Vilém Heš

Vilém Heš, German Wilhelm (Willy) Hesch, (3 June 1860, in Týnec nad Labem – 4 January 1908, in Vienna) was a Czech operatic bass.

He notably enjoyed a close artistic partnership with Gustav Mahler, singing in his opera companies in Hamburg and Vienna.

While there he notably created roles in several world premieres, including Diego in Zdeněk Fibich's The Bride of Messina (28 March 1884) and Filip in Antonín Dvořák's The Jacobin (12 February 1889).

In the Czech repertoire, Heš was particularly admired for his portrayals of Mícha in The Bartered Bride, Mumlal in The Two Widows, and Rarach in The Devil's Wall.

His other signature roles included Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro, Mephistopheles in Faust, Papageno in The Magic Flute, and Rocco in Fidelio among others.