San Diego Opera debut. Serbian baritone Željko Lučić is known as one of the world’s preeminent dramatic baritones and recently performed the title role of Simon Boccanegra with Oper Frankfurt and Bayerische Staatsoper, Don Carlo in La forza del destino with San Francisco Opera and Bayerische Staatsoper, the title role of Macbeth and Rigoletto with the Metropolitan Opera as well as Barnaba in La Gioconda, Germont in La traviata and Di Luna in Il trovatore. Other notable performances include Germont with Vienna Staatsoper, the title role of Rigoletto with Semperoper Dresden, the title role of Nabucco with Dallas Opera and in Zagreb. He has performed Lescaut in Manon Lescaut with Oper Frankfurt and Bayerische Staatsoper, Tonio in Pagliacci with De Nederlandse Opera and Oper Frankfurt, Renato in A Masked Ball with Oper Frankfurt and Semperoper Dresden. He made his Covent Garden debut as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, a role he has also performed with Semperoper Dresden and Oper Frankfurt. He is an active concert performer and has appeared with many orchestras including the Hessicher Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra. He won First Prize at the International Competition Francisco Viñas in Barcelona.