Erwin Schrott


Erwin Schrott is an operatic bass-baritone, particularly known for his interpretation of the title role in Mozart's Don Giovanni.

Career

Schrott studied singing with Franca Mattiucci. He made his professional debut in Montevideo at the age of 22, singing Roucher in Andrea Chénier. Following a stint at the Teatro Municipal in Santiago, Chile, where he sang Timur in Turandot, Colline in La bohème, Sparafucile in Rigoletto and Ramfis in Aida, he won a scholarship to study in Italy.
After winning first prize and the Audience Prize in the 1998 Operalia competition founded by Plácido Domingo, he went on to leading roles in major opera houses in both Europe and the United States. He made his debut at the Vienna State Opera as Banquo in Verdi's Macbeth on 28 March 1999 and returned there to sing Leporello in Don Giovanni and Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro. At La Scala, he has sung the title role in Don Giovanni and Pharaon in Moïse et Pharaon. His debut at the New York Metropolitan Opera came on 30 November 2000 when he sang Colline in La bohème. He returned to the company in 2005 as Escamillo in Carmen, in 2006 in the title role in Don Giovanni for the Met's Japan Tour, in 2007 as Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro and in 2008 in the title role in Don Giovanni. Since his debut at the Royal Opera House in September 2003 as Leporello in Don Giovanni, Schrott has sung Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, and the title role in Don Giovanni with the company. He sang the role of Escamillo in the production of Carmen conducted by Daniel Barenboim, with Jonas Kaufmann as Don Josè and Anita Rachvelishvili in the title role, that opened the season at La Scala.
Schrott's performances on the concert stage include a joint concert with Anna Netrebko conducted by Plácido Domingo in the Centro de Bellas Artes, San Juan, Puerto Rico, a gala concert for the 5th Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Festival, with Anna Netrebko and Elīna Garanča, and a solo concert in the Münchner Residenz.

Personal life

Schrott was the partner of the Russian soprano Anna Netrebko. They never married, and in November 2013, Netrebko announced that she and Schrott had separated amicably. Their son, Tiago Aruã, was born on 5 September 2008 in Vienna. In addition to joint concerts in Puerto Rico, Abu Dhabi and Riga, Netrebko and Schrott appeared together in Don Giovanni with the New York Metropolitan Opera's Japan Tour in June 2006 and at the Royal Opera House in June 2007.
In April 2008, concert promoter Ian Rosenblatt said that he was planning to sue Schrott for breach of contract when he cancelled his appearance in the Rosenblatt Recital Series for 11 June 2008 at Cadogan Hall. The dispute was settled out of court in August 2008 when Schrott agreed to make a donation to charity.

Awards and honors