Martins Smaukstelis is a Latvian-born tenor who completed his Master of Arts degree at the Royal Academy of Music. He was the first prize winner in the latest Emmy Destinn Awards. Martins recently made significant debuts as Tamino in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (Nevill Holt Festival), Rodolfo in Puccini’s La boheme (The Opera Makers) and Duke of Mantua in Verdi’s Rigoletto (New Opera Singapore).
Previous roles include: Prince in Dvorak’s Rusalka (New Opera Singapore), Basilio/Don Curzio in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Schoolmaster in Janáček’s Cunning Little Vixen as well as the title role in Cavalli’s L’Egisto (HGO). Martins created the role of Adrian in Hopes & Fears, based on Debussy’s L’enfant prodigue and sang the roles of Heinrich in Smyth’s Der Wald and Faust in Boulanger’s Faust et Hélène in concert performances (The Opera Makers). He has also sung with Glyndebourne, Garsington, Wexford and The Grange Festival operas among others.
