Hailed for his “fiery and persuasive vocal presence” (Bachtrack) and “a heartbreakingly intense singing that took one’s breath away” (Süddeutsche Zeitung), Milan Siljanov has established himself as a versatile and in-demand singer on many of Europe’s greatest stages.
In the 2024-25 season, Milan makes his debut at Opéra national de Paris singing the role of Forester in The Cunning Little Vixen. Milan also continues in the ensemble of Bayerische Staatsoper, where his roles include Donner in Das Rheingold, Angelotti in Tosca, Peter in Hänsel und Gretel, Savjol Prokofjevič Dikoj in Katya Kabanova and Harašta in The Cunning Little Vixen. This summer, he sings Baron Douphol in La traviata at Salzburg Whitsun Festival under Massimo Zanetti. Future seasons see Milan tour with Ensemble Correspondances and return to Bayerische Staatsoper and Theater an der Wien.
On the concert platform, Milan sings Bach’s Mass in b minor with Orchestre de Paris under Klaus Mäkelä, Mozart’s Requiem under David Brophy for National Concert Hall, Dublin, and Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass & Bruckner’s Te Deum in Porto. On tour, Milan sings Kilian in Der Freischütz with Kammerakademie Potsdam under Antonello Manacorda.
Recent seasons have seen Milan debut and perform many roles with Bayerische Staatsoper. Highlights include Leporello in Don Giovanni, Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore, Schaunard in La bohème, Donner in Das Rheingold, Peter Besenbinder in Hänsel und Gretel, Montano in Otello, Harašta in The Cunning Little Vixen, and Kilian in Der Freischütz, working with Kirill Petrenko, Antonello Manacorda, Bertrand de Billy, Hans Kupfer, Lotte de Beer, and many more. Outside of the Staatsoper, significant debuts include the role of Forester in The Cunning Little Vixen with Theater an der Wien led by Giedre Slekyte and directed by Stefan Herheim, and the title role in Falstaff for Verbier Festival under Vincenzo Milletari.
Equally as in demand on the concert platform, Milan has recently sung with Teatro La Fenice in Mozart’s Requiem under Ivor Bolton, with Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks in Zemlinksy’s Lyrische Symphonie under Patrick Hahn, with Oslo Filharmonien in Bach’s Mass in b minor under Klaus Mäkelä; with Residentie Orkest Den Haag in Verdi’s Messa da Requiem, and with Bilbao Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 under Erik Nielsen.
Milan was a member of Verbier Academy in 2016, where he was awarded the Prix Yves Paternot, the festival’s highest honour for young musicians. He was also the winner of the prestigious Wigmore Hall Song Competition 2015. He won both the Audience Prize and the Second Prize at the ARD International Vocal Competition in 2018 and was a finalist at the Moniuzsko Competition in Warsaw in 2019.
He graduated from Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he studied under the tutelage of Rudolf Piernay. A Samling alumnus, his studies at GSMD were generously sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers and Independent Opera. Previously, he had studied at Zürcher Hochschule der Künste under Scot Weir, where he finished his Master Pedagogy Diploma cum laude.
