Max Emanuel Cenčić was born on 21 September 1976 in Zagreb, Croatia, and became a childhood television sensation performing Mozart arias at age six. He was a member of the Vienna Boys’ Choir from about 1987 to 1992 and pursued a solo career as a male soprano through the mid-1990s before retraining as a high countertenor and making his debut in that voice type in 2001.

Cenčić has become one of the leading countertenors of his generation, making his Vienna State Opera debut in 2010 in Aribert Reimann’s Medea and performing major Baroque roles, including Nerone in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea, as well as repertoire by Nicola Porpora. He has released numerous recordings on Decca, Virgin, and Archiv, and has also built a parallel career as a stage director, contributing to the revival of Baroque and bel canto opera.

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Emanuel_Cen%C4%8Di%C4%87