Jiří Hruška

Soloist of the Prague State Opera

Mr Jiří Hruška studied at the Prague Conservatoire in the class of Professor Miroslav Frydlewicz, and he completed his studies at the Academy of Musical Arts, under the tutorship of Professor Luděk Löbl, in 1993. Already as a student, he performed together with the chamber ensemble of the Czech Philharmonics, known as the Prague Madrigal Singers. His professional theatre debut took place at the National Theatre in Prague, where he performed several seasons commencing in 1992. Jiří studied there the roles of Vašek in The Bartered Bride, Jirka in The Secret, Janek in The Case Macropulos, Monostat in The Magic Flute, Basilio in Le nozze di Figaro, Doctor S. in Nyman’s minimalist opera The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, and other roles. He joined the Prague State Opera as a soloist in 1998; he performed there as Gaston in La traviata, Borsa in Rigoletto, Dancairo in Carmen, Triquet in Eugene Onegin. Jiří also sang the role of Peter Hardy in the staging of Burian’s Bubu of Montparnasse, and The Doctor in Glass’s The Fall of the House of Usher. Jiří studied the roles of Lanterna in Gazzaniga’s i, Garcon in the world premiere of the opera LJoseph Merrick, The Elephant Man by Laurent Petitgirard, and Marcello in Thomas’s Hamlet. In 1991, he became the permanent guest performer at Opera Mozart. He also gives concerts, mainly focusing on oratorios and religious music, primarily from the period of the Renaissance, up to the contemporary music. He also works with philharmonic orchestras, Czech Television, and he also performs abroad – in Germany, France, Italy, Japan, and South Korea. In 2002, Jiří joined the vocal quartet The Swings.