Peter Lika

Peter Lika (born 1947) is a German operatic singer. He is considered one of the leading German bass in concert and opera.

Life

Born in Augsburg, Lika began his singing career as a boy soloist with the Regensburger Domspatzen. His unmistakable timbre paired with finely tuned dramaturgical expressiveness make him one of the predestined soloists, e.g. for roles such as that of the prophet Elijah or Paul in the eponymous oratorio by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy or that of Moses in Max Bruch's only oratorio. He also had outstanding success with the design of the title roles in Joseph Haydn's The Creation and The Seasons. Conductors such as Kurt Masur, Peter Schreier, Helmuth Rilling, John Eliot Gardiner, Neville Marriner, Roger Norrington, Sergiu Celibidache and Philippe Herreweghe appreciate the collaboration with Lika as much as the renowned international orchestras - probably not least because of his extensive repertoire and his many years of experience also in early music. Performances with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the Bamberger Symphoniker, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and almost all German radio orchestras have taken Lika to the great music centres of Europe, Asia and the US. Finally, Lika's repertoire also includes Lieder programmes, e.g. he recorded Franz Schubert's vocal works with Sawallisch. Lika is married and has six sons, two from her first and four from her second marriage, including Benedikt Lika

Recordings

Johann Sebastian Bach: Matthäus-Passion (BWV 244) under the direction of Gustav Leonhardt, with René Jacobs, David Cordier, Christoph Prégardien, Markus Schäfer, John Elwes, Max van Egmond, Klaus Mertens, Tölzer Knabenchor, La Petite Bande, Männerchor der La Petite Bande (1990, Dhm/Sony BMG, 3-CD-Box)

Joseph Haydn: Die Jahreszeiten (oratorio) Hob. XXI:3 conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken, with Krisztina Laki, Helmut Wildhaber, Choir Of The Flanders Opera, La Petite Bande (1992, Virgin Cla/EMI, 2-CD-Box)

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Paulus op. 36 under the direction of Joshard Daus, together with Hellen Kwon [de], Elzbieta Ardam, Hans-Peter Blochwitz, Bach-Ensemble of the Europa Chor-Akademie, SWR-Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden and Freiburg (1998, Arte Nova/Sony BMG, 2-CD-Box)

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Oratorium Elias under the conduct of Jürgen Budday, together with Heidi Elisabeth Meier (soprano), Jolantha Michalska-Taliaferro (alto), Hans Peter Blochwitz (tenor), Kantorei Maulbronn, members of the SWR-Sinfonieorchesters (Konzertmitschnitt, 2003, Edition Kloster Maulbronn, K&K Verlagsanstalt, 2-CD-Box)

Max Bruch: Oratorium Moses conducted by Jürgen Budday, with Birgitte Christensen (soprano), Stefan Vinke (tenor), Kantorei Maulbronn, Russische Kammerphilharmonie St. Petersburg (Konzertmitschnitt, 2005, Edition Kloster Maulbronn, K&K Verlagsanstalt, 2-CD-Box