Singer Tenor

Patrick Kabongo

News

Two new Rossinian roles

Patrick Kabongo, who already has no less than 11 Rossinian roles in his repertoire, will shortly be adding two more: Don Ramiro (La Cenerentola), which he will take on for his debut at Deutsche Oper am Rhein, and the Conte di Libenskof in a new production of Il viaggio a Reims at the Theatre Krefeld-Mönchengladbach. Shortly afterwards, he will reprise the role of Don Ramiro for his debut at the Leipzig Opera.

All dates of performances

08.02.2024

Donizetti in Vienna and Bergamo

For the opening of the new season, Patrick Kabongo makes his debut with the MusikTheater an der Wien joining a rarity by Donizetti: Les Martyrs. This French Grand Opéra with the libretto by Eugène Scribe is based on Donizetti's originally Italian first version Poliuto that was derived from Pierre Corneille's drama Polyeucte. Patrick will be performing the role of Néarque next to John Osborn who will sing Polyeucte. Subsequently Patrick will go on to Donizetti's birthplace Bergamo joining the cast of another French Donizetti rarity: Lucie de Lammermoor. He will be staring opposite Caterina Sala's Lucie performing the essential tenor role of Edgar within the prestigious Donizetti Festival.

All dates of performances.

16.08.23

New milestone in Germany

Patrick Kabongo has been a regular guest with the ´Rossini-in-Wildbad-Festival´ for several years (considerably extending his Rossinian repertory) and performed at the Cologne Opera too (Barkouf by Offenbach). However, the health crisis prevented two exciting opera productions in Heidelberg and Karlsruhe. All the more he is looking forward to returning to Germany now! Produced by the Mannheim National Theatre the staged new-production of Grétry's opera Zemira e Azor (role of Azor) is being prepared in an Italian version conducted by Bernhard Forck and staged by Nigel Lowry. The performances will take place as part of the SWR Festival at the Schwetzingen Palace Theatre where Patrick will be making his debut.

Opening night on May 26, 2023

All dates of performances

28.03.23

A Turk in Avignon!

After his most successful debuts at the Québec Opera and the Irish National Opera (Ernesto in Don Pasquale), Patrick Kabongo is getting back to France in order to perform the role of Don Narciso (Il turco in Italia) at the Avignon Opera. He will subsequently proceed to Mannheim in order to join a new production of Grétry‘s Zémire et Azor (role of Azor) in an Italian version.

All dates of performances

08.02.23

Don Pasquale at the Quebec Opera and at the Irish National Opera

After having subsequently performed in La Sonnambula (Elvino) at the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari as well as Ermione (Oreste) and Armida (Gernando) with the Rossini-Festival in Bad Wildbad (Germany), Patrick Kabongo addresses himself again to Ernesto (Don Pasquale) making his debuts with both the Québec Opera and the Irish National Opera in Dublin!

All dates of performances

30.08.22

Once again with the Rossini Bad Wildbad Festival

This January Patrick Kabongo was highly acclaimed as George Brown in La Dame Blanche at the Nice Opera, including the specialized press media. Forumopera, for instance, reported that „Rossini-tenor Patrick Kabongo is enchanting with his velvet timbre and the suppleness which enables him to raise up to the high register“ while L’Humanité completed: „Patrick Kabongo as the lover George Brown who loses his memory temporarily is even more impressive as his timbre unrolls a lithesome vocal line full of loveliness“.

After making his successful debut as Elvino in La Sonnambula at the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Patrick Kabongo is getting back to the Rossini Festival in Bad Wildbad (Germany) already for the fourth time. This year he will be performing the challenging role of Oreste in Ermione as well as Gernando in Armida.

All dates of performances

02.06.22

Il barbiere di Siviglia in Karlsruhe

Update 24.03.22:

Production cancelled due to Covid cases in the production team.

Some weeks ago, Patrick Kabongo caused a sensation at the Nice Opera coping with the demanding role of George Brown in Boieldieu’s La Dame Blanche brilliantly. Which was proved by the reviews too; some excerpts:

„Rossini-tenor Patrick Kabongo is enchanting with his velvet timbre and the suppleness which enables him to raise up to the high register“. Forumopera, 25.01.22

„Patrick Kabongo as the lover George Brown who loses his memory temporarily is even more impressive as his timbre unrolls a lithesome vocal line full of loveliness“. L’Humanité, 22.01.22

„This young, Congo-born tenor commands admiration for the achievement of his vocal instrument.“ Première Loge, 24.01.22

„Patrick Kabongo’s performance is the vocal rendition based on his long breath and his appealingly catching laughter“. Olyrix, 27.01.22

Patrick Kabongo is now making his debut with one of the major opera companies in Germany, the Badische Staatstheater Karlsruhe, performing one of his favourite roles, the Count Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia.

Opening-night on March 26. All dates of performances.

28.02.22

La Dame blanche at the Nice Opera – second attempt!

In January 2021, the virus prevented the Nice Opera from presenting its new-production of Boieldieu’s La dame blanche in front of an audience in the theatre. However, not everything needed to be counted for lost, since the production-team managed to compile on very short notice a semi-staged version exclusively for an online-stream. One year later a second attempt is being made by the same team and the same cast including Patrick Kabongo in the highly demanding role of George Brown. Opening-night on January 21, 2022.

All dates of performances

19.01.22

Officer in Nice, Count in Klagenfurt

The magic of an opera singer’s life embodies being a British officer in Nice in January and a Spanish Count in Klagenfurt in April. This is exactly what happens to Patrick Kabongo! Provided the virus (again and again the fatal virus) will permit it, Patrick will be performing one of his favourite roles, Count Almaviva in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, at the gorgeous Jugendstil-Municipal-Theatre of Klagenfurt. Stage-direction by Laurent Pelly, musical direction by Nicholas Carter.

At this occasion Patrick will be making his Austria-debut!

Opening-night on April 10, 2021

All dates of performances

Boieldieu‘s master-piece in Nice

In January 2020 we had happily announced three, at the time upcoming, opera-commitments of Patrick Kabongo. However, not more than one of these survived: Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Tours Opera, the two others being swept away by the virus. The summer came and with it more cancellation of performance planning throughout the opera world. For Patrick the result was another opera production lost, this time with the Rossini-Festival in Bad Wildbad (Germany). In autumn he moreover lost the opportunity of making his overseas-debut (Don Pasquale at the Québec Opera).

For January 2021 Patrick had been engaged by the Nice Opera concerning the lovely part of George Brown within François-Adrien Boieldieu’s opéra-comique La dame blanche which had its world-premiere in Paris in 1825. Once again, due to health restrictions, the staged version as originally intended needed to be resigned and postponed to January 2022. However, not to relinquish the enormous rehearsal effort of everyone involved, the theatre-management decided to make at least a semi-staged version for a stream possible: without an audience, thus for cameras only, with the orchestra on stage and the soloists singing and acting (still without theatre-costumes) in front of the orchestra. The result can now be witnessed on the Opéra de Nice YouTube channel where it will remain available until end of April.

Link to the streaming of La dame blanche

Back to his standard-repertoire!

After having had a tremendous success in Offenbach’s Barkouf at the Cologne Opera, Patrick Kabongo returns to his standard-repertoire, to Rossini! He will appear as Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia first at the Tours Opera and a few months later at the Heidelberg Theatre. In between these two engagements he will be performing the title-role of Le Comte Ory at the Metz Opera.

Opening-night in Tours on January 29, 2020

All dates of performances

06.12.2019

Offenbach in Cologne

The Offenbach-year persists in the birthplace of the great composer, the creator of the genre operetta. The Cologne Opera met the auspicious decision to revive the delightful production of Barkouf ou un chien au pouvoir from the Opéra de Rhin in Strasbourg which caused a big splash there end of last year. Patrick Kabongo is again performing the role of Saëb in Cologne after having already dominated the production in Strasbourg and Mulhouse with this part.

By the way, our brilliant Rossini-tenor rejoined the Rossini Festival in Wildbad this summer performing in the new-production of Tancredi. Delightedly we can forward the following press-excerpt referring to this production:

´Patrick Kabongo’s Argirio was impeccable. Within no more than three years his promising voice has both unclosed and strengthened which enables him to perform now playfully and with virtuosity what concerns suppleness and vocal expansion. As on top of everything also engaging totally in the creation of the stage-character, this gains a human power which merges almost naturally with the singing. The da-capos get ornamented, the high-notes are mastered with ease, his vocal control is delectable and astounding. Big ovation, barely less than what is granted to Diana Haller. After such musical and vocal happiness-moments, one leaves the performance of a tragedy even with a smile.´ (forumopera.com, 25.07.2019 /fr)

Opening-night of Barkouf in Cologne on October 12th, 2019

All performance-dates

12.09.2019

A Rossini-tenor conquering France!

When having excited major interest within last summer’s production of L’equivoco stravagante at the Rossini Festival in Bad Wildbad, the German magazine Opernwelt reviewed Patrick Kabongo’s “soulfully acting Ermanno with highly secure top-register. A Rossini-tenor revealing a great potential for the future.”

The predicted future is now being implemented when Patrick Kabongo appears for the first time on a French stage performing a Rossini-part: Lindoro is L’italiana in Algeri at the Tours Opera with our favorite-baritone Aimery Lefèvre as Haly being one of his stage-partners within this production.

Opening-night on February 1st, 2019

All dates of performances

14.01.2019

Debut at the Opéra du Rhin in Strasbourg

Born in Congo - however a French citizen - Patrick Kabongo spent most of his time in recent years in Italy in order to bring his voice to perfection for the Belcanto-repertory. This enabled him to perform roles such as Lindoro (L’italiana in Algeri), Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Bertrandó (L’inganno felice), Comte Ory (Le Comte Ory) and Don Ramiro (La Cenerentola) – all by Rossini as well as Ernesto (Don Pasquale).

In summer of this year his rendition of Ermanno in L’equivoco stravagante was highly acclaimed at the Rossini-Festival in Bad Wildbad (Germany). Some press-cuts referring to this production:

„Her shy admirer Ermanno was performed by tenor Patrick Kabongo with a moving portrayal and most brilliant singing. His voice possesses an outstandingly captivating timbre pleasuring vocally with well-rounded sound. Highest career-prediction!“ (onlinemerker.com)

„The cultivated tenor Patrick Kabongo makes a persistent dent.” (pz-news)

„ … as well as the Patrick Kabongo’s dedicative Ermanno at eye level with both soulful acting and highly secure top-register. This Rossini-tenor revealed great potential for the future“. (Das Opernglas).

Patrick Kabongo is now about to make his debut at the Opéra national du Rhin performing the role of Saëb in Barkouf ou un chien au pouvoir, an unknown operetta by Offenbach.

Opening-night on December 7, 2018.
All dates of performances

03.12.2018

Rossini in Bad Wildbad and much more!

When meeting his decision three years ago to continue his musical studies in Italy joining the prestigious Accademia dell’Opera di Firenze, Patrick Kabongo already anticipated that Rossini would take a central place in his repertoire. His career expectation has meanwhile been more than fulfilled! Following engagements as Lindoro (L’italiana in Algeri) at the Opera di Firenze and as Conte d’Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia) with the Florence ensemble on tour to Oman, his participation within the German Bad Wildbad Rossini Festival singing the roles of Candulmiero und Selimo in Maometto II was called a “revelation”. With another Rossini-role, Bertrando in L’inganno felice, he just now conquered the Teatro Olimpico di Vicenza.

After having also performed as Ernesto in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale at the Metz Opera earlier this season, he will also make another Donizetti role-debut this upcoming September: Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore at Palermo’s Teatro Massimo. However, still prior to this engagement he will celebrate another role-debut by Rossini: Ermanno in L’equivoco stravagante with this year’s Bad Wildbad Festival opening on July 13, 2018.

All dates of performances

15.06.2018

Ernesto at the Metz Opera

Within the two years which he just spent at the Academy of the Teatro Maggio Musicale in Florence Patrick Kabongo did not squander away any of his time: He succeeded to polish up his knowledge of the Italian language and to develop his repertory as a typical Tenore di grazia. Among other roles he was performing there as Silango in Le Cinesi by Gluck, Il Conte in La Scuola de’ gelosi by Salieri, Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Lindoro in L’Italiana in Algeri, both by Rossini. Patrick Kabongo is back in France now rehearsing his first ever Ernesto in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale at the Metz Opera, joining a both delightful and impressing stage-production by Pierre-Emmanuel Rousseau.

Performances on November 17, 19 and 21, 2017

All dates of performances

18.10.2017

The study of jealousy in Florence

One year ago Patrick Kabongo made his successful Florence stage-debut singing the role of Lindoro in L’italiana in Algeri within the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. This perfectly fitting repertoire displayed beyond doubt both his impressing vocal agility and the beauty of his timbre. Patrick Kabongo is back to the Florence Opera now in order to join a rarely given opera by Antonio Salieri, La scuola de gelosi (The school of jealousy premiered in 1778, a kind of Cosi fan tutte 12 years before Mozart's Cosi fan tutte!). Patrick will be performing the challenging and virtuoso role of the Count.

Dates of performance (at the Teatro Goldoni): March 19, 21, 23 and 26, 2017.

28.02.2017

From Kinshasa to Florence – a life as in a fairy-tale

Patrick Kabongo’s story sounds like a fairy-tale. Born in Kongo nothing would have predetermined him for the field of classical music. Already as a child he loved singing so much that he joined a chorus, appearing in concerts. Following a performance of Mozart’s Requiem in Kinshasa, a Belgian diplomat approached him with the proposal to support his application for a scholarship. This way he came to Belgium acceding the Conservatoire Royal in Brussels. Patrick’s dream became true step by step.

The Congolese bass turned into a tenor in Europe. Being offered character roles, he himself could not find his way in this repertoire, still searching for the right vocal track. Some attentive and benevolent listeners foresee his future to be the light-lyric repertoire: Lindoro, Ramiro, Almaviva, Tonio…with a bold high C…a coherent attempt…and here is his ideal vocal orientation!  Jean-Christophe Spinosi did not fail when inviting him to sing Rossini under his baton (Le Comte Ory or Elisabetta, Regina d’Inghilterra). And the Italians neither did go wrong: Patrick Kabongo is now a member of the Accademia del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino where he can elaborate his knowledge in Italian repertoire and study among others the role of Lindoro (L’Italiana in Algeri) on stage.

02.11.2015