“The Croatian countertenor Franko Klisović deserves an eminent award – an impressive, sonorous, color-pleasing voice with a certain technique; a promising talent.”
(CASOPIZHARMONIE. CZ)
„Franko Klisović could tackle Arsace from Semiramide with absolute technical certainty and expressive vigor. It was, in our circumstances, a unique lesson in how Rossini's coloraturas and trills should be sung. They were precise, sparkling, unoiled, in one breath. Whether they were in the height, in the middle, or in the contralto depth. It was a perfect performance, an exemplary demonstration of an extremely demanding aria from one of Gioachino Rossini's most perfect operas.“
(OPERASLOVAKIA. SK)
“A special place in the hearts of the audience was occupied by the servant Smeton, embodied by countertenor Franko Klisović. From acting, stage play, presence and vocal preparation to technical capabilities and performance, Klisović was excellent and actually flawless. This was confirmed by the audience with thunderous and long-lasting applause on the open stage after the aria.”
(NOVILIST. HR)
ABOUT / BIO
Franko Klisović is born in Šibenik, where he finished his elementary and higher musical education. Whilst living in his home town he also worked as an organist at the cathedral of St. James in Šibenik. After graduating from high school he enrolls to study conducting at the Music Academy in Zagreb, where he is currently in his final year of studies in the class of mo. Tomislav Fačini. At the end of 2015 he starts his vocal studies and after only 3 months gets an engagement in an opera. Not long after that, alongside his conducting studies, he enrolls to study singing at the Music Academy in Zagreb in the class of prof. Martina Gojčeta – Silić. His countertenor is described by critics as a beautiful, bronze-colored voice, round, pasty and carrying, and him as a singer with stunning voice control, expressive, above all musical with a stage presence and appearance that win both critics and the audience alike. And although we are talking about a young singer, behind him there is already a considerable series of realized and won roles in Croatia and abroad.
Professional debuts: Ottone – Agrippina, G. F. Händel, Croatian National Theater in Zagreb (2016); The Spirit– Dido and Aeneas, H. Purcell, CNT Ivana pl. Zajca in Rijeka (2017); The Sorceress – Dido and Aeneas, Korkyra baroque festival (2017); Aeneas – Dido and Aeneas, Festival Musica Appassionata (2017); Angelo di Giustizia – La caduta di Adamo, B. Galuppi, HRBA (2018) Conductor – Cosi fan tutte, W. A. Mozart (2018) in CH Blagoj Bersa; Conductor – Stribor`s Forest, Ivan Končić (2019) in CT Komedija; Alto solo – Markus Passion, J.S. Bach (2020) in CH Blagoj Bersa; Conductor – Cendrillon, J. Massenet (2020 and 2021) in CH Blagoj Bersa; Disinganno – Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, G. F. Händel, HRBA (2020); Nireno – Giulio Cesare in Egitto, G. F. Händel, CNT Ivana pl. Zajc in Rijeka (2020/2021) and at the Savonlinna Opera Festival FI (2022); Farnace – Mitridate, rè di Ponto, W. A. Mozart, Teatro Olimpico di Vicenza (2021); Soloist – Chichester Psalms, L. Bernstein (2022) in Concert hall Vatroslav Lisinski; Mars – La concordia de Pianeti, A. Caldara, Besední dům in Brno, Spanish hall in Prague, Znojmo Music Festival (2023); Ulisse – Achille in Sciro, F. Corselli, Tetaro Real in Madrid (2023), Ottone – L´incoronazione di Poppea, C. Monteverdi, Oper Wuppertal (2023); Smeton – Anna Bolena, G. Donizetti, HNK Ivana pl. Zajc in Rijeka (2023); Hamor - Jephta, G. F. Händel, Theater Heidelberg (2023); Sadrach – Nebucadnezar, R. Keiser, Rokokotheater Schwetzingen (2023); Roma, Madre, Religione – Il Sant'Alessio, S. Landi, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg (2023); Apollo – Death in Venice, B. Britten, Theater Heidelberg (2024); Meisterlich – Zusammenstoß, Theater Heidelberg (2024); Arcane – Teseo, Händel Festspiele Halle (2024); Arsace – Partenope, Oper Frankfurt (2024); Orlovsky – Die Fledermaus, Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb (2024).
In the continuation of the 2024/25. season he also performs as Farnace and Arbate in Mitridate, re di Ponto (W. A. Mozart) in Teatro Real in Madrid; as Schauspieler in Der Protagonist (K. Weill) in Teatro la Fenice; as Tolomeo in Giulio Cesare in Egitto (G. F. Händel) in National Theater in Ostrava and Znojmo music festival.
As a soloist, he has performed with renowned ensembles such as the Qatar Philharmonic in Doha, Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra, Heidelberg Philharmonic Orchestra, Dortmund Philharmonic, Czech Ensemble Baroque, Croatian Baroque Ensemble, Croatian Radiotelevison Choir and Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra of Croatian National Theatre in Rijeka, Zagreb and Split, Wrocław Baroque Orchestra, Orchestra of the Hungarian State Opera, Orchestra of Oper Frankfurt.
In addition to being a soloist in opera, he often performs as an oratorio and concert singer. Some of the previous engagements include: Dixit Dominus, La caduta di Adamo (B. Galuppi); Vespro della Beata Vergine (C. Monteverdi); Messiah, Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno, Israel in Egypt, Jephta, Te Deum (G. F. Händel); Te Deum, Messe à 8 voix (M. A. Charpentier); Stabat Mater (G. B. Pergolesi); Gloria, Stabat Mater (A. Vivladi); Johannes, Markus and Matthäus Passion, Magnificat (J.S. Bach); Te Deum (A. Bruckner); Carmina Burana (C. Orff); Rejoice the Lamb (B. Britten); Chichester Psalms (L. Bernstein).
Awards: 3rd prize and audience prize at the Premiere Opera Foundation international singing competition (NY, USA, 2020); 1st prize (the role of Farnace in the opera Mitridate, re di Ponto) at the Tullio Serafin International Competition (Vicenza, IT, 2021); 2nd prize at the 27th singing competition Riccardo Zandonai (Riva del Garda, IT, 2021); 2nd prize and prize for the most beautifully performed song Ružičky at the 24th Mikluaš Schneider – Trnavsky International Singing Competition (Trnava, SK, 2021); 2nd prize in the opera lyric section and 1st prize in the musica sacra section at the 4th international singing competition San Colombano (Piacenza, IT, 2021), one of the winners of the international singing competition Aria Borealis (Bodø, NO, 2022); the winner in the Mahler songs section at the international singing competition Gabriela Beñačková (Jhilava, CZ, 2022); he was a finalist at the international singing competition Hans Gabor Belvedere (Dortmund, D, 2023); he is the winner of the annual prize for young singers awarded by Croatian soprano Mirjana Bohanec Vidović (Zagreb, HR, 2023); 3rd prize at the international singing competition Città di Bologna and the role of Siebel in C. Gounod's Faust, at the Stara Zagora Opera in Bulgaria (Bologna, IT, 2023); an award of Szeged Simphony Orchestra and concert hall Müpa at Jószef Simándy vocal competition (Budapest, HU, 2024); an awarad for exceptional artistic achievement of Croatian Association of Drama Artists (Zagreb, CRO, 2024).