Omer Kobiljak

Omer Kobiljak has been praised for his “high, luminous tenor” (Bachtrack) and an “effortlessly ringing upper register” (Operawire), qualities that have established him as one of today’s most promising voices. With innate musicality and a commanding stage presence, he continues to build his growing reputation across Europe. In the 2025–26 season, Omer makestwo notable house debuts at Prague State Opera and Opéra National de Montpellier in the role of Alfredo in La traviata. He returns to Opernhaus Zürich to perform Macduff in Macbeth and The Italian Singer in Der Rosenkavalier. Next season, he is slated to debut at Dutch National Opera. Last season, Omer made house debuts at Semperoper Dresden as Lord Arturo Bucklaw in Lucia di Lammermoor; at Opéra de Monte-Carlo, where he reprised the role of Froh in Das Rheingold under Gianluca Capuano; and at Baltic Opera Festival as Narraboth in Salome. As a member of the ensemble at Opernhaus Zürich, and during his time in the International Opera Studio, Omer sang a number of roles, including Gabriele in Simon Boccanegra under Paolo Arrivabeni; Narraboth in Salome under Simone Young; Steersman in Der fliegende Holländer under Gianandrea Noseda; Tybalt in Roméo et Juliette under Timur Zangiev; Vicomte Cascade in Die Lustige Witwe under Patrick Hahn; Alfredo in La traviata under Francesco Ivan Ciampa; Macduff in Macbeth under Nicola Luisotti; Ismaele in Nabucco under Donato Renzetti; Spitzel in Andrea Chénier under Marco Armiliato; Tebaldo in I vespri siciliani under Ivan Repušić; Tebaldo in I Capuleti ed i Montecchi under Fabio Biondi; Ruiz in Il trovatore under Gianandrea Noseda; Froh in Das Rheingold under Gianandrea Noseda; Cassio in Otello under Daniele Rustioni; and Abdallo in Nabucco under Fabio Luisi. Elsewhere, Omer has sung Alexis in Siberia, Yamadori in Madama Butterfly, and Don Riccardo in Ernani for Bregenzer Festspiele; the title role in Der Graf von Luxemburg for Erl Festival; and an Apprentice in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg for his 2017 Teatro alla Scala debut. Omer was born in Switzerland to Bosnian parents. He was trained by David Thorner, first at the Konservatorium Winterthur, where he studied from 2008 to 2013, and subsequently at Kalaidos Fachhochschule in Aarau, Switzerland. Since 2010, he has also attended masterclasses given by Jane ThornerMengedoht, David Thorner, and Jens Fuhr. In 2012, he received First Prize with distinction at the Thurgau Music Competition, and in November 2023, Omer was a finalist in the Operalia Competition in Cape Town.