Carlos Cardoso

INTRODUCTION

Carlos Cardoso, born in Tarouquela, Portugal, is an acclaimed tenor celebrated for his versatile lyric repertoire. Prize-winner of prestigious competitions—including Luísa Todi, Magda Olivero, and Rubini—he has appeared on major European stages such as La Scala, Teatro São Carlos, and the Dutch National Opera. Known for roles like Don José (Carmen), Rodolfo (La bohème), and Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), he is also active in concerts with top orchestras and conductors.

RECENT AND FUTURE ENGAGEMENTS

In the 2023/24 season, Carlos Cardoso made his debut at the National Theatre Prague as Don José in Carmen. He returned to Teatro São Carlos in Lisbon for Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly and Turiddu in Cavalleria rusticana, and covered the role of Enzo in La Gioconda at the Salzburg Easter Festival with Antonio Pappano and the Orchestra of Santa Cecilia. He also made his debut at the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Tirana in Carmen, his debut at Theater Dortmund as Rodolfo in La bohème, his debuts as Pollione in Norma and Gabriele Adorno in Simon Boccanegra at Aalto-Musiktheater Essen, and his debut at the Opera Open Festival in Plovdiv in Carmen.

In the 2024/25 season, he made house debuts at Oper Leipzig and Landestheater Linz as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, returned to the National Theatre Prague in Carmen, and made his debut at Staatstheater Nürnberg in both Madama Butterfly and Carmen. He also sang Radamès in Aida for the first time at the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Tirana as well as at Teatro São Carlos in Lisbon, and took part in Carmen at Opera Plovdiv (a house debut) and at the Opera Open Festival in Plovdiv (a return engagement). Further engagements included Stiffelio at the Klangvokal Musikfestival Dortmund, Carmen at the Pristina Festival, and Ismaele in Nabucco at Aalto-Musiktheater Essen.

In the 2025/26 season, Carlos Cardoso makes his role debut as Cavaradossi in Tosca at the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen (September 2025–January 2026), his debut as Calaf in Turandot at Landestheater Linz (January 2025), and returns to Prague as Don José in Carmen. He also returns to Oper Leipzig in Madama Butterfly and makes his debut in Verdi’s Requiem under Oksana Lyniv at the Berlin Philharmonie in March 2026. He also sings in La tempesta sul lago by Domenico Bartolucci in the Jubilee 2025 concert w. the Kosovo Philharmonic in Pristina and Rome.

BIOGRAPHY

Carlos Cardoso’s training began with Maestro Ferreira at Beira Interior, followed by the Opera Studio at Teatro São Carlos (2010–11), and the Accademia del Teatro alla Scala in Milan (2011–13), where he performed roles including Don Ramiro (La Cenerentola) under maestros like Fabio Luisi and Pier Giorgio Morandi.

Early career highlights include performances in Lucia di Lammermoor (Dutch National Opera), Il Viaggio a Reims (Rossini Festival, Bad Wildbad), La Favorita (Liceu, Barcelona), Rigoletto (Parma Verdi Festival), and Adriana Lecouvreur (La Monnaie). In 2016, he sang Nabucco (Ismaele) at Teatro São Carlos in Lisbon.

As an ensemble member of Aalto Theater Essen (2017/18–2022/23), his roles expanded to include the Duke (Rigoletto), Alfredo (La Traviata), Rodolfo (La Bohème and Luisa Miller), Don José (Carmen), Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor), Narraboth (Salome), Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), Ismaele (Nabucco), Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi), Riccardo (Un Ballo in Maschera), Adorno (Simon Boccanegra), and Pollione (Norma).

As guest artist he appeared at Teatro Sao Carlos in Lisbon (Nabucco, La Bohème, Madama Butterfly, Cavalleria rusticana, Aida), Teatro Verdi di Trieste (Rigoletto, La Bohème), Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden (Rigoletto), Theater Magdeburg (Otello, La Bohème), Theater Dortmund (La Bohème), Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz München (Luisa Miller), Teatro Regio di Parma (Gala), Teatri Kombëtar i Operas dhe Baletit Tiranë (Carmen, Aida), Oper Leipzig (Madama Butterfly), Staatstheater Nürnberg (Madama Butterfly, Carmen), Národní divadlo Praha (Carmen), Landestheater Linz (Madama Butterfly), Klangvokal Musikfestival Dortmund (Stiffelio), and Plovdiv Opera (Carmen, Madama Butterfly).

His concert repertoire features Orff’s Carmina Burana (Gulbenkian Orchestra), Dvořák’s Requiem (Tonkünstler Orchestra, Grafenegg/Wiener Musikverein), Puccini’s Messa di Gloria (Wuppertal, Klangmusikfestival Dortmund), Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle (Millennium Festival, Lisbon), Donizetti’s Messa da Requiem (Teatro São Carlos), Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass, Rossini’s Stabat Mater, Beethoven’s 9^th Symphony (Philharmonie Essen), and gala concerts—including a televised summer event at Neukirchen Castle with Philharmonie Südwestfalen.