David Bižić (; born 25 November 1975 in Belgrade, Serbia) is a Serbian-born French operatic baritone.
Early life Bižić was born in Belgrade, Serbia. He studied archaeology before he pursued vocal arts. His father was a physical chemist and his mother is a psychologist.
His love for opera, he states, started at early age being exposed to opera records at home, especially The Three Tenors concerts. Two of the four main artists from those recordings, Zubin Mehta and by Placido Domingo conducted him later in the career.
I remember feeling really connected to Domingo, Pavarotti, the famous tenors. I was seven or eight years old when I listened to them sing arias, and although I didn't know what they were singing about, I could feel the emotion and passion, and that spoke so much to me. I also did conducting at home and became passionate about expressing myself through music. But I had no idea that I would become an opera singer. It was never on my list of possible professions."
Education and early career
In 2000 at the age of 24 he started studying voice at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance with Bibiana Goldenthal. He later continued his education with International Vocal Arts Institute (IVAI) and apprenticed with the Israeli Opera YAPהאופרה הישראלית. (2025, December 17). Meitar Opera Studio | The Israeli Opera. האופרה הישראלית תל-אביב - יפו. https://www.israel-opera.co.il/en/the-israeli-opera-general-information/meitar-opera-studio and Paris National Opera – Atelier Lyrique program.
He has participated in numerous master classes and concerts in France, Israel, New York and Japan working with José van Dam, Teresa Berganza and Gabriel Bacquier among others.
Singing career
After his musical training in Tel Aviv, Paris and New York, Bizic's principal role debut was in the title role of Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro in Nantes, in 2006. During that same time, he was awarded the AROP Prix lyrique by the Paris National Opera, and has won the second prize of Operalia world opera competition."Operalia Winners 2007". Retrieved 16 June 2022
Bižić has since appeared in major opera houses and festivals across Europe and America.
Bižić's career first garnered international attention in the role of Masetto in two critically acclaimed productions of Don Giovanni"David Bizic", MémOpéra.fr. Retrieved 16 June 2022 by Michael Haneke at the Paris Opera and Dmitri Tcherniakov in Aix-en-Provence Festival. He later revived both of those productions, now in the role of Leporello.
In 2014 Bižić made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York singing Albert in Richard Eyre's production of Werther alongside Jonas Kaufmann and Sophie Koch and came back the following season to sing Marcello (La bohème). He has been back to the Metropolitan Opera every season after that having sung more than 60 shows so far.Metropolitan Opera Archives. "David Bizic performances at the Metropolitan Opera". Accessed 30 December 2025.
Opera
As an interpreter of Mozart roles—most notably Don Giovanni, Leporello, and Masetto in Don Giovanni, Almaviva and Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro, and Guglielmo and Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte—Bižić has performed at the Paris Opera, Wiener Staatsoper,"David Bizic als Leporello in Don Giovanni / Don Juan", Spielplanarchiv der Wiener Staatsoper. Accessed 30 December 2025. Los Angeles Opera, Teatro Real, Bolshoi Theatre,David Bizic Электронный архив Большого театра. Электронный архив. (n.d.). https://archive.bolshoi.ru/entity/PERSON/3804534 Bordeaux, Monte Carlo,Barilier, Étienne. "Les noces de Figaro – Mozart". L'avant-Scène opéra, vol. 314, Premières Loges, 2020, http://www.asopera.fr/produit/28/9782843853555/les-noces-de-figaro. Geneve, Ravinia Festival, Valencia, Toulouse, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Maribor, Vlaamse OperaAndrieu, E. (2015). Compte-rendu. Opéra. Gand, Opéra, le 18 juin 2015. Wolgang Amadeus Mozart : Le Nozze di Figaro. David Bizic, Levenet Molnar, Julia Kleiter, Julia Westendorp, Renata Pokupic, Kathleen Wilkinson, Peter Kalman, Piet Vasichen, Adam Smith, Aylin Sezer. Guy Joosten, mise en scène. Paul McCreesh, direction. | ClassiqueNews. [online] Classiquenews.com. Available at: https://www.classiquenews.com/compte-rendu-opera-gand-opera-le-18-juin-2015-wolgang-amadeus-mozart-le-nozze-di-figaro-david-bizic-levenet-molnar-julia-kleiter-julia-westendorp-renata-pokupic-kathleen-wilkinson-peter/ [Accessed 23 Jan. 2026]., Montpellier, Rennes, Saint Etienne, Rouen, Aix en Provence, Dijon, Nantes and Strasbourg.
Other career highlights include his Metropolitan Opera debut as Albert in Werther, Albert and Schaunard in the Royal Opera House, London, his debut at the Teatro Liceo as Manon's brother in Puccini's Manon Lescaut,Naxos.com. (2018). PUCCINI, G.: Manon Lescaut [Opera] (Liceu, 2018) (.. - 766308 | Discover more releases from C Major. [online] Available at: https://www.naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=766308 [Accessed 23 Jan. 2026]. Marcello and Sharpless in the Metropolitan Opera, title role of Eugene Onegin in Limoges, Metz and Tel Aviv, Lucia di Lammermoors Enrico in Toulon Opera, Zurga in Bizet's Les pêcheurs de perles in Bordeaux and Dortmund, Escamillo (Carmen) in Tel Aviv, Belgrade, Stockholm, Dijon and Macerata Opera, High Priest of Dagon (Samson et Dalila) at the Royal Swedish Opera and the title role of Don Pasquale in Toulon.
In 2023, Bižić debuted at the San Francisco Opera portraying Belcore in Daniel Slater's production of Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore, conducted by Ramón Tebar.Milenski, Michael. "The Elixir of Love in San Francisco". Opera Today, 20 November 2023"David Bizic Bio." http://www.sfopera.com/about/bios/artists/david-bizic/. Accessed 2 March 2024.
Concerts
In opera concert performances Bizic has sung Sharples in Puccini's Madama Butterfly with the Hallé Orchestra conducted by Sir Mark Elder.
He has also performed Leporello in Mozart's Don Giovanni in Ravinia Festival with Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by James Conlon, La Vida Breve with the Orchestre de Paris conducted by Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, and Zurga from Bizet's Les pêcheurs de perles with WDR Rundfunkorchester Köln conducted by Friedrich Haider. He has additionally sung the role of Christ in César Franck’s Les Béatitudes with the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège under the direction of Gergely Madaras"Franck: Les Béatitudes" by Christopher Dingle, 30 January 2024, BBC Classical Music.
His other concert appearances include Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the Orchestre de Montpellier and the Orchestre de Bordeaux conducted by Marc Minkowski, Zeisl's Requiem Ebraico with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Zubin Mehta, Fauré's Requiem with the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris and Accentus Choir for the Saint Denis Festival conducted by Laurence Equilbeyde, J.-B. (2010). Laurence Equilbey et Accentus, sous le signe du recueillement - ResMusica. [online] ResMusica. Available at: https://www.resmusica.com/2010/06/14/sous-le-signe-du-recueillement/ [Accessed 23 Jan. 2026]. and Brahms' A German Requiem with the Serbian Radio TV Symphony Orchestra.David Bizic | Zelaya Artists. (n.d.). Zelaya Artists. https://www.zelaya-artists.com/davidbizic
David Bižić has collaborated with a wide range of conductors, including Yannick Nézet-Séguin, James Conlon, Antonio Pappano, Marc Minkowski, Zubin Mehta, Friedrich Haider, Sir Mark Elder, Louis Langrée, Alain Altinoglu, Gianandrea Noseda, Emmanuel Villaume, Daniele Rustioni,, and Marco Armiliato.
Personal life
Bižić lives in Bordeaux, France. He is married and has two children. Bižić can also play piano and didjeridoo. He is a brother of Dr. Mina Bizic
Awards Bižić is a winner of the second prize from Operalia in 2007 and Paris Opera AROP Prix Lyriques in 2005."Lauréats des Prix de l'Arop de la Saison 22/23". AROP. (n.d.)
Recordings
La bohème – Puccini (Marcello)Altman. "La bohème", American Record Guide, September 2022, pp. 66–67. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=158685916&lang=en-gb&site=eds-live&scope=site. Sergio Alapont, Irish National Opera Signum Classics SKU: SIGCD702 – CD Released 2022
Requiem Ebraico – Zeisl"Recordings of Eric Zeisl's Music", accessed 5 February 2024. Zubin Mehta, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Helicon Classics 02-9625 – CD Released 2006
L'Amour des trois oranges – Prokofiev Sylvain Cambreling, Paris National Opera TDK – DVD Released 2006
Don Giovanni – Mozart (Leporello)"Don Giovanni 2009". Telmondis. Accessed 30 December 2025. Antony Hermus, Rennes Opera Culturebox streaming"Don Giovanni Rennes 2009 Gadd Bizic Pagesy Ruzzafante Moreno". "Don Giovanni Opera on Video", 14 December 2020. Released 2010
La bohème – Puccini (Schaunard)Clark, Andrew. "La bohème, Royal Opera House, London". 18 December 2012, http://www.ft.com/content/903b5b82-4906-11e2-b94d-00144feab49a. Sir Mark Elder, Royal Opera House ROH Live Cinema Season Released 2012
Les Béatitudes – Franck (Christ) Gergely Madaras, Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège Fuga Libera SKU: FUG817 – CD Released 2024
Werther – Massenet (Albert) Alain Altinoglu, Metropolitan Opera Met Opera on Demand Released 2014
Don Giovanni – Mozart (Masetto) Louis Langrée, Festival d'Aix-en-Provence BelAir Classiques – BAC611, BAC480 – DVD, BLU-RAY Released 2013
Werther – Massenet (Albert) Antonio Pappano, Royal Opera House ROH Live Cinema Season Released 2016
Manon Lescaut – Puccini (Lescaut) Emmanuel Villaume, Gran Teatre del Liceu Mezzo TV, Naxos Released 2018
Hipishizik Metafizik – Rambo Amadeus PGP RTS – 416934 CD Released 2008
Carmen – Bizet (Escamillo) Francesco Lanzillotta, Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana Euro Opera – Euro Opera 3998 Recorded 2019, with Irene Roberts (Carmen), Matthew Ryan Vickers (Don José).
Les pêcheurs de perles – Bizet (Zurga) Friedrich Haider, WDR Funkhausorchester Euro Opera – Euro Opera 3784 Recorded 2019
References NotesSources'''
Further reading L'Opéra vu par Alain Duault & Colette Masson, Hugo & Cie, 2010 La bohème, Puccini : livret bilingue, guide d'écoute, genèse et création, sources littéraires, profil des rôles, discographie, vidéographie, Premières loges, 2014 Così fan tutte, Mozart, Da Ponte : livret bilingue, guide d'écoute, genèse et création, sources littéraires, profil des rôles, discographie, vidéographie'', Les Éditions Premières Loges, 2016
External links
David Bizic at Operabase
David Bizic in an excerpt from Don Giovanni Official Facebook fan page