Pavel Ludikar  Pavel Ludikar (3 March 1882 – 19 February 1970) was a Czech operatic bass who had a highly successful international singing career from 1904 through 1944. He began his career in his native country and by 1911 had arisen at many of the major opera houses in Europe. From 1913 to 1935 his career was mainly centered in North and South America. The peak of his opera career was reached at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, where he was committed from 1926 to 1932. He returned to Europe in 1935 to assume directorship of the Neues deutsches Theatre in Prague, remaining there until the theatre was closed in September 1938 due to Nazi occupation, effectively ending his stage career. The height of his later years in Prague was his portrayal of the title hero in the world premiere of Ernst Krenek's "Karl V" in June 1938. One of the great singer-actors of his generation, Ludikar sang a broad repertoire of music which encompassed a total of twelve languages. He was particularly loved for his portrayals of roles in operas by Richard Wagner, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Giacomo Puccini. Ludikar began teaching singing in Prague in 1941. In 1947 he joined the faculty at the Vienna Music Academy, where he taught until his death almost three decades later. He also gave annual master classes at the Mozarteum University of Salzburg for many years. His voice is preserved on a number of recordings from the Supraphon label. Born Pavel Vyskočil in Prague, his father was a conductor at the Prague Opera and his mother, Františka Ludikarová-Vyskočilová, was an operatic contralto. He first studied law and philosophy at the University of Prague and then trained as a concert pianist. In 1901, at the age of 19, he traveled throughout North America giving piano concerts. Upon his return home he decided he wanted to pursue a singing career and began opera studies with first his mother and then Jean Lassalle in Paris. He made his professional opera debut at the National Theatre in his native city in 1904 as Sarastro in "The Magic Flute". After several more initial successes in Prague, he made a number of highly lauded guest appearances at the Vienna Volksoper and the Semperoper in Dresden. He reached La Scala in Milan in 1911 where he sang in the Italian premières of Richard Strauss's "Der Rosenkavalier" (as Ochs) and Engelbert Humperdinck's "Königskinder" (as the Fiddler).