Rudolf Francl caught the musical bug from his brother, became one of the most beloved opera singers in Slovenia’s history, and was one of the first Slovenian singers to establish a reputation abroad.

Francl was born in 1920, but became committed to music when he was 14. That’s when he heard his brother Ivan, a talented opera singer, perform at the Ljubljana Opera. Deciding to pursue the same career path, the younger Francl eventually enrolled in the Zagreb Music Academy.

Making his debut in the difficult days of World War II, he performed in a number of different roles. After liberation, his melodious, emotional voice quickly made him one of the most acclaimed opera singers in the country. He won the prestigious Prešeren Prize in 1948.

Francl had even bigger things in store, however, and as determined to leave his mark beyond Slovenia’s borders. He was named a soloist in Belgrade, Yugoslavia’s capital, in the early 1950s, and later worked for the Zagreb Opera. Then, in a career move that was highly unorthodox for the time, Francl spent seven years performing in Dusseldorf. There, he worked with the famed conductor Carlos Kleiber, a family friend. Francl became the first Slovenian to achieve such success in the demanding world of German opera.

In the 1960s, Francl decided to return to the Ljubljana Opera. The lyric tenor became one of the most beloved opera singers in Slovenia, known for his emotional interpretation of classic roles from works such as La Traviata, Tosca and Carmen.

In 2000, Francl received the Presidential Golden Order of Freedom for his promotion of Slovenian culture abroad and became an honorary citizen of Ljubljana. He died in 2009 at the age of 89.