„A positive impression made Florian Spiess with his melodious, colourfully timbred bass voice.” OPERNGLAS

In the season 2023/24 the Austrian bass singer makes his debut as OCHS VON LERCHENAU in “Der Rosenkavalier” at the Bremerhaven Theatre.

Recent engagements brought him as HARALD and GERNOT in “Die Feen” to the Leipzig Opera House , as SELVA in “La Muette de Portici” to the Kassel State Theatre and as FALSTAFF in “Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor” to Switzerland.

Before, the German bass made his debut in Bertold Brecht’s “Sieben Todsünden” at the Stuttgart State Opera and was SARASTRO in “Die Zauberflöte” on a China tour with the Scala di Milano. At the Deutsche Oper Berlin he portrayed KASPAR in the world premiere of “Wolfsschlucht” by Malte Giesen based on Carl Maria von Weber’s “Der Freischütz”.
His performances as BIEROLF in “Tannhäuser” and the 1st SOLDIER in “Salome” at the Scala di Milano were cancelled due to the COVID19 pandemic.

At the Hamburg State Opera the bass singer lately enjoyed great successes in such roles as IL RE, COLLINE, BITEROLF, ZUNIGA and IL CONTE DI HORN. Besides, he had guest performances at the Heidemheim Festival as BANCO and OSIM under the musical direction of Marcus Bosch.

At the Nuremberg State Opera he sang RAMEAUX in “Les Indes galantes” and FALSTAFF in “Die Lustige Weiber von Windsor”. He succeeded as SARASTRO at the Kassel State Theatre, as MARCO in “Male Vita” at the Giessen Theatre and as FIGARO in “Le Nozze di Figaro” at the Dresden DState Operetta.

Before, Florian Spiess was a member of the Vienna Popular Opera (with such roles as TIMUR, SPARAFUCILE, 2nd ARMOURED MAN). In summer 2011 he sang in open air performances in Vienna the COMMANDER. In the season 09/10 a permanent engagement brought him to the Linz Theatre, where he was very successful as SILVANO in “La Calisto” and in the title role of “Le nozze di FIGARO”’ and in the world premiere of Philipp Glass‘ “Keppler”. In 2009 he participated in ‚Lohengrin’ at the Richard Wagner Festival Wels at the sides of such famous collegues as Hans Sotin and Christopher Ventris.

In February 2008 Florian Spiess had guest performances in Bombay/India, where he made his debut as ZIO BONZO in “Madama Butterfly”with the Indian National Symphony Orchestra. In summer 2008 he was Prize Winner of the Chamber Opera of Rheinsberg Castle.

Floran Spiess gained his first musical experiences in the Choir of the Wilten Choir Boys, before he became soprano soloist at the Vienna Choir Boys from 1990-1994. While still at schoo, he already had performances at the Tyrolean Municipal Theatre (as Friedrich in "the Sound of Music"). After having finished his military service (pilot training with lessons in stunt flying) and during his time as a skeleton bob driver (Austrian State Junior Master and best Austrian sportsman in the Europe Cup) he started his singing studies at the Tyrolean Conservatory with Karlheinz Hanser, whom he followed in 2005 to the Vienna University of Music and performing Arts. Since 2008 he is also a student in the Lied class of KS Robert Holl.

In 2005 Florian Spiess became a Scholarship Holder of the German-Austrian Richard-Wagner-Foundation. In 2006 KS Brigitte Fassbaender engaged the young bass singer as the 1st SOLDIER in Richard Strauss’ ‘Salome’ at the Tyrolean Municipal Theatre. After that he sang MARTINO in Rossini’s ‘L'occasione fa il ladro’ at the Schärding Summer Festival . In June 2007 he was elected by Eva Wagner-Pasquier to participate in the Académie of the Aix-en-Provence Festival; where he worked a.o. with Mark Minkowski.

At the Innsbruck Festival Week for Old Music he was engaged as bass soloist for the "Dresden Surround" project under Konrad Junghänel. He sang KAIPHAS and the MERCENARY in the Brockes-Passion under René Jacobs and participated as an ensemble member in Telemann’s "Der geduldige Socrates". This production also brought him to the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin.

In 2008 the young artist was a prize winner at the renowned Austrian Singing Competition "Musica Juventutis". Subsequently he sang a Liederabend in the Schubert-Saal of the Vienna Concert House.