Kurt Equiluz

One of the most distinguished Bach tenors of the twentieth century, Kurt Equiluz began his singing career as soloist with the Vienna Boys Choir. After studies in music theory, harp, and singing at the Austrian State Academy for Music and Art in Vienna, he won several major competitions, including the International Singing Competition in England (1947-1948) and the Vienna Mozart Competition (1949). He joined the Vienna State Opera Chorus in 1950 and went on to distinguish himself in 69 different roles, including Pedrillo in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Don Curzio in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, Scaramuccio in Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos, Balthasar Zorn in the Wagner's Die Meistersinger, Spoletta in Puccini's Tosca, Kaiser Altoum in Puccini's Turandot, Monostatos in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, and Rossillon in Léhar's Lustigen Witwe. In 1987, he gave his final performance on the opera stage in Gluck's Iphigénie en Aulide. With a vocal style best suited to oratorio and lieder, his reputation largely rests on his performances in the complete cycle of Bach cantatas and Passions directed by Harnoncourt and Leonhardt. In 1971, Equiluz was was appointed as professor in Musikhochschule of Graz, and in 1982 as professor at the Wiener Musikakademie. Kurt Equiluz died on June 20, 2022 at the age of 93.