Born in the city of Cherkasy. After military service, he worked as a firefighter and completed correspondence studies at the Moscow Theological Institute, specializing as a conductor of a sacred choir. In the 1990s, he auditioned for the Bern Opera, after which he entered the Bern Conservatory; simultaneously, he performed with the opera studio at the theater in Biel. In 1999, he took part in Plácido Domingo's Operalia competition and became one of the finalists, which significantly advanced his international career.
Kovalev's repertoire includes over 40 roles, among them King Philip ("Don Carlos" by Verdi), Fiesco ("Simon Boccanegra"), Zachariah ("Nabucco"), Banquo ("Macbeth"), Ramfis ("Aida"), Barbarossa ("La Battaglia di Legnano"), Procida ("I Vespri Siciliani"), Padre Guardiano ("La Forza del Destino"), Walter ("Luisa Miller"), and the title role in the opera "Attila". Kovalev has also performed the role of Kaspar in "Der Freischütz", the roles of Wotan and the Wanderer in Wagner's tetralogy "The Ring of the Nibelung", Mephistopheles in Gounod's "Faust", Sarastro in "The Magic Flute", as well as bass roles in Russian operas: "Prince Igor", "Boris Godunov" (Pimen), "Eugene Onegin" (Prince Gremin), and "Mazeppa" (Kochubey).
Kovalev's US debut took place at the New York City Opera, where he performed the role of Balthazar in "La Favorite". He later sang at the Metropolitan Opera and the opera houses of San Francisco, Washington, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. In Europe, Kovalev performed at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Bavarian State Opera, Vienna State Opera, La Scala, Arena di Verona, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Dresden's Semperoper, Opéra de Monte-Carlo, and the Mariinsky Theatre. He amazed critics by learning the role of Procida in just ten days and replacing a sick colleague in a new production of "I Vespri Siciliani" at the Opéra Bastille in Paris.
Among Vitaly Kovalev's recordings are the operas "La Bohème" (Deutsche Grammophon, 2008), "I Medici" by Leoncavallo (Deutsche Grammophon, 2010), and "Don Giovanni" (Deutsche Grammophon, 2012). He performed the role of Colline in the film-opera "La Bohème", directed by Oscar and Emmy nominee Robert Dornhelm.
Kovalev's repertoire includes over 40 roles, among them King Philip ("Don Carlos" by Verdi), Fiesco ("Simon Boccanegra"), Zachariah ("Nabucco"), Banquo ("Macbeth"), Ramfis ("Aida"), Barbarossa ("La Battaglia di Legnano"), Procida ("I Vespri Siciliani"), Padre Guardiano ("La Forza del Destino"), Walter ("Luisa Miller"), and the title role in the opera "Attila". Kovalev has also performed the role of Kaspar in "Der Freischütz", the roles of Wotan and the Wanderer in Wagner's tetralogy "The Ring of the Nibelung", Mephistopheles in Gounod's "Faust", Sarastro in "The Magic Flute", as well as bass roles in Russian operas: "Prince Igor", "Boris Godunov" (Pimen), "Eugene Onegin" (Prince Gremin), and "Mazeppa" (Kochubey).
Kovalev's US debut took place at the New York City Opera, where he performed the role of Balthazar in "La Favorite". He later sang at the Metropolitan Opera and the opera houses of San Francisco, Washington, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. In Europe, Kovalev performed at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Bavarian State Opera, Vienna State Opera, La Scala, Arena di Verona, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Dresden's Semperoper, Opéra de Monte-Carlo, and the Mariinsky Theatre. He amazed critics by learning the role of Procida in just ten days and replacing a sick colleague in a new production of "I Vespri Siciliani" at the Opéra Bastille in Paris.
Among Vitaly Kovalev's recordings are the operas "La Bohème" (Deutsche Grammophon, 2008), "I Medici" by Leoncavallo (Deutsche Grammophon, 2010), and "Don Giovanni" (Deutsche Grammophon, 2012). He performed the role of Colline in the film-opera "La Bohème", directed by Oscar and Emmy nominee Robert Dornhelm.
