil and The Kate), where he also staged the role of Talbot (G. Donizetti: Maria Stuarda). In the same year he made his House debut at the State Opera in Banská Bystrica as the Kecal (B. Smetana: The Bartered Bride).
He collaborated with world renowned conductors such as Tomáš Netopil, Robert Jindra, Marco Guidarini, Pietro Rizzo, Tomáš Bauner, Jaroslav Kyzlink and others. On stage he performed alongside international soloists such as Charles Castronovo, Elena Maximova, Karine Babajanyan, Peter Mikuláš, Eliška Weissová, Jana Kurucová, Zuzana Marková and others. He is also active in chamber music. Among his recent successes are the debut of Hermann (R. Wagner: Tannhäuser) at the National Theatre Košice or the new production of G. Verdi's Nabucco as Zaccaria at the Slovak National Theatre under the baton of Pietro Rizzo. In the season 2023/24 he’s looking forward to the debuts of Banco (G. Verdi: Macbeth) and under the baton of Tomáš Hanus, the role of Budivoj (B. Smetana: Dalibor) at the National Theatre Košice. He’ll also perform Bonzo (G. Puccini: Madama Butterfly) at the Slovak National Theatre. He is preparing for his debut in the opera of L. Janáček's The Cunning Little Vixen as Farář / Jezvec under the baton of Juraj Valčuha, directed by Slávy Daubnerová, which will premiere in September 2024 in the Slovak National Theatre.
Full Repertoire list:
Beethoven: Fidelio (Rocco)
Bellini: La sonnambula (Il conte Rodolfo)
Bizet: Carmen (Zuniga)
Catalani: La Wally (Ein alter Soldat)
Donizetti: Anna Bolena (Enrico VIII)
Donizetti: Maria Stuarda (Giorgio Talbot)
Dvořák: Armida (Gernand)
Dvořák: Čert a Káča (Čert Marbuel)
Dvořák: Rusalka (Vodník)*
Fibich: Der Sturm (Alonso)
Gounod: Roméo et Juliette (Le Duc)
Janáček: Přihody lišky Bystroušky (Revírnik) / Farář / Jezvec (in preparation)
Massenet: Werther (Le Bailli)
Mozart: Don Giovanni (Leporello) / (Masetto)
Mozart: Die Zauberflöte (Sarastro)
Offenbach: Les contes d'Hoffmann (Lindorf) / (Coppélius) / (Miracle) / (Dapertutto)
Puccini: La Bohème (Colline)
Puccini: Madama Butterfly (Lo zio Bonzo)
Puccini: Manon Lescaut (Geronte di Ravoir)
Puccini: Tosca (Cesare Angelotti)
Saint-Saëns: Samson et Dalila (Abimélech)
Schumann: Genoveva (Caspar)
Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Op. 29 (Svyashchennik)
Smetana: Prodaná nevěsta (Kecal)
Smetana: Dalibor (Budivoj)*
Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos (Truffaldin)
Suchoň: Svätopluk (Žrec)
Verdi: Un ballo in maschera (Samuel / Count Ribbing)
Verdi: Falstaff (Pistola) / (Falstaff)*
Verdi: La traviata (Il dottor Grenvil)
Verdi: Macbeth (Banco)*
Verdi: Nabucco (Zaccaria)
Verdi: Otello (Lodovico)
Verdi: Rigoletto (Sparafucile)
Verdi: Il trovatore (Ferrando)
Wagner: Tannhäuser (Hermann)
Wagner: Die Feen (Gernot)
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde (reduction) (König Marke)
*in preparation
