NEWS

We are very pleased to announce that Parnassus is taking over the worldwide management of the Croatian countertenor Franko Klisovic. The highly talented young alto has already taken part and will take part in several, high-profile baroque productions in the 2022/23 season. To cite only a few roles, he will sing Ulisse in the production of Corselli's Achille in Sciro at the Teatro Real in Madrid (February 2023), in his German debut as Ottone in L'Incoronazione di Poppea at Bühnen Wuppertal (April to June 2023) and as Mars in La Concordia de Pianeti at the Brno Philharmonic, the Spanish Hall of Prague Castle and the Hudobni Festival in Znojmo (February to July 2023).

Franko Klisović was born in Šibenik (Croatia), where he received his musical education. While living in his hometown, he worked as an organist at the Cathedral of St. James in Šibenik. After graduating from high school, he enrolled at the Academy of Music in Zagreb to study conducting, where he is currently in his final year of study in the class of Tomislav Fačini.
He made his conducting debut in March 2019 with a performance of W. A. Mozart's opera Cosi fan tutte, and in the same year he also conducted the premiere of the musical Stribor's Forest at the Comedy Theatre. In May 2021 he conducted the performance of J. Massenet's opera Cendrillon as assistant conductor.

Franko began his vocal studies at the end of 2015 and after only three months landed the role of Ottone in Handel's Agrippina, with which he made his debut at the Croatian National Theatre Zagreb in April 2016. A little later, alongside his conducting studies at the Zagreb Academy of Music, he enrolled in vocal studies in the class of Prof. Martina Gojčeta-Silić.
In February 2017, he performed with the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra in Doha at the Katara Opera House. He made his debut at the Croatian National Theatre in Rijeka singing the role of the Spirit in Dido and Aeneas and performed the roles of Aeneas and the Sorceress at the music festivals Musica appassionata and Korkyra Baroque Festival.
In the 2020/21 season he sang Nireno in Handel's Giulio Cesare in Egitto in Rijeka, as well as at the 2022 Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland.

He has won numerous prizes at international singing competitions: 1st Prize and the Audience Award at the 4th Premiere Opera Foundation International Singing Competition (NY, USA, 2020); 1st Prize at the Tullio Serafin Singing Competition (Vicenza, IT, 2021) in the role of Farnace in Mitridate, rè di Ponto, with which he debuted at the Teatro Olimpico in September 2021; 2nd Prize and Award for the most beautifully performed role at the Teatro Olimpico in September 2021. Prize and award for the most beautifully performed song Ružičky at the 24th Mikulaš Schneider-Trnavsky Singing Competition (Trnava, SK, 2021) and 1st Prize in the Opera section. He was also one of the winners of the online round of the Aria Borealis Competition (Bodø, NO, 2022) and winner of the Mahler Prize at the Gabriela Beñačková Competition (Jhilava, CZ, 2022).

In addition to operas, he also performs frequently in oratorios and solo concerts, including La caduta di Adamo and Dixit Dominus by B. Galuppi, Vespro della Beata Vergine by C. Monteverdi, Messiah and Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno by G. F. Handel, Te Deum and Messe à 8 voix by M. A. Charpentier, G. B. Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, A. Vivaldi's Gloria, J. S. Bach's St. John, St. Matthew and St. Mark Passions as well as his Magnificat, Carl Orff's Carmina Burana alongside the famous soprano Sumi Jo, L. Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, A. Bruckner's Te Deum amongst others.

He performs with the Croatian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir, is a permanent performer with the Croatian Baroque Ensemble (HRBA) and collaborates with renowned conductors such as Marc Korovich, Ville Matvejeff, Laurence Cummings, Aapo Häkkinen, Luca Oberti, Hansjörg Albrecht, Hervè Niquet, Philipp von Steinaecker, Richard Rosemberg, Dorothee Oberlinger and others Roman Valek.

In the 2023/24 season, spectacular roles and equally spectacular house debuts await Franko Klisovic such  as Smeton in Anna Bolena in a new production at HNK Rijeka. With the Bachchor Heidelberg, Franko will sing the role of Hamor in Handel's Jephta in Heidelberg's Peterskirche in October 2023. Franko will make his house debut as Sadnik in Nebucadnezzar at the Theater Schwetzingen in December 2023 and will guest with this role at the Telemann Festival Magdeburg in March 2024. In November 2023 Franko will make his debut in the roles Roma and Religione in Il St. Alessio at the world-famous Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. At the Theater Heidelberg, Franko will have the pleasure of presenting himself as Apollo in Death in Venice and in the world premiere Zusammenstoss. In May 2024, the Croatian alto will devote himself to the part of Arcane in Handel's Teseo, which will be presented in concert at the Wroclaw Concert Hall and at the Halle Handel Festival.

Franko Klisovic - A name to remember in the opera world.
Welcome to Parnassus, dear Franko!