René Soom
(baritone)
EDUCATION AND WORK
René Soom has studied classical singing at the Georg Ots Tallinn Music School (1995–1999, Prof H. Eerik). In 2001–2004 he continued his studies at the Estonian Academy of Music (Prof. Virgilijus Noreika and Jaakko Ryhänen) and in 2004–2008 he obtained his Master’s Degree with Jaakko Ryhänen. He has also participated in the master-classes of Hartmut Höll, Rudolf Piernay and Gerhard Kahry. Since 1997, René Soom is engaged at the Estonian National Opera and since 2005, he is a soloist. As a guest soloist he has sung at Theatre Vanemuine, cooperated with the Pärnu City Orchestra and the Opera-Quartet. Since 1998, he is the member of the drama troupe “Varius” and has given performances in Sweden, the U.S. and Canada. René Soom has also performed successfully as a chamber singer on several stages.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In 2006 he received the Marje and Kulder Sink “Young Singer” Award, in 2009 the Harjumaa Theatre Prize and in 2012 the Georg Ots Prize.
REPERTOIRE
Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin”)
Figaro (Mozart’s “Le nozze di Figaro”)
Papageno (Mozart’s “The Magic Flute”)
Mister X (Kálmán’s “Die Zirkusprinzessin”)
Edwin and Boni (Kálmán’s “Die Csárdásfürstin”)
Don Quixote (Leigh’s “Man of La Mancha”)
Karlsson (Aints’/Wimberg’s “Karlsson on the Roof”)
Belcore (Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore”)
Silvio (Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci”)
Schaunard (Puccini’s “La bohème”)
Sacristan (Puccini’s “Tosca”)
Jake Wallace/José Castro (Puccini’s “La fanciulla del West”)
Aristide de Faublas (Ábrahám’s “Ball im Savoy”)
Wolfram (Wagner’s “Tannhäuser”)
Dandini (Rossini’s “Cinderella”)
Leuthold (Rossini’s “Guillaume Tell”)
Achillas (Händel’s “Julius Caesar”)
John Canto (Pajusaar’s “The Prince and the Pauper”)
Juss (Raadik/Kerge’s “The Truth and Justice of Vargamäe”)
Ben (Menotti’s “The Telephone”)
Morales (Bizet’s “Carmen”)
Captain Castel-Jaloux (Tamberg’s “Cyrano de Bergerac”)
General Junot and Old Man (Kaumann’s “Me – Napoleon!”)
Tanner (Tubin’s “Barbara von Tisenhusen”)
Ottokar (Weber’s “Der Freischütz”)
Baron Douphal (Verdi’s “La traviata”)
Marullo (Verdi’s “Rigoletto”)
Second Guest/American General (E.-S. Tüür’s “Wallenberg”)
Henry Higgins (Loewe’s “My Fair Lady”)
Lazar Wolf (Bock’s “Fiddler on the Roof”)
Count Basil Basilowitsch (Lehár’s “The Count of Luxembourg”)
Chucho Santelmo (Vihmand’s “The Formula of Love”)
Anonymous (Tammsaare’s drama “Judith”)
Baron Mirko Zeta (Lehár’s “The Merry Widow”)
Mossbeard (Kaumann/Keller’s “The Three Jolly Fellows”)
Mercurius (Offenbach’s “Orpheus in the Underworld”)
He has also sung Papageno at the Estonian Music and Theatre Academy’s production of Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte” and the role of Father in Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel”. He has participated in KaivConcort’s opera performances, such as Orff’s “Der Mond” and Bizet’s “Carmen”.