Born Pavao Vlahović, he studied harmonics and organ at the conservatory in Zagreb. In 1913, he became choir master at the Serbian
National Theater in Novi Sad.
He must have decided quickly that he wanted in fact to be a singer himself, for in 1914, he moved to Budapest and started to study with
Georg Anthes. But before long, he was drafted and had to fight World War I. Back from
the army in 1918, he enrolled in the academy of music in Vienna.
He began his career as a member of the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich in 1919/20; the next season, he sang in Lübeck, then one
season each in Gera and at the Berlin Volksoper, and from 1924 to 1926 in Nürnberg. For the remainder of his career, he sang as a
freelancer. He appeared in Prague (Deutsches Theater, 1921), Budapest (1923), Belgrade, Dresden, and notably at the Vienna Staatsoper in
1927/28, and again in 1934: he made his debut there as Calaf on 27 February 1927, and his last performance was again as Calaf on 15 May
1934. He sang Radames (six times), Rodolfo (once), Turiddu (once), Faust (three times), Erik (once), Max (Jonny spielt auf by
Krenek, six times), Pinkerton (once), Manrico (twice), Der Fremde (Das Wunder der Heliane by Korngold, nine times) and Calaf
(twelve times). On stage, he used the name Paolo (or Paul, depending on where he sang) Marion.
In April 1932, he was Cavaradossi at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, and in 1933 Andrea Chénier and Cavaradossi in Nice.
He also sang in Italy:
Bari, Teatro Petruzzelli, 1929: Andrea Chénier, Calaf
Rome, Teatro dell'Opera, 1930: Mefistofele in March, with Maria Zamboni, Olga Carrera, Nazzareno De Angelis/Giulio Cirino; Il
diavolo nel campanile by Adriano Lualdi in April, with Adelaide Saraceni, Elvira Casazza, Giulio Cirino, Afro Poli, Adolfo Pacini
Milano, Teatro Dal Verme, October 1930: Lohengrin
Milano, Scala, 31 January 1931: Muscar in the world premiere of La notte di Zoraima by Montemezzi
Torino, Teatro Regio, February 1931: Stolzing
Trieste, Politeama Rossetti, 1937: Andrea Chénier
Not least, he appeared in South America in concert and opera, and he sang Lohengrin in Chicago in 1934, with Lotte Lehmann.
He also sang a lot "at home" in Zagreb, at the Croatian National Opera: Canio in October 1926; Riccardo, Canio and Cavaradossi in October
1927; and then very regularly from 1933: Lohengrin, Calaf, Cavaradossi, Radames, Don José, Manrico, the title role in Porin
by Vatroslav Lisinski, Robert in Oganj by Blagoje Bersa, Parsifal, Andrea Chénier, Enzo Grimaldo, Iva in Povratak by
Josip Hatze, Radoš in Medvedgradska kraljica by Lujo Šafranek-Kavić, Erik. From 1937, he reduced his
appearances significantly. He gave one prominent concert in Berlin on 2 April 1939, presenting excerpts from Oganj; and he sang
occasionally in Zagreb until 1942.
Then he disappeared from public view; at some point, he must have emigrated to South America since he died in Rio de Janeiro in 1962.
Reference 1 and picture source; reference 2: Kutsch & Riemens
