Jury Member
XXII Competition, May 28–31, 2026
National Theatre in Belgrade
(Senior Categories)
Ladislav Vrgoč graduated in solo singing at the Academy of Music in Zagreb in 1999 in the class of Prof. Marija Borčić and Prof. Zdenka Zabčić Hesky. He continued his education in Germany, where in 2002 he completed his studies in opera singing (class of Prof. Bruce Abel and Prof. Stefan Schmidt) and German "Lied" (class of Prof. Konrad Richter) at the State University of Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart. He perfected his French operatic repertoire with Prof. France Simard-Brusse and worked intensively on the lyric and spinto repertoire with Prof. Donald George (State University of New York).
During his studies, he won first prize at the Singing Students Competition in Dubrovnik (1999), and is the recipient of the Rector's Award of the University of Zagreb and the Dean's Award of the Academy of Music. He was a finalist in the "Vero Vision" competition at the CNT in Zagreb in 2005.
Career and repertoire
In his rich career, he has performed more than 60 operatic roles on the stages of numerous national and international theaters. Key roles include Mozart's heroes (Tamino, Ferrando, Don Ottavio), Puccini's Rodolfo and Cavaradossi, Donizetti's Edgardo and Nemorino, Rossini's Almaviva, as well as roles in works by Stravinsky, Wagner, and Prokofiev.
As a soloist, he has performed throughout Europe, in Israel, and the USA, participating in prestigious festivals such as the Varaždin Baroque Evenings and the Dachau Palace Summer Concerts. His concert activity includes leading oratorios, masses, and thematic evenings of German and French composers. He has recorded for "Croatia Records", "Aquarius Records", and "SWR Stuttgart".
Croatian National Theatre in Osijek
Since 2004, he has been a permanent soloist of the CNT in Osijek, where he has been a principal opera artist since the 2011/2012 season, while since 2023 he holds the position of Director of the Opera. Alongside his theatrical career, he is active in pedagogical work as a senior artistic associate at the Academy of Arts and Culture in Osijek. He is the founder and artistic director of the "Classics on Košljun" festival.