Lucie Kaňková
soprano

Lucie Kaňková, a Czech soprano born in 1991, is a dynamic and versatile artist renowned for her exceptional vocal agility, refined musical intelligence, and compelling stage presence. Her repertoire spans from the dazzling coloratura brilliance of Zerbinetta and the Queen of the Night to the dramatic lyricism of Violetta Valéry, Anna Bolena, and Lucia di Lammermoor, as well as roles such as Gilda and Poppea, which unite vocal virtuosity with expressive and psychological depth.

Her musical sensitivity and stylistic awareness are deeply rooted in a rich artistic background. Born into a multi-generational musical family of distinguished artists, she was immersed in music from an early age. Having studied the violin for nearly twenty years, this extensive instrumental training continues to shape her phrasing, structural understanding, and interpretative precision.

She is a laureate of numerous international competitions, including 1st Prize in the Opera category at the Antonín Dvořák International Singing Competition (2016), 2nd Prize and all Special Awards at the Bohuslav Martinů Competition (2017), 3rd Prize at the Bologna International Vocal Competition (2019), and 1st Prize together with the title Best Opera Singer at the Nomea Competition (2021). In 2022, she further expanded her international recognition by receiving 1st Prize at the Mimas Music Festival and 2nd Prize at the Neapolitan Masters Competition in Italy.

Lucie has appeared as a guest soloist on major opera stages across Europe, including the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège, Hungarian State Opera, National Theatre Prague, State Opera Prague, National Opera and Ballet Sofia, Nouvel Opéra Fribourg, and the Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival. Her international engagements have also taken her to Japan, Switzerland, Germany, Slovakia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Bulgaria.

In addition to her vocal and musical versatility, Lucie is recognized for her physical expressiveness on stage, supported by many years of competitive dance training. This background informs her natural sense of movement, timing, and dramatic presence, allowing for a fully embodied stage interpretation.

Currently Active Roles

Among her most celebrated and currently active roles are:

• Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos, Strauss) – State Opera Prague

• Queen of the Night (Die Zauberflöte, Mozart) – Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège, National Theatre Prague, National Opera and Ballet Sofia, Hungarian State Opera (including Japan tour), National Theatre Košice, Opernspiele Munot, National Theatre Brno, among others

• Violetta (La traviata, Verdi) – productions in Prague, Budapest, Košice, Fribourg, Chișinău (live television broadcast), and Opava

• Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor, Donizetti) – National Theatre Prague

• Anna Bolena (Anna Bolena, Donizetti) – National Theatre Košice

• Gilda (Rigoletto, Verdi) – Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège, Prague, and Opava

• Poppea (L’incoronazione di Poppea, Monteverdi) – Pilsen and Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival

• First Nymph (Rusalka, Dvořák) – Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège

• Terinka (Jakobín, Dvořák) – National Theatre Brno (OperaVision)

• Donna Anna (cover, Don Giovanni, Mozart) – Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège

• Philine (cover, Mignon, Thomas) – Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège

• Raffaelle (Il ritorno di Tobia, Haydn) – International Music Festival Znojmo

• Barče (The Kiss, Smetana) – National Theatre Ostrava

Past Repertoire Highlights

Lucie’s early professional engagements include Miesmies (Spiegel, das Kätzchen, Burkhard), Violante (La Frascatana, Paisiello), and Teofane (Ottone, Handel) at Theater Biel-Solothurn. She subsequently performed Ariadne (Ariadne, Martinů) both in Switzerland and at Deutsche Oper am Rhein, as well as Ännchen (Der Freischütz, Weber) and Elvira (L’italiana in Algeri, Rossini).

Her Mozart repertoire includes Susanna, Fiordiligi, Donna Anna, and Konstanze. In the Baroque field, she appeared as Tempo/Fortuna (Il tribunale di Giove, Dittersdorf). Her Czech repertoire further encompasses roles such as Kuchtík (Rusalka, Dvořák) and Barče (The Kiss, Smetana).

Education

Lucie Kaňková holds a PhD in Interpretation and Theory of Interpretation from the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (HAMU) (2017–2022). She completed two Master’s degrees in Switzerland: a Master of Arts in Solo Performance at Hochschule Luzern – Musik (2016–2019) and a Master of Arts in Specialized Music Performance – Opera at Hochschule der Künste Bern / Swiss Opera Studio (2013–2016).

She continues her artistic development in close collaboration with Prof. Barbara Locher and KS Gabriela Beňačková.