Zdeněk Otava

Zdeněk Otava (11 March 1902 – 4 December 1980) was a Czech operatic baritone who had a lengthy career at the Prague National Theatre that spanned more than four decades.

Musicologist Alena Němcová stated that, "Otava's voice had a very wide vocal range and a marked intensity, and while light, was extremely varied in colour, with an even tone, free of vibrato; his diction was absolutely clear."

He initially wanted to become a teacher like his father and attended the College of Education in Brno, at which time he pursued further music studies privately with Janáček.

A year later was engaged by the Mahen Theatre in Brno with which he sang Baron Prus in the première of Janáček's The Makropulos Affair and the title role in Ernst Krenek’s Jonny spielt auf.

With his striking stage presence, he excelled in portrayals of Germont in La traviata, Pizarro in Fidelio, Scarpia in Tosca, Telramund in Lohengrin, and the title heroes in The Marriage of Figaro and Eugene Onegin.