Among the more than 40 performed roles of the young bass Vitalij Kowaljow – whose first profession was fireman in his native Ukraine – are Verdi`s King Philip in DON CARLO, Fiesco in SIMON BOCCANEGRA, Zaccaria in NABUCCO, Banquo in MACBETH, Ramfis in AIDA, Barbarossa in LA BATTAGLIA DI LEGNANO, Procida in VESPRI SICILIANI, Padre Guardiano in FORZA DEL DESTINO, Walter in LUISA MILLER and the title-role of ATTILA.

At the Metropolitan Opera, he has sung Zaccaria in NABUCCO, Padre Guardiano in LA FORZA DEL DESTINO (the role of his Munich debut), Walter in LUISA MILLER, Ramfis in AIDA (the role of his Arena di Verona debut), Sarastro in DIE ZAUBERFLOETE and Oroveso in NORMA. He made his U.S. debut with Opera Orchestra of New York as Baldassare in LA FAVORITA. He made news when he performed Procida in Les Vêpres Siciliennes under James Conlon on 10 days notice at the Bastille Opera in Paris. He recently performed Zaccaria at the Bayerische Staatsoper München, Giorgio in I PURITANI at the Vienna Staatsoper and Gremin in EUGENE ONEGIN at Lyric Opera of Chicago and made a CD and movie as Colline in LA BOHEME. The season 2008-2009 he performed Gremin in EUGENE ONEGIN at the Tanglewood Festival and both Fiesco in SIMON BOCCANEGRA and Pimen in BORIS GODUNOV with San Francisco Opera, his debut as Wotan as well in RHEINGOLD as in DIE WALKUERE at Los Angeles Opera with director Achim Freyer. The season 2009-2010 he will return to LA Opera for his debut as Der Wanderer in SIEGFRIED and he will perform Wotan and Der Wanderer in LA Opera`s Ring Cycle Festival.