Tenor Branko Robinšak, a principal of the SNG Opera in balet Ljubljana (Slovenian National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana), studied solo singing under Professor Eva Novšak Houška at the Academy of Music in Ljubljana. He perfected his skills at the Salzburg Mozarteum (under Professor Sena Jurinac), and studied his French and Italian repertoire under the supervision of the Italian tenor Franco Corelli. When still studying, he already performed as a soloist at the Ljubljana Opera, where he made his debut as Tamino in Mozart's The Magic Flute, in 1983, and received the prestigious Prešeren Award, presented to him by the University of Ljubljana.

In 1987 he was invited to perform as a guest singer in the Salzburg State Theatre, which was his first international engagement. In 1991 he took part in the Vienna Summer Festival, where he sang Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni). Critics later referred to his performance as to a true »discovery«. The same summer he attended a seminar in Vienna, held by the famous Italian tenor Franco Corelli and his wife Loretta that marked a significant turning point in his career path, reflecting both in his singing technique and repertoire. After a year of a very difficult yet persistent study under the mentorship of the famous music couple, he managed to sign an engagement for a “more demanding” repertoire. This resulted in an extensive touring around all the finest European opera theatres (Frankfurt, Munich, Leipzig, Vienna, Innsbruck, Graz, Gdansk, Zagreb, Bern, Trieste, San Sebastian, Bilbao, Madrid …). He also appeared at the most important international music festivals (Salzburg Summer Festival, Mozart Festive Weeks, Vienna Summer Festival, Dubrovnik Summer Festival, Split Summer Festival, and Bratislava Music Festival).

In the 2000/2001 season he returned to the SNG Opera in balet Ljubljana as its permanent member and principal, where he has so far sung all the major leading tenor parts: Faust, Manrico (Il trovatore (The Troubadour)), Lensky (Eugene Onegin), Rodolfo (Luisa Miller), Pollione (Norma), Radames (Aida), André Chénier, Cavaradossi (Tosca), Rudolf (La bohème), Prince (Rusalka), Ismaele (Nabucco), Jernej (Love Capital), Erik (The Flying Dutchman), Duke of Mantua (Rigoletto), Riccardo (A Masked Ball), Herodias (Salome), Don José (Carmen) and Otello (Otello).

In the 2008/2009 season he sang a role of Manrico in Verdi's Il trovatore at the Cairo Opera House. He recorded an enviable number of CD's. In 2011 he received the prestigious Prešeren Fund Award. On December 2013 he celebrated 30th anniversary of his artistic career, appearing in the of Rudolf in Puccini's La bohème.

Last updated in January 2017