Born in Bucharest, Romania, tenor Bogdan Mihai began studying violin at an early age to then pursue vocal training as a baritone. Upon completion of his Conservatoire degree he discovered his new vocality as a tenor in Italy, under the guidance of legendary soprano Mirella Freni, who also awarded him the Nicolai Ghiaurov scholarship. He spent two years training in Italy and also obtained his Masters Diploma in Belcanto at the Transilvania University in Brasov, Romania with soprano Mariana Nicolesco.
In 2008 he appeared to great acclaim at the Bucharest National Opera as Almaviva Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Ramiro La Cenerentola, Ugo Parisina D'Este, Tamas Gemma di Vergy, and Ernesto Don Pasquale.
An international career quickly followed. In 2009 he made his debut with Staatsoper Stuttgart under David Parry as Almaviva in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia and then the Italian Singer in the highly acclaimed new production of Der Rosenkavalier. He then went on to make his UK debut as Goffredo and Carlo in new production of Rossini’s Armida at Garsington. The success of his Garsington debut led to an invitation to appear in recital in London as part of the prestigious Rosenblatt Recitals series.
On the concert platform, Bogdan Mihai has sung the tenor’s part in Mozart’s Great Mass in C minor and Handel’s Messiah, Nelson Mass and Prodefuncto Mass with the Choir and the Romanian National Radio Orchestra. Also at the Romanian Atheneum he sung in Joseph Haydn’s Theresienmesse and Grosse Orgelsolomesse with the George Enescu Choir and Philharmonic Orchestra and Bach's Cantata No.182.
Most recently, he made debuts with Semperoper Dresden, Deutsche Oper Berlin and Théâtre du Chatelet Paris as Count Almaviva, which is quickly becoming his signature role. In the summer of 2011 he sang Adelberto Adelaide di Borgogna at the prestigious Rossini Festival in Pesaro and the title role in Rossini’s Aureliano in Palmira at the Martina Franca Festival. Both productions will be released on DVD later this year. Last season he made his debut at the Zurich Opera as Ernesto Don Pasquale with Ruggiero Raimondi in the title role and under the baton of legendary conductor Nello Santi. He returned to Deutsche Oper Berlin to reprise his role as Almaviva and made his debut as Nemorino in Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’amore at the Mikhailovsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. At the invitation of star soprano Angela Gheorghiu he appeared in a series of concerts at the Suntory Hall in Tokyo.
Engagements in the 2012/13 season include a new production of Don Pasquale at the Cuvilliestheater in Munich, Count Almaviva at Deutsche Oper Berlin and Ramiro in a new production of La Cenerentola for Stuttgart Opera. Another highlight is the debut at Concertgebouw Amsterdam with Rossini’s La Scala di Seta and a Gala Concert with Angela Gheorghiu at the Kremlin Palace in Moscow.
Bogdan Mihai is represented by Intermusica.
June 2013 / 468 words. Not to be altered without permission. Please destroy all previous biographical material.
Adelberto Adelaide di Borgogna in Rossini DVD
Rossini Opera Festival, Pesaro
“Romanian tenor Bogdan Mihai (Adelberto), boasts exceptional flexibility… and he seems fearless in coping with extremes of range… the surface of his tone is very clean and Mihai also sings remarkably clear text. Tall and quite slim, he also boasts a notably vivid stage presence."
Roger Pines, International Record Review, May 2013
Ernesto Don Pasquale / Donizetti
Residenztheater, Munich
“…Bogdan Mihai in the difficult vocal part of Ernesto, sings wonderfully lyrical and fills his role as a languid young lover, excellent...”
NachtSchatten, October 2012
“…Bogdan Mihai (Ernesto) who led his bright tenor voice stylistically impeccable..."
Abendzeitung Munich, October 2012
“…The Ernesto of Bogdan Mihai gives a slight, deeply colored tenor who brings the audience to melt..."
Crescendo (Germany), October 2012
“The duet of Anja-Nina Bahrmann and Bogdan Mihai is the highlight of the evening. Mihai is a delicate tenor stylist with teen charm, who aims at subtle enchantment ..."
Merkur Online (Munich), October 2012
"...Bogdan Mihai can be considered a stroke of luck for Ernesto: a slim, convincing teen unconditional lover with a classic bel canto Tenorino - delicate, sweet, agile, squeaky clean..."
NMZ Online, October 2012
Adelberto Adelaide di Borgogna / Rossini
Rossini Opera Festival, Pesaro
“Bogdan Mihai in the role of Adelberto, who has shone for the beautiful way of being on stage facing an acute vocal virtuosity: the first act duet with Ottone and the air Ascolto i gemiti del genitore from the second act was well-resolved with soft attacks and without forcing the voice that is very flexible and capable of colorurs the upper middle...”
Opera Magazine, August 2011
“Our sympathies were with young Romanian tenor Bogdan Mihai as Adelberto whose vocal and histrionic innocence won us over to his father’s side...”
Opera Today, August 2011
“Another outstanding vocal performance came from Bogdan Mihai, the handsome Romanian tenor, whose immense range and rich vocal colours proved equal to the virtuoso demands of Adelberto’s stop-the-show aria, Grida, o natura...”
Seen and Heard International, August 2011
“Bogdan Mihai (Adelberto) is a great arrival in the field of Rossinian tenors...”
Il Giornale della musica, August 2011
Aureliano Palmira / Rossini
Festival Della Valle D’Itria, Martina Franca
“The young tenor Bogdan Mihai, with beautiful timbre clear and powerful Aureliano”
Drammaturgia.it, August 2011
“Tenor Bogdan Mihai, ringing voice and secure authority imbued that the character has to express”
La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno, July 2011
Goffredo Armida / Rossini
Garsington Opera Festival
“The Act 3 trio for tenors (Victor Ryan Robertson, Bogdan Mihai, David Alegret) has a show-stopping quality…”
Andrew Clark, Financial Times, June 2010
“For such a young singer, Bogdan Mihai’s Goffredo had vocal authority and physical presence. Nice richness to his voice which will serve him well”
Opera Today, June 2012
Count Almaviva Il Barbiere di Siviglia / Rossini
Stuttgart Staasoper
“A delightful discovery is Bogdan Mihai as Count Almaviva. With him everything fits in that role. He is young – a visible difference in age and attitude to Bartolo, good – looking, singing the coloratura with ease and developing immense comic talent”
Musiktheater Staatsoper Stuttgart, October 2009
“Bogdan Mihai, the new king of coloratura”
Tamino Klassik, April 2009
“The Romanian tenor Bogdan Mihai, a beautiful voice. High Class...”
Sur-kultur, March 2009