A broad range of repertoire distinguishes PETER KÁLMÁN as one of the most dynamic bass-baritones before the public today. Highly regarded for his engaging character portrayals in the Italian "Buffo" tradition, he is no less accomplished in the dramatic roles of Bartók, Strauss, and Wagner.
Collaborations have yielded performances with many of the world's most prestigious conductors including Alain Altinoglu, Christoph von Dohnányi, Ádám Fischer, Valery Gergiev, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Enrique Mazzola, Nello Santi, Stefan Soltész, Franz Welser-Möst, and Jaap van Zweden.
His repertoire includes the role of Don Magnifico in La cenerentola, the title role in Don Pasquale, Mustafa in L'italiana in Algeri, Alberich in Der Ring des Nibelungen, Leporello in Don Giovanni, Doctor Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia, a role in Ariodante. At the Hungarian State Opera, where Peter Kálmán is a regular guest, he has performed Don Alfonso in Cosi fan tutte, Nick Shadow in The Rake's Progress, Dulcamara in L'elisir d'amore, Herr von Faninal in Der Rosenkavalier, Sixtus Beckmesser in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Scarpia in Tosca, Klingsor in Parsifal, and the title roles of Don Pasquale and Gianni Schicchi. Additional credits that further illustrate Peter Kálmán's artistic versatility include roles in various productions of Wagner’s Götterdämmerung, Schubert's Fierrabras, Bellini’s Norma, Rossini's Otello and Le Comte Ory, Handel's Semele and Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro.
The native of Budapest, Hungary has a varied and vibrant diary in the 2023-24 season. Highlights include a new production by Martin Kušej of Le nozze di Figaro at the Salzburger Festspiele led by Rafaël Pichon, La cenerentola for a debut at Semperoper Dresden and in a new production by Damiano Michieletto at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées led by Thomas Hengelbrock, Giulio Cesare at the Wiener Staatsoper in a production by David Livermore conducted by Gianluca Capuano, L’elisir d’amore at the Latvian National Opera, productions of Cavalleria rusticana and Giulio Cesare at Opéra de Monte-Carlo, and Der Ring des Nibelungen and Tosca at the Hungarian State Opera.
Kálmán is a frequent guest at many opera houses, like Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Grand Théâtre du Geneve, Salzburg Festival, Scottish Opera, Les Théâtres de la Ville, Opéra de Marsei, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Salzburg Festspiele, Opernhaus Zürich, Bergen Nasjonale Opera, Theater an der Wien, Vlaamse Opera, and elswhere.
In the 2024/25 season, he will make his debut at the Covent Garden as Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro, and at the Metropolitan Opera as Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia. At the Hungarian State Opera he will be singing the title role of Falstaff and the role of Mephistofele in Gounod’s Faust. He will be also singing the role of Alberich in a new production of Das Rheingold in Opera de Monte-Carlo next season, directed by David Livermore.