Biography
Croatian baritone, VITOMIR MAROF, was born in Zagreb. Graduated in Pharmacy at Pharmaceutical University and worked several years in pharmaceutical industry. He also graduated in solo singing at The Music Academy in Zagreb. Perfected in Vienna, Salzburg and particulary belcanto style (Verdi) in Rome.
Since 1991 he has been a member of the opera ensemble in Croatian National Theatre in ZAGREB and in 2007 he was proclaimed a national principal opera soloist. He made his debut in ZAGREB (1995) as Dagon' s Priest (Samson et Dalila, Saint-Säens); then followed by roles such as Alfio (Cavalleria rusticana, Mascagni); Eisenstein (Fledermaus, Strauß); Junius (The Rape of Lucretia, Britten); Sulpice (La fille du régiment, Donizetti); Escamillo (Carmen, Bizet); Topan-paša (Mila Gojsalića, Gotovac); Kocelin (Porin, Lisinski); NŠ Zrinjski ( NŠ Zrinjski, Zajc); Rangoni (Boris Godunov, Musorgski); Silvio (Pagliacci, Leoncavallo); Michele (Il Tabaro, Puccini) etc. The repertoire displays his special interest in the roles from Verdi's operas in which he accomplished his best achievements: Amonasro (Aida); Don Carlos (La Forza del Destino); Conte di Luna (Il Trovatore); G.Germont (La Traviata); Nabucco (Nabucco); Simon Boccanegra (Simon Boccanegra); Rigoletto (Rigoletto); Renato (Un ballo inmaschera); Ford (Falstaff)...
Other engagements led him to Slovenian National Opera in MARIBOR as Hans Scholl (Die Weiße Rose, Zimmermann); then in LJUBLJANA (Nabucco, Luna, G.Germont)and Scharples (Mme Butterfly,Puccini); in Croatian National Theatre SPLIT as Poeta (Il Turco in Italia, Rossini), conducted by Nikša Bareza; in RIJEKA (Alfio, Luna, Nabucco, G.Germont) ; in International Summer Festival LJUBLJANA (Escamillo); in Operafestival in SKOPJE (G.Germont, Nabucco)); HERAKLEA (Nabucco); As Nabucco he participated in Bartók-Verdi festival in MIŠKOLC (Hungary); and in 2001 in Hungarian State Opera in BUDAPEST under the baton of mo. Balász Kocsár; Since 2004 he has been performing with a great success the role of G.Germont in VOLKSOPERVIENNA, ( with mo. M arc Piollet, Günther Neuhold, Leopold Hager, Alfred Eschwé, Elisabeth Attl, Henrik Nánási, Enrico Dovico....) In 2005 he participated in the great project, the world premiere of unknown masterpiece of Offenbachs Die Rheinnixen in the role of Conrad in LJUBLJANA and WINTERTHUR (Switzerland) with mo. Dieter Rossberg;
In 2006 in The State Opera KOŠICE he sang Luna with Miro Dvorsky ; then Alfio and Tonio in Slovak National Theatre in BRATISLAVA ; Since 2007 he has been engaged as Luna in BRATISLAVA (mo. Rastislav Štur); in Z AGREB he sang G.Germont in Traviata with Inva Mula , and a role of Renato in Un Ballo in maschera with Michele Crider; as Luna he participated in Operafestival ZVOLEN (Slovakia) with Iano Tamar and in Verdi festival in POZNAN ( Poland).. In 2008 he was invited as Nabucco to SPLIT Summer Festival, conducted by Ivo Lipanović. In 2009 he participated as G.Germont in the new Traviata in RIJEKA, directed by Janusz Kica and with mo. Nikša Bareza.
He has also a great experience in all music epochs and styles on concert stages such as Baroque Evenings in VARAŽDIN; Baroque Festival in LJUBLJANA; Music Biennale ZAGREB etc.
He sang C.Orffs Carmina Buranawith Hungarian Philharmonic Orchestra in Bruckner house in LINZ (mo. Manfred Mayrhofer); Homagge to G.Petrassi - Beatudines in ROME; Concert with Orchestra of Bolschoj Theatre from Moscow in KIEV; In 2005 he has appeared together with Peter Dvorsky on the Christmas concert and with Praha Symphony Orchestra ( mo. Rastislav Štur) in Smetana Concert Hall in PRAGUE; In 2006. he sang the concert of opera- arias with Frankfurt Symphony Orchestra and mo. Wolfgang Seeliger in RÜSSELSHEIM and in Residenzfestspiele in DARMSTADT ; then the Recital Mozart-Schumann in BRNO; the Gala concert in Slovak Philharmonia Concert Hallwith Hasmik Papian, Miro Dvorsky and Symphony Orchestra of Slovak radio, conducted by Leoš Svárovsky in BRATISLAVA; In 2007 Gala Concert with Elena Obraztsova and Peter Dvorsky in KOŠICE; In 2008/10 Gala Concerts with Europasymphony Orchestra and mo. Wolfgang Gröhs in Weikersdorf Castle in BADEN / VIENNA; than several concerts in VIENNA...
He received the highest rewards and acknowledgements in Croatia, the rewards MILKA TRNINA and VLADIMIR RUŽDJAK(2001) for the singing and artistic creations in the roles of Conte di Luna(Il Trovatore) and Nabucco (Nabucco) by G.Verdi; the reward TITO STROZZI (2007) for the role of Renato (Un ballo in maschera); and the reward FRANJO DUGAN for the best concert-performance in 2008.
In the season 2009/10 he has been entrusted with the role of Rigoletto (de) in the new project of VOLKSOPER VIENNA , directed by Stephen Langridge and in co-operation with conductors Manlio Benzi, Enrico Dovico and Alfred Eschwé;
Then follows the part of Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor in RIJEKA , with mo. Nikša Bareza; G.Germont again in VOLKSOPER VIENNA; Conte di Luna in BRATISLAVA and Rigoletto (it) in June in ZAGREB.