Adam Plachetka, Welcome

Adam Plachetka as Wotan in Prague

Adam Plachetka returns home after his success at the Metropolitan Opera: he will appear as Wotan in Wagner’s Das Rheingold at the National Theatre.

Following an exceptionally successful autumn engagement at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where Adam Plachetka shone as Leporello in Mozart’s Don Giovanni and subsequently as Escamillo in Bizet’s Carmen, the Czech bass-baritone will now take part in a new production of Wagner’s Das Rheingold. After the premiere on 12 February 2026, further performances will follow on 21 February and 1, 7 and 14 March.

The new production of Das Rheingold has been prepared by the Head of Opera of the National Theatre, conductor Robert Jindra, together with two Slovak artists who have previously collaborated with the National Theatre Opera on several occasions: stage director Sláva Daubnerová and set designer Boris Kudlička.

Photo: Petr Neubert

American Reviews Hail Adam Plachetka as a Metropolitan Opera Legend

Czech bass-baritone Adam Plachetka has triumphed in his debut as Escamillo in Bizet’s Carmen at the prestigious Metropolitan Opera in New York. His performance follows a successful run of appearances as Leporello in Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the same opera house.

Critics agree that Plachetka impressed not only with his charisma and vocal authority but has, in their words, become a true legend of the Met.
As OperaWire wrote:

“Adam Plachetka as Escamillo was excellent in his role. His voice resonated with brilliance and robustness in the Met’s hall as he celebrated himself as Escamillo… Plachetka’s performance of his most famous aria, ‘Votre toast (Toreador Song),’ was another major highlight of the night… Plachetka is a Met opera legend.”
(Jennifer Pyron, OperaWire, October 31, 2025)

New York Classical Review also praised his exceptional portrayal:

“The excellent bass-baritone Adam Plachetka as Escamillo – here not as a bullfighter but rather a rodeo star in a place that feels somewhere in the American Southwest… Escamillo is fundamental to the shifts in the characters’ relationships, and Plachetka’s ability to be comical and blustery, charismatic and also arrogant, made this work. His Toreador Song ‘Votre toast’ was snappy, with a touch of professional wrestling showmanship.”
(George Grella, New York Classical Review, October 29, 2025)

Adam Plachetka took his first steps into this new role on October 28, with performances continuing throughout November. Under the baton of French conductor Fabien Gabel, the cast features an all-star lineup: Isabel Leonard as Carmen, Michael Fabiano as Don José, and Kristina Mkhitaryan as Micaëla.

Adam Plachetka Thrilled Audiences at the Metropolitan Opera as Leporello

Czech bass-baritone Adam Plachetka achieved great success at the Metropolitan Opera when he appeared on September 24 as Leporello in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Critics praised his masterful vocal performance and exceptional stage chemistry with the title role interpreter, American bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green. Adam Plachetka will perform as Leporello throughout the entire run of performances until the end of October. He will then take on a new role on this stage – the toreador Escamillo in Bizet’s Carmen.

In the title role of Don Giovanni, New York audiences saw Ryan Speedo Green, joined by sopranos Federica Lombardi (Donna Anna), Janai Brugger (Donna Elvira), and Hera Hyesang Park (Zerlina), tenor Ben Bliss (Don Ottavio), and basses Adam Palka in his debut (the Commendatore) and William Guanbo So (Masetto). The first series of performances is conducted by the Metropolitan Opera’s Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

“Similarly, Adam Plachetka took the role of Leporello and ran with it. The only vaguely amusing character in the opera, Plachetka’s anger and disgust with the Don shone through. And his colorful bass voice wheedled poor Anna with more than a hint of sarcasm. There was no way he and the Don, in disguise, could have passed for one another, but that just made it more entertaining.,” wrote Robert Levine (Bachtrack, September 27, 2025).

George Grella (New York Classical Review, September 25, 2025) also highlighted Plachetka’s rendition of the famous “Catalogue Aria,” which he performed “with a masterfully guided, slower tempo that was still allegro, clear, and yet with room for personal gestures that captured the character’s essence.”

“Alongside Green, Adam Plachetka shone as a Leporello full of spark and naturalness: his character was among the most vividly drawn on stage, and thanks to his vocal versatility and humor, he offered a fascinating counterbalance – always without the slightest slip into exaggeration,” reported Ópera Actual (Rebeca Blanco Prim, September 30, 2025).

Following Leporello, Adam Plachetka will continue at the Metropolitan Opera with his debut as Escamillo in Bizet’s Carmen on October 28. Performances featuring the Czech singer as the toreador will continue throughout November.

Details, schedule, and cast of Don Giovanni:
https://www.metopera.org/season/2025-26-season/don-giovanni/

Details, schedule, and cast of Carmen

https://www.metopera.org/season/2025-26-season/carmen/