Richard Samek was born in Třebíč, Czech Republic. He graduated from the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno, where he studied under Professor A. Barová. After completing his studies, he studied privately with N. Romanová.
He is a laureate of several international competitions, for instance the Antonín Dvořák International Vocal Competition, and the M. S. Trnavský vocal competition.
In 2006, he made his debut at the stage of the National Theatre in Brno. At present he is a permanent guest of the National Theatre in Prague and performs as Werther (J. Massenet), Rodolfo (La Boheme), the Prince (Rusalka), Belmonte (The Abduction from the Seraglio), Tamino (The Magic Flute), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni) or as Alfredo (La Traviata). He regularly performs also in the J. K. Tyl Theatre in Pilsen, National Theatre in Brno, National Moravian-Silesian Theatre in Ostrava and the Slovak National Theatre in Bratislava.
He performed in Grand Théâtre de Reims, Opéra Théâtre de Limoges, Opéra de Rennes and in the Staatsoperette Dresden, where he was a permanent member of the cast between the seasons 2014-2019. He gave guest performences also in Theatre Magdeburg (Don Manuel in Fibich's The Bride of Messina 2014/2015; Gounod's Faust 2016), Staatsoper Hannover (the Prince in Dvořák's Rusalka 2015/2016; Rodolfo in Pucinni's La Bohème), Aalto-Musiktheater Essen (Jeník in Smetana´s Bartered Bride 2017/2018; Mozart's La finta giardiniera 2021) and Semperoper Dresden (Jeník in Smetana´s Bartered Bride 2019).
At the Austrian festival Seefestspiele Mörbisch 2015 he participated at live CD and DVD recordings of Strauss's opera A Night in Venice, where he played the role of Caramello. In 2015 he participated in the realization of a live recording of Smetana's Dalibor with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under the baton of J. Bělohlávek and in 2016 he recorded Fibich's Bride of Messina with the Magdeburg Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2017, he recorded Mahler's „Song of the Earth" together with Dagmar Pecková for the Supraphon label.
Richard Samek cooperates with leading chamber and symphonic orchestras – the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic, Orchestra Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, PKF – Prague Philharmonia, Prague Symphony Orchestra, Slovak Philharmonic, Brno Philharmonic, Slovak State Philharmonic Košice or Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra.
He has been singing under the baton of such conductors as J. Bělohlávek, S. Borisov, T. Brauner, O. Dohnányi, E. Dovico, P. Ch. Feigel, P. Feranec, H. M. Förster, Ch. Garbosnik, J. Hrůša, K. Ishii, R. Jindra, J. Kyzlink, A. Markovič, Z. Müller, T. Netopil, O. Olos, A. Schüller, L. Svárovský, J. Štrunc, E. Theis, R. Válek, K. Zehnder etc.
He has been performing in productions of various famous directors - K. Absenger, R. Alföldi, A. Böge, J. Burian, C. Crombholz, P. Constant, O. Fuchs, O. Havelka, J. Heřman, V. Morávek, M. Oldag, S. Ritschel, R. Schaller, V. Věžník, A. Žargas etc.
Richard Samek has participated at many significant international music festivals – International Music Festival Dvořák Prague, IMF Prague Spring, Seefestspiele Mörbisch, National Festival Smetana's Litomyšl, St. Venceslav Music Festival and many others.
www.richardsamek.cz
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW0vIuAMsrRTv_ivKb43IK0aLefroqqTO