EP16: Opera singer Adam Plachetka

Adam Plachetka is one of the country’s most in-demand opera singers. He is the only Czech to have sung at the Met in New York before the age of 30, has been a member of the Vienna State Opera for over a decade and has appeared at many of the globe’s other great venues.

“I’ve always aimed at making everything seem effortless, because that’s the only way, for me, to make the drama or the comedy believable,” says the charismatic bass-baritone, who is 36, in this wide-ranging interview. Other topics include his efforts to break down the clichés of the genre, the pros and cons of being married to another opera singer – and how Covid helped him to get to know his own children.

Czech Next Wave is produced jointly by the Czech Centres network and Radio Prague International. It introduces listeners around the world to emerging, exciting and highly talented young Czech in various areas of the arts and beyond.