Biography 404 words
Download biography as pdf Download biography as word doc
Following his performances in Verdi's Simon Boccanegra with Oper Frankfurt, Bloomberg News praised "Zeljko Lucic, the Yugoslavian-born baritone, [who] gives a towering performance in the title role, bringing gravity and sonorous force, showing us edges of pain and dawning self-knowledge on his path to a poisoned end." Mr. Lucic, a native of Serbia, is steadily gaining notice for his performances of the dramatic baritone repertoire in the world's leading opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, San Francisco Opera, L'Opéra National de Paris and the Vienna Staatsoper. For his appearance in La forza del destino with San Francisco Opera, the Financial Times declared, "with this Don Carlo, Zeljko Lucic served notice that he is one of today's pre-eminent Verdi baritones."
His many return engagements in the 2007-08 season include the Metropolitan Opera, singing the title role in a new production of Verdi's Macbeth (conducted by James Levine); the Wiener Staatsoper as Germont in La traviata; Staatsoper Dresden for the title role in Rigoletto; and Oper Frankfurt to reprise the title roles of Simon Boccanegra and Macbeth, as Iago in concert performances of Otello, and Michele in Il tabarro and
read more...
Following his performances in Verdi's Simon Boccanegra with Oper Frankfurt, Bloomberg News praised "Zeljko Lucic, the Yugoslavian-born baritone, [who] gives a towering performance in the title role, bringing gravity and sonorous force, showing us edges of pain and dawning self-knowledge on his path to a poisoned end." Mr. Lucic, a native of Serbia, is steadily gaining notice for his performances of the dramatic baritone repertoire in the world's leading opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, San Francisco Opera, L'Opéra National de Paris and the Vienna Staatsoper. For his appearance in La forza del destino with San Francisco Opera, the Financial Times declared, "with this Don Carlo, Zeljko Lucic served notice that he is one of today's pre-eminent Verdi baritones."
His many return engagements in the 2007-08 season include the Metropolitan Opera, singing the title role in a new production of Verdi's Macbeth (conducted by James Levine); the Wiener Staatsoper as Germont in La traviata; Staatsoper Dresden for the title role in Rigoletto; and Oper Frankfurt to reprise the title roles of Simon Boccanegra and Macbeth, as Iago in concert performances of Otello, and Michele in Il tabarro and the title role of Gianni Schicchi in Puccini's Il trittico.
In subsequent seasons, he sang Iago in a new production of Otello at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, La Traviata at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and the title role of Nabucco at the Wiener Staatsoper.
He made his debut at La Scala (Tosca) this season and he returned to the Metropolitan Opera to sing the title role in a new production of Rigoletto, and to the Wiener Staatsoper (Forza del destino) and will make his debut at the Salzburg Festival singing the title role in a new production of Macbeth conducted by Riccardo Muti.
In the upcoming season he will be performing at the Paris Opera (Rigoletto), at the Bayerische Staatsoper (Luisa Miller), at the Wiener Staatsoper (Traviata and Tosca), at the Gran Teatre del Liceu Barcelona (Aida) and at the Teatro alla Scala (Otello).
Zeljko Lucic has also appeared with many orchestras, including the Hessischer Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra, Belgrade Philharmony, RTB Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He is a recipient of the 1997 first prize at the International Competition Francisco Viñas in Barcelona. Mr. Lucic has studied extensively with world-renowned mezzo Biserka Cvejic.
2011/12 Season
Date last updated: 15/07/2011
Photos
Reviews
"Baritone Zeljko Lucic not only kept his dignity, but sang with a power and elegance revealing the innate nobility of Verdi’s score "
New York Post by James Jorden
"Despite the opera’s flaws, the singing of this production was mostly impressive. In particular, Lucic and Guleghina strike sparks in their big scene, reminiscent of their work together a couple of years ago at the Met’s production of Verdi’s “Macbeth.” "
The Epoch Times by Barry Bassis
""In the Serbian baritone Zeljko Lucic, it has a Macbeth of the highest caliber, vocally and dramatically. Lucic sang with unfailing beauty at all levels of dynamics, from a tortured whisper to a confident, embracing full voice, his sound sometimes seeming to issue from a twilight world of anguish. The evening's highlight came in the last scene, when Lucic's Macbeth, broken and bewildered, poured out "Piet ... , rispetto, amore" with a buttery legato and soft-grained but potent, soulful tone.""
Marion Lignana Rosenberg, New York Newsday
""Indeed, both Serjan and Zeljko Lucic, the admirable Serbian bass-baritone who sang Macbeth, rose to particular distinction in their final scenes. I have heard deeper, darker Macbeth voices but few as musical as Lucic's.""
John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune
Discography
Repertoire
Bellini
IL PIRATA (Ernesto)
I PURITANI (Riccardo)
Bizet
LES PÊCHEURS DE PERLES (Zurga)
Cilea
ADRIANA LECOUVREUR (Michonnet)
Donizetti
L'ELISIR D'AMORE (Belcore)
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR (Enrico)
ROBERTO DEVEREUX (Nottingham)
Leoncavallo
I PAGLIACCI (Tonio)
Mascagni
CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA (Alfio)
Meyerbeer
LES HUGUENOTS (Graf von Nevers)
Mozart
DON GIOVANNI (Don Giovanni)
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO (Count)
Puccini
LA BOHÈME (Marcello)
GIANNI SCHICCHI (Gianni Schicchi)
MANON LESCAUT (Lescaut)
IL TABARRO (Michele)
Tchaikovsky
EUGENE ONEGIN (Onegin)
THE QUEEN OF SPADES (Yeletsky)
Verdi
AIDA (Amonasro)
ATTILA (Ezio)
UN BALLO IN MASCHERA (Renato)
DON CARLOS (Rodrigo)
I DUE FOSCARI (Francesco Foscari)
ERNANI (King of Spain)
FALSTAFF (Ford)
LA FORZA DEL DESTINO (Don Carlo)
GIOVANNA D'ARCO (Giacomo)
LUISA MILLER (Miller)
MACBETH (Macbeth)
NABUCCO (Nabucco)
OTELLO (Iago)
RIGOLETTO (Rigoletto)
SIMON BOCCANEGRA (Simon Boccanegra)
LA TRAVIATA (Germont)
IL TROVATORE (Di Luna)
I VESPRI SICILIANI (Montforte)