Crowd favorite leaves

“Now an exciting time begins once again”

Matthäus Schmidlechner, engaged at the Landestheater since 2007, distinguished himself as a playful, versatile tenor(Bild: Winkler Reinhard)

His debut in Vienna was convincing. Matthäus Schmidlechner, audience favorite at the Linz Music Theater, is moving to the Vienna State Opera in the fall. A big step that he is already preparing for, as he says in the "Krone" talk.

Matthäus Schmidlechner, soloist at the Linz Musiktheater, made his debut at the State Opera last year. And the Viennese immediately took him to their hearts, as the offer from the State Opera is now on the table. The "Krone" asks the opera singer:

"Krone": How do you decide?
Matthäus Schmidlechner: I consulted with my family and we decided that Vienna is not out of the world. It's a big step, but I'm taking it. The State Opera is one of the most important opera houses in the world, so it's a great honor for me to have been asked.

Are you being introduced to new things artistically?
Yes, it challenges me. I am used there as a character tenor in the same way as in Linz. But: in Linz I have five roles in a season, in the State Opera 10 or 15, including understudies that I have to prepare in case a colleague drops out. I will certainly have to rehearse new roles because I haven't sung them before. It's an exciting time!

Matthäus Schmidlechner was last seen as a comedian in the opera "Pagliacci".(Bild: Herwig Prammer)

When does it start?
My engagement starts on September 1st. I'm already preparing for it. I already know where I'll be working and I'm in the process of learning new roles and recalling others. At the moment there's not much time because I'm singing in "Benjamin Button" in Linz and will also be in the world premieres of "Der Findling" in Linz's Old Cathedral and in "Bruckner's Affe" in Wilhering in the summer.

You are married and have three children. How do you juggle all of this?
My family is very supportive and I'm grateful for that. I have a small apartment in Vienna and will commute as much as possible.

What does it mean to you to stand on stage and sing? So immediate, pure, direct.
I hope I can make people happy with my vocation, touch them or perhaps even stir them up. Singing is still my favorite profession!

We will miss you in Linz. 
 I leave Linz with great affection.