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Frank van Aken Biography
Based in The Hague Frank van Aken is widely acknowledged as a sought-after inter-national tenor. He studied in Utrecht and is a music graduate of the Opera Studio of the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. He completed his vocal studies with James McCray. Frank van Aken made his professional debut as Macduff in Macbeth at Nederlandse Reisopera in Enschede, followed by his debut as Cavaradossi in Tosca in Rome.
Being a fest member of Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Duesseldorf he added dozens of important roles to his repertory. Appearances elsewhere included Parsifal in Strasbourg, Aegisth in Elektra, Laca in Jenufa and Erik in The Flying Dutchman at Stuttgart State Opera as well as Max in Der Freischütz in Munich.
As a fest member of Frankfurt Opera, Frank van Aken performed Tannhäuser, Hermann in Pique Dame, Luigi in Il tabarro, Parsifal and Tristan in Tristan and Isolde. Most critically acclaimed were his performances of Einsiedel in Hartmann’s Simplicius Simplicissimus and Siegmund in The Walkyrie. In 10/11, he made his Vienna State Opera debut as Tannhäuser and performed the same role for his debuts at Bayreuth Festival, at Gran Teatro del Liceu in Barcelona and at Festspielhaus Baden Baden. He subsequently debutet at Teatro alla Scala in Milan as Siegmund in The Walkyrie, at Teatro Reggio Torino in the title role of Parsifal and as Siegmund he jumped into a production of the Metropolitan Opera. Furthermore, he received highest praise for his interpretation of Russian repertoire as for his Alexej in Prokofiev’s The Gambler in Frankfurt.
Engagements of last seasons included his critically praised debut at Semperoper Dresden as Tristan in Tristan and Isolde and the title role in Strauss’ Guntram. He returned to Teatro del Liceu in Barcelona to perform Siegmund in The Walkyrie, sang Sergei in Lady Macbeth of Mtensk at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and performed Parsifal in Frankfurt. Appearances in 16/17 included Alexej in the reprise of The Gambler in Frankfurt and Tambourmajor in Wozzeck in Amsterdam. In season 17/18 Frank van Aken was Egist in Elektra at Greek National Opera in Athens and performed Tannhäuser and Parsifal at Nationaltheater Mannheim. Highlights of 18/19 include a wonderful Shuysky in Boris Godunov in Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Laca in Jenufa in Athens and Herodes in Salome in Wiesbaden.
Future highlights include Tristan in a concert version of Tristan and Isold with Orquesta y Coro Nacional de España in Madrid, Herodes in Salome at The Atlanta Opera and Tristan in Tristan und Isolde at Nationaltheater Mannheim.
