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Christian Van Horn
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 August 2027 | ||||||
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Christian Van Horn
Devils and Kings
American bass-baritone Christian Van Horn ranks among the most charismatic singers of our time. He is at home on the world’s most prestigious stages: at New York’s Metropolitan Opera alone he has appeared more than a hundred times, and just as frequently at Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, and Bavarian State Opera in Munich. Since 2013 he has also been captivating audiences around the globe through the Met Live in HD broadcasts — among others in Wozzeck, Lucia di Lammermoor, Die Zauberflöte, Falstaff, Thomas Adès’ The Exterminating Angel, and, in October 2024, in the “diabolical” quadruple role in Les contes d’ Hoffmann. It was on that occasion that the media hailed him as “opera’s definitive Devil.”
Indeed, devilish roles are his famed domain: in Boito’s Mefistofele, Gounod’s Faust or in Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust; and we must also add Nick Shadow in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress and Bertram in Meyerbeer’s Robert le diable. Yet, Christian Van Horn is by no means “a villain specialist” only. Among the roles closest to his heart are King Philip II in Don Carlo and the title hero in Massenet’s Don Quichotte. He is equally compelling as Escamillo in Bizet’s Carmen, Zaccaria in Verdi’s Nabucco, Verdi’s Attila, or Mozart’s Don Giovanni.
It is precisely the contrast between these two artistic worlds that inspired the title of his Prague debut: Devils and Kings. The royal majesty will be represented by Philip II — a role Christian added to his repertoire in spring 2025 at the Paris Opera.
And there is one more thing we must not overlook: on his website Christian lists two professions under his name — bass-baritone and podcaster. In 2020, during the lockdown, he founded the CVH Podcast to stay connected with his audience. He shared stories from his career, personal insights, and reflections — and once the lockdown ended, he began inviting his colleagues for live conversations. By the end of 2025, the number of episodes is approaching the impressive milestone of three hundred.
In both the infernal and the regal arias, Christian Van Horn will be accompanied by our trusted partner team: Prague Philharmonia under the baton of Rastislav Štúr.
Program and cast
Christian Van Horn | Devils and Kings
Prague Philharmonia
Rastislav Štúr – conductor
Municipal House Theater Prague
Municipal House (Czech: Obecní dům) is a civic building that houses Smetana Hall, a celebrate concert venue, in Prague, Czech Republic. Its address is Náměstí Republiky 5, next to the Powder Gate in the center of the city.
The Royal Court palace used to be located on the site of the Municipal House. From 1383 until 1485 the King of Bohemia lived on the property. After 1485, it was abandoned. It was demolished in the early 20th century. Construction of the current building started in 1905. It opened in 1912.[citation needed] The building was designed by Osvald Polívka and Antonín Balšánek.
The Municipal House was the location of the Czechoslovak declaration of independence.
The building is of the Art Nouveau architecture style. The building exterior has allegorical art and stucco. There is a mosaic called Homage to Prague by Karel Špillar over the entrance. On either side are allegorical sculpture groups representing The Degradation of the People and The Resurrection of the People by Ladislav Šaloun. Smetana Hall serves as a concert hall and ballroom. It has a glass dome.
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