OPERA SINGER
BASS
Foto: Kartal Karagedik
Canadian Bass Paul Sketris
has performed on the operatic stage for over 35 years.
After graduating from the University of Toronto with a BASc
and an MASc in chemical engineering, he returned to the Universtiy of Toronto
for a Diploma in Operatic Performance.
There he studied voice with
Bernard Diamant and won the Mariss Vetra Opera Award. After
graduating, he received a Canada
Council Grant for a full year of study in Freiburg, Germany
with well-known singer and pedagogue Horst Günter. After two years in the
Frankfurt (Oder) Opera, Paul joined the opera company in Magdeburg and was a
soloist in the ensemble from 1993 to 2024. During his long singing career, he
continued to study singing with Horst Günter, George Fortune (Berlin), Matthias
Ulrich (Jena),
and Prof. Hans-Joachim Beyer (Leipzig).
Paul performed widely in Germany in over 120 roles from
Mozart to Verdi to Wagner and he has
made numerous TV and Radio recordings for MDR and NDR. He
has performed in opera and concert in Canada, the USA, England(Aldeburgh
Festival), Switzerland and Latvia. In September 2003, he toured Japan as the
high priest Ramfis in Aida. Latvian-canadian composer Imants
Ramins composed a cantata with orchestra especially for Paul
as the soloist which he performed in 2004 in Toronto.
Among the rules he has performed are:
Landgraf Hermann (Tannhäuser), König Heinrich(Lohengrin),
Hunding (Die Walküre), Daland, Fafner, Hagen, Sarastro, Osmin, Leporello,
Il Commendatore, Masetto, Bartolo, Don Alfonso, Ramfis,
Phillip II, Ferrando, Sparafucile, Ludovico, Sam, Mephisto(Faust), Don Basilio,
Dulcamara, Sagrestano, Falstaff and Reich (Die Lustige Weiber), Caspar, Kezal,
Rocco, Gremin, Pimen, Zuniga, Colline, Bottom, Peter Quince,
Water Gnome(Rusalka), Judge Turpin (Sweeney Todd).
From 1997 to 2010 he was a member of the voice faculty at
the Institut für Musik, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg.
Paul Sketris issued a successful CD recording of Schubert´s Winterreise with canadian pianist Sandra Mogensen. He sings the role of Gigas on the Echo-award winning recording of the opera Grete Minde by Eugen Engel.
Paul Sketris is also an author and has written a book of philosopical aphorisms called „Joy and Eternity“. In 2001, he read excerpts from his book in Magdeburg. Excerpts were also translated into latvian and printed in a literary journal in Latvia.
Franz Schubert
Die Walküre 01
Die Walküre 02
Der Fliegende Holländer
Tannhäuser
Cosi Fan Tutte
Some other publications:
CD/Stream - Grete Minde - Theater Magdeburg in co-production with Deutschlandfunk Kultur
CD - Stille Nacht - Christmas carols for the most wonderful time of the year (MOS Entertainment 2003)
Music Cassette - DZIEDĀSIM LĪDZ - Ar Aiju un Pauli - Let us sing together - with Aija und Pauli (Latvian Songs)
„We can measure the most successfully matured minds by comparing their understanding with their tendency towards cynicism. The greatest understanding coupled with the smallest tendency towards cynicism gives the most successful mind.“
„Who are the highest men on earth? Those who take pride in their participation in eternity.“
„To be able to recognise beauty is a thousand times better than being beautiful.“
„Beauty can best be interpreted as love of the world for us; as love of our situation for us; as love of existence for us.“
„Beauty is most dear to those who have cast suspicion on the joy from it.“
„Can it be? In the eyes of eternity, trying is as good as succeeding?“
Test Popup
