Bio
Krisztián Cser was born in 1977, in Szeged, Hungary. He grew up in a family of musicians. After leaving high school, he graduated in physics at the University of Szeged in 2002 and began to work as a PhD student at the Institute of Biophysics of the Szeged Biological Research Centre. But his artistic roots proved strong, science was replaced by music in his life. He studied classical singing at the University of Szeged, where his vocal trainer was István Andrejcsik, then he attended the Department of Vocal and Opera Studies at the Liszt Academy, where the famous operatic singer Éva Marton was his professor and studied stage movement and acting with Balázs Kovalik. He succeeded in several Hungarian and international singing competitions, either he got into finals, got a special prize, or even won.
He came out as an oratorio soloist in J. S. Bach's Saint John Passion in 1998. His repertoire includes a wide range of musical styles from early baroque to contemporary music. A worthy performer of the oratorios of Bach, Beethoven, Haydn, Händel, Mozart and Verdi. In 2019, the Hungarian State Opera premiered with him a new staged performance of Händel's Messiah, Mozart's revised version.
In opera roles he appeared first in 2008, since when he has been a member of the Hungarian State Opera. During the years, his title-role singing in Béla Bartók's Bluebeard's Castle became emblematic, he sings it in many Hungarian and international performances successfully with the contribution of renowned conductors. In some of the countries during his tour around the world, the audience could listen to and watch this opera for the first time in his performance. Above all, on the CD published in 2018 for the centenary of the Bluebeard's Castle premiere, Krisztián Cser sings Bluebeard. Besides Bartók's opera, he has played other remarkable roles on opera stages.
He frequently sings the bass roles of Mozart's operas as Figaro, Leporello and Sarastro, and authentically plays the protagonists in Verdi and Wagner's operas, such as The Grand Inquisitor and Philip II in Don Carlos or Wotan in The Rhinegold. His other leading roles have included Colline in Puccini's La bohème and Don Basilio in Rossini's The Barber of Seville. His ever-expanding repertoire includes more than 60 operas and nearly 80 roles.
He regularly performs abroad. In 2019 he sang the role of Bluebeard with the Budapest Festival Orchestra conducted by Iván Fischer, at Carnegie Hall in New York City. With the same piece, he won acclaim from audiences in Hamburg, Paris and Luxembourg. He has debut as Wotan in Wagner's The Rhinegold, and as Don Pizarro in Beethoven's Fidelio at the Opernhaus Chemnitz. He also sang the role of Wotan in the fall of 2019 in Mexico City, where the 150th anniversary of the staging of Wagner's The Rhinegold was celebrated. In addition to performances abroad, he can be heard and seen on opera and concert stages in Hungary on numerous occasions.
Milestones
1998 | first professional appearance as an oratorio soloist | J. S. Bach: St John Passion
2002 | graduate as physicist at the University of Szeged
2006 | graduate at the College of Music in Szeged
2008 | graduate at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest | debut as Don Magnifico / Rossini: La Cenerentola, Italy (Spoleto) | the first lead at the Hungarian State Opera: Pomádé / Ránki: King Pomádé's New Clothes
2010 | guest artist of the Hungarian State Opera
2014 | Bluebeard / Béla Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle, China, Ukraine (Kyiv) | debut as Figaro / Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro, Hungary (Budapest) | Kossuth / Iván Fischer: The Red Heifer, tour in Germany with the Budapest Festival Orchestra
2015 | Bluebeard / Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle, Italy (Milan)
2016 | Sarastro / Mozart: The Magic Flute, Royal Festival Hall - United Kingdom (London), Konzerthaus - Germany (Berlin), Concertgebouw - Belgium (Bruges), Concertgebouw - Netherlands (Amsterdam)
2017 | Bluebeard / Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle, Royal Festival Hall - United Kingdom (London), Concert Hall - Poland (Katowice), Concertgebouw - Belgium (Bruges)
2018 | debut as Wotan / Wagner: The Rhinegold, Germany (Chemnitz)
2019 | debut as Alvise Badoero / Ponchielli: La Gioconda, Hungary (Budapest) | Bluebeard / Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle, Elbphilharmonie - Germany (Hamburg), Philharmonie Luxembourg - Luxemburg (Luxembourg), Philharmonie de Paris, Grande Salle Pierre Boulez - France (Paris), Carnegie Hall - United State of America (New York City) | debut as Don Pizzaro / Beethoven: Fidelio, Germany (Chemnitz) | Wotan / Wagner: The Rheingold, Sala Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico (Mexico City)
2020 | debut as Philip II / Verdi: Don Carlos, National Theatre of Miskolc, Hungary (Miskolc)
2021 | Bluebeard / Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle, Herkulessaal, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (BRSO) - Germany (Munich)
2022 | Bluebeard / Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle, Casa da Música - Portugalia (Porto) | debut as Jacopo Fiesco / Verdi: Simon Boccanegra, Hungary (Budapest) | debut as the Wanderer / Wagner: Siefried, Hungary (Budapest)
Awards
2022 | Chamber Singer of the Hungarian State Opera (2022/2023)
2021 | György Melis Award
2020 | Hungarian Gold Cross of Merit
2016 | Gusztáv Oláh Commemorative Medallion
2014 | Hungarian Silver Cross of Merit
2013 | Székely Mihály Commemorative Medallion
2011 | Wagner Society Scholarship
2010 | "Youth of March"
2008 - 2010 | Hungarian State Opera Scolarship
2007 | Annie Fischer Scholarship
2005 | Szent-Györgyi Albert Scolarship
2003 | Kovács Róbert Philharmony Scholarship
Music Competitions
2009 | Geneva International Music Competition - Special Prize
2008 | Montserrat Caballe Singing Competition - Finals
2007 | Budapest International Oratorio Competition, 2nd Prize
2004 | Erkel Art Days Aria and Song Competition, Special Prize
2004 | I. Esztergom International Oratorio Singing Competition, Special Prize
2004 | 4th Simándy József National Singing Competition - 2nd category - Winner
2003 | I. Gyurkovics Mária Singing Competition, Finals
