Kristine Opolais

Kristine Opolais

I never wanted to be an opera singer! An interview with Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais - November 2010(BM)
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Kristine Opolais was born on November 12, 1979 in Latvia. She is one of the most successful Singer. Kristine has ranked on the list of famous people who were born on November 12, 1979. She is one of the Richest Singer, who was born in Rezekne.
About Kristine Opolais: Krist?ne Opolais (born 12 November 1979) is a Latvian operatic soprano. Her particular passion is for the operas of Puccini, and she has sung title roles in his work to widespread acclaim at the world's leading opera houses. Kristine Opolais was born in Rezekne in Latgale on November 12, 1979. Her mother was an amateur dramatic soprano and popular music singer, her father an amateur classic and jazz trumpeter. Since Kristine's mother could not fulfil her dream of becoming a professional opera singer herself, she encouraged her daughter to do so. Share your videos with friends, family, and the world.
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Kristine Opolais as Rusalka - Picture © Wilfried Hösl

Kristine Opolais' spectacular debut in the title role of the new Munich Rusalka may have catapulted her to stardom in the opera world overnight, and one would be hard put to overlook the fact that she is tall and gorgeous, but her easy and entirely unassuming manner convey more of a girl-from-next-door impression.
 I congratulate her on her tremendous success, remarking that I was also very impressed by her Tosca some years back.
'Oh, that was in a different life!' she exclaims, 'I have a new manager and a new teacher now, so many things have happened. Having an agency that I feel comfortable with has made all the difference - it is crucial to have a manager who is sensitive to your wishes and needs. I'm sorry to have to put it this way, but in my profession so many artists are treated like prostitutes by agencies, the type who pressure singers to accept everything they offer them. But artists who are forced to work like that end up losing themselves.'
 And now she has chosen Munich over the Met, withdrawing from an engagement there at almost the last minute! On her manager's advice? 'Yes indeed, I will never forget the day he called me and asked me to say yes to what he was about to suggest, before I even knew what it was. But he was absolutely right. The moment he told me what Munich was offering, I knew: this is it! It is a bit unfortunate, though, that this seems to be what some people think is most newsworthy about my debut here. All I can say to that is the following: one very important principle of mine is that when I decide to accept an engagement, it is never about the house and always about the role. In this context, I might add that my debut at La Scala, for example, was a prospect which almost scared me to death at the time – and I don't know whether that is really a compliment to this particular opera house, although it is a great one. I had been waiting for my debut at the Met for two years, but the entire time I had a vague feeling that somehow it wasn't right, and Musetta is a part that simply can't compare to Rusalka – the difference is like day and night. Musetta is a great role for a big star to make a type of cameo appearance in – that would be fun! Rusalka, on the other hand, is a dream role for any soprano, and you need more than just a voice, which is almost enough for Tosca; rather, you need a whole range of colors, similar to those required for Butterfly or Aida, I would say. 
 So I will be eternally grateful to Nina Stemme, whom I admire no end, for deciding at fairly short notice that this part was not for her after all - it's been the opportunity of a lifetime for me! I can certainly see why she was drawn to it, especially as such a renowned Wagner singer, since I feel there are many parallels between Wagner's works and the way Rusalka has to sing with and over a strong orchestra.'
 The director of Munich's new Rusalka, was given quite a bit of negative press in Germany, forcing him to settle for plastic replicas of deer instead of the real animals he had planned to used as props on stage (although these would have been acquired through a perfectly straightforward transaction with a local butcher). How did she like working with him? Judging from the amount of time she spends in the water on stage, she must have felt literally waterlogged after a day of rehearsal…
 'Well, I won't deny that this aspect took a great toll on my health: I was ill during the better part of the rehearsals, which took about five weeks, and having to be in the water that much didn't exactly speed up my recovery. But mind you, I don't envy the colleagues who will have to prepare the revival of this production in a single week! I was very worried, however, that I wouldn't be able to sing, and actually never even sang my entire part at full voice until opening night! 
 Martin Kušej is an exceptional director and I learned a great deal from him. He has a very strong personality, but he is never selfish. If I was uncomfortable with something, he would try to change his concept accordingly. He treated me with respect and always supported me, as a singer and as an actress. On another level, though, one thing I really had to insist on was the water temperature! I don't know how many times I had to say: ‘People, why don't you come and have a dip in the aquarium yourselves if you think I'm just being difficult? The water cools off really quickly, so it needs to be hot to start with!' 
 So she had five weeks of rehearsals, but did she know the role when she got the call from Munich? And had she sung anything in Czech before?
'Only the aria and a few other passages, so actually I had only twelve days to learn my part, but I enjoyed the work immensely! And I feel very much at ease singing in Czech, a language which is very close to my heart. To me it also feels very close to Russian, my second language. A Czech friend and colleague, the tenor Pavel Černoch, told me after the premiere of Rusalka that he couldn't believe how I had managed to get through the entire evening without making any linguistic mistakes, even though I don't speak Czech, and I was very pleased with that comment, as I reckon you can imagine! 
 Having experienced the sheer power of her voice and stage presence, one would imagine that she had always wanted to be an opera singer?
 'Absolutely not!, it was the verylast thing I ever wanted to be when I was growing up. To me, opera singers were fat people who stood stock-still on a stage and bellowed. My mother had wanted to be an opera singer, it was her dream, but then she had me and was obliged to settle down. Years later, when I made a successful appearance in a pop song contest in our small Latvian hometown as a teenager, she decided to enroll me in the conservatory – I thought it was the most tragic day in my life at the time!
 What happened to turn things around, then? 'My teacher gave me a Maria Callas recording of Puccini arias and showed me a film of her singing Tosca at Covent Garden. That did it for me. I realized that it was all about bringing the acting and the music together. I had always wanted to be an actress, and if I hadn't become a singer that is what I believe my profession would be today. That is why music theater is so perfect for me.'
 The reference to Maria Callas prompts me to mention that it was in Athens that I heard her sing Tosca (read a review here.)
 'That was an almost spiritual experience for me. Most people don't know this, but I have Greek blood, since my maternal grandfather was Greek. As I just mentioned I greatly admire Callas' performance of this role, so it was extremely moving for me to be singing it in Athens; I felt her support and energy on that stage the entire time. Afterwards, an elderly lady who knew Callas personally came to see me in my dressing room and told me that she had seen Maria on stage again that evening. I don't think anyone will ever be able to pay me a greater compliment.'
 But back to her training – she went straight from the conservatory to Latvian National Opera? 'No, not quite. My experience at the music academy was far from positive. It did nothing for the development of my personality as an artist. I felt they were trying to fit me into a box or a mold. There were complaints about my lack of knowledge of music theory and solfège, but what was even worse was that I was constantly told that it was 'too early' to be singing what I had chosen to practice, that I shouldn't attempt to tackle repertoire reserved for more advanced, mature singers, that I needed to sound my own age, etc. I remember being criticized in this vein by a jury once by all of its members but one, who turned to her colleagues and said: ‘What is wrong with you, she's a born opera singer!' At some point I left and started taking private lessons with a wonderful teacher, then went on to sing in the chorus at our national opera company for two years, after which I joined the ensemble as a soloist from 2003 to 2007 and learned many new roles, including Mimi, Musetta, Tatiana, and Lisa. And the rest is history, as they say. I truly believe it was my destiny to end up in this profession.' 
 An apt note to end our conversation on, as we set out to find our seats in the stalls for a performance of Jenufa at Bavarian State Opera – a role Kristine Opolais will be singing in two years time in a new production in Zurich, and no doubt something to look forward to! 
 So for now, the Met can wait, but I think it's safe to say that they will be back with another offer, and most likely sooner than later…
Bettina Mara
www.kristineopolais.com 
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The 2020-2021 season is Andris Nelsons seventh as the Boston Symphony Orchestra's Ray and Maria Stata Music Director. In summer 2015, following his first season as music director, his contract with the BSO was extended through the 2021-22 season. In February 2018 Mr. Nelsons was also named Gewandhauskapellmeister of the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. On October 5, 2020, the BSO and GHO jointly announced extensions to Mr. Nelsons current contracts. His contract with the BSO was extended until 2025, and his GHO contract until 2027. An evergreen clause in his BSO contract reflects a mutual intention for a long-term commitment between the BSO and Mr. Nelsons beyond the years of the agreement.
Mr. Nelsons' two positions, in addition to his leadership of a pioneering alliance between the institutions, have firmly established the Grammy Award-winning conductor as one of the most renowned and innovative artists on the international scene today. In fall 2019 Mr. Nelsons and the BSO hosted the Gewandhausorchester in historic concerts at Symphony Hall that included two performances by the GHO as well as concerts featuring the players of both orchestras together.
In the 2019-20 season, Andris Nelsons led the BSO in repertoire ranging from favorites by Beethoven, Dvořák, Grieg, Mozart, Mahler, Ravel, and Tchaikovsky to world and American premieres of BSO-commissioned works from Eric Nathan, Betsy Jolas, and the Latvian composer Arturs Maskats. The season also brought the continuation of his complete Shostakovich symphony cycle with the orchestra and collaborations with an impressive array of guest artists. Mr. Nelsons' work with the BSO resumes with his return to Boston at the start of 2021.
Andris Nelsons' and the BSO's ongoing series of recordings of the complete Shostakovich symphonies for Deutsche Grammophon has included the composer's symphonies 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, and 11 (The Year 1905), and most recently a two-disc set pairing Shostakovich's symphonies 6 and 7 (Leningrad). The cycle has earned three Grammy awards for Best Orchestral Performance and one for Best Engineered Album. The next installment, featuring symphonies nos. 1, 14, and 15 and the Chamber Symphony, Op. 110a (arr. Rudolf Barshai), is scheduled for release in summer 2021. Future releases will go beyond the symphonies to encompass the composer's concertos for piano, violin, and cello, and his monumental opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. Mr. Nelsons' other recordings with the orchestra include the complete Brahms symphonies for the BSO Classics label and a Naxos release of BSO-commissioned world premiere works by four American composers: Timo Andres, Eric Nathan, Sean Shepherd, and George Tsontakis.
The fifteenth music director in the history of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons made his BSO debut at Carnegie Hall in March 2011, his Tanglewood debut in July 2012, and his BSO subscription series debut in January 2013. In November 2017, Mr. Nelsons and the BSO toured Japan together for the first time. They have so far made three European tours together: immediately following the 2018 Tanglewood season, when they played concerts in London, Hamburg, Berlin, Leipzig, Vienna, Lucerne, Paris, and Amsterdam; in May 2016, a tour that took them to eight cities in Germany, Austria, and Luxembourg; and, after the 2015 Tanglewood season, a tour that took them to major European capitals and the Lucerne, Salzburg, and Grafenegg festivals. A scheduled February 2020 tour to East Asia was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic emergency.
In his capacity as BSO Music Director and Gewandhauskapellmeister of the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Mr. Nelsons brings the BSO and GHO together for a unique multi-dimensional alliance including a BSO/GHO Musician Exchange program and an exchange component within each orchestra's acclaimed academy for advanced music studies. A major aspect of the alliance is a focus on complementary programming, through which the BSO celebrates 'Leipzig Week in Boston' and the GHO celebrates 'Boston Week in Leipzig,' highlighting each other's musical traditions through uniquely programmed concerts, chamber music performances, archival exhibits, and lecture series. The two orchestras have jointly commissioned and premiered works from Latvian, American, and German and Austrian composers.
In addition to his Shostakovich recordings with the BSO, Mr. Nelsons' exclusive partnership with Deutsche Grammophon includes two other major projects. With the Gewandhausorchester he continues his critically acclaimed Bruckner symphonic cycle under the Yellow Label, of which four volumes have been released to date. His recordings of Beethoven's complete symphonies with the Wiener Philharmoniker were released by Deutsche Grammophon in October 2019.
Mr. Nelsons frequently leads such orchestras as the Berlin Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. As an opera conductor, he has made regular guest appearances at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and the Bayreuth Festival. Born in Riga in 1978 into a family of musicians, Andris Nelsons began his career as a trumpeter in the Latvian National Opera Orchestra before studying conducting. He was Music Director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (2008-2015), Principal Conductor of Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie in Herford, Germany (2006-09), and Music Director of the Latvian National Opera (2003-07).
 Andris Nelsons, conductor View biography in full page >
Kristine Opolais is one of the most sought after sopranos on the international scene today, with a firmly established reputation amongst the world's pre-eminent singing actresses, combining lustrous tone and fierce dramatic intensity. Opolais appears at the Metropolitan Opera New York, Wiener Staatsoper, Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, Bayerische Staatsoper, Teatro alla Scala, Opernhaus Zürich and Royal Opera House Covent Garden. She is working with such conductors as Daniel Barenboim, Sir Antonio Pappano, Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Mark Elder, Daniel Harding, Andris Nelsons, Fabio Luisi, Kirill Petrenko and Semyon Bychkov.
Cute simple panda drawing. Kristine Opolais is one of the most sought after sopranos on the international scene today, with a firmly established reputation amongst the world's pre-eminent singing actresses, combining lustrous tone and fierce dramatic intensity. Opolais appears at the Metropolitan Opera New York, Wiener Staatsoper, Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, Bayerische Staatsoper, Teatro alla Scala, Opernhaus Zürich and Royal Opera House Covent Garden. She is working with such conductors as Daniel Barenboim, Sir Antonio Pappano, Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Mark Elder, Daniel Harding, Andris Nelsons, Fabio Luisi, Kirill Petrenko and Semyon Bychkov.
Kristine Opolais is known for notable collaborations with the Metropolitan Opera, her performances frequently broadcast in HD worldwide. In Autumn 2018 Opolais returns to the Met to sing 'Suor Angelica', a role she has recorded for label ‘Orfeo' but until this point she has not sung on stage. Previously, she starred as the title role in Zimmerman's 2017 production of 'Rusalka', and received critical praise for her 'vocally lustrous and achingly vulnerable performance' (New York Times). Opolais maintains a strong relationship with the Met since her debut as Magda in 'La Rondine'. Famously, in 2014 she made history at the Met, with two role debuts in 18 hours. She gave a renowned performance in 'Butterfly', only to step in for a matinee of 'La boheme' the next day, which was cinema broadcast worldwide.
In the 2018/19 season Opolais continues her strong collaboration with the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, returning to the House as Tosca. In London, Opolais has particularly cemented her title as 'the leading Puccini Soprano of today' (The Telegraph), appearing in Kent's 2014 production as Manon Lescaut, as well as starring as Cio-Cio San in „Madama Butterfly'. This season Opolais also returns to the Wiener Staatsoper for further signature performances of 'Tosca' and makes her debut at the Staatsoper Hamburg for two special performances of 'Manon Lescaut' as part of Hamburg's notable Italian Opera Festival and also tours to Japan, her Japanese debut, in 'Manon Lescaut' with the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. Opolais also has a significant relationship with the Bayerische Staatsoper, which started in 2010 when she made her acclaimed debut as Rusalka in Kušej's production, which she has been invited back numerous times to perform. Since this time Opolais has appeared in titles including 'Manon Lescaut', 'Madama Butterfly', Tatjana in 'Onegin' and Margherita in 'Mefistofele'.
Opolais' solo concert and recital appearances, for which she is highly in demand, include performances at the Salzburg Festival, BBC Proms, George Enescu, Turku and Tanglewood Festivals, the Vienna Musikverein, Baden-Baden Festspielhaus, Royal Opera House Muscat, Royal Concertgebouw and Carnegie Hall, to name but a few. Opolais has appeared with orchestras including the Berliner Philharmoniker, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, with whom she tours this season, the Concertgebouworkest, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks and Filarmonica della Scala.
Opolais' most recent opera recording was released in Autumn 2017, a DVD of 'Tosca', from Himmelmann's production in Baden-Baden, with the Berliner Philharmoniker, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle.
 Kristine Opolais, soprano 
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The Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel has performed in all the great opera houses of the world, and is especially recognised for his portrayals of Figaro, Falstaff and Wotan. He made his operatic début in 1990 as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte for Welsh National Opera. His international operatic career began in 1991 when he sang the Speaker in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte at the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels and in the same year he made his United States début as Figaro at the Santa Fe Opera. Other roles performed during his career include Holländer in Der fliegende Holländer, Méphistophélès in Faust, both the Title Role and Leporello in Don Giovanni, Jochanaan in Salome, Scarpia in Tosca, the Title Role in Gianni Schicchi, Nick Shadow in The Rake's Progress, Wolfram in Tannhäuser, Balstrode in Peter Grimes, Four Villains in Les contes d'Hoffmann, Dulcamara in L'Elisir d'Amore and the Title Role in Sweeney Todd.
Bryn is also known for his versatility as a concert performer, with highlights ranging from the opening ceremony of the Wales Millennium Centre, BBC Last Night of the Proms, and the Royal Variety Show to a gala concert with Andrea Bocelli in Central Park, New York. He has given recitals in the major cities of the world and for nine years hosted his own festival in Faenol, North Wales.
He is a Grammy, Classical Brit and Gramophone Award winner with a discography encompassing operas of Mozart, Wagner and Strauss, and more than ten solo discs including Lieder, American musical theatre, Welsh songs and sacred repertory.
In 2003, Bryn was made a CBE for services to Opera in the Queen's New Year Honours list and in 2006 was awarded the Queen's Medal for Music. He is also the last recipient of the Shakespeare Prize by the Alfred Toepfer Foundation, Hamburg.
Highlights in recent years include Bryn's debut in the role of Hans Sachs in the critically acclaimed production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg for Welsh National Opera, his return to La Scala, Milan to open the 2011 season singing Leporello in Don Giovanni and Scarpia in Tosca. Highlights in 2012 included the role of Wotan in Wagner's Ring Cycle for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and the Metropolitan Opera, New York, the title role in Der fliegende Holländer for Zurich Opera, Scarpia for Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich and host to a four day festival, Brynfest, at the Southbank Centre, London as part of the Southbank Centre's Festival of the World.
In 2013, Bryn made his debut in concert at the Abu Dhabi Festival and the Royal Opera House, Muscat and performed with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and returned to the Sydney Opera House in recital. His new album with the Mormon Tabernacle choir was released on the Deutsche Grammophon label in September 2013.
Highlights in 2014 include semi-staged performances of Sweeney Todd at the Lincoln Center, New York and at the Llangollen International Music Festival, a concert tour of South Africa and a return to ROH, Covent Garden to sing Méphistophélès in Gounod's Faust and Dulcamara in L'Elisir D'Amore.
Highlights in 2015 will be his debut in the role of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof for Grange Park Opera and concerts to celebrate his 50th birthday at the Royal Albert Hall, London and Wales Millennium Centre.
Bryn is pleased to have an association with several companies, most notably Rolex, Clogau Gold and the Penderyn Distillery.
 Sir Bryn Terfel, bass-baritone View biography in full page >
A native of Miami, Tenor Russell Thomas is quickly establishing himself as one of the most exciting vocal and dramatic talents on the international opera and concert scene, most recently as the First-Prize winner of the prestigious 'Viñas Competition' in Barcelona (First Prize, Audience Favorite and Best Tenor) and at the 'Competizione dell'Opera' in Dresden.
Russell Thomas' current season begins with his role debut as Pinkerton in MADAMA BUTTERFLY for his return to the Welsh National Opera. He will then be heard in two operas at his home company, the Metropolitan Opera, first as Foresto and Uldino in a new Pierre Audi/Riccardo Muti production of Verdi's ATTILA, then as the Steersman in DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER. Later in the season, Mr. Thomas will add two more Verdi parts to his repertoire: the tenor solo in his MESSA DA REQUIEM for the Basel Opera and Cassio in OTELLO with the Cincinnati Opera. Future plans include returns to the Metropolitan Opera and a debut with the Frankfurt Opera, all in leading roles.
Mr. Thomas' recent projects included Tamino in THE MAGIC FLUTE at the Metropolitan Opera, his debut as the Duke of Mantua in RIGOLETTO with the Arizona Opera, and the Steersman in DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER with Atlanta Opera. Russell Thomas also reprised his role of the Prince for John Adams' A FLOWERING TREE with Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Perth International Festival and the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. Among other notable debuts were the role of Mao Tse-Tung in Mr. Adams' NIXON IN CHINA with the Pittsburgh Symphony and the composer conducting as well as concerts of Schubert's MASS NO. 6 with the Houston Symphony and Hans Graf. He also performed George Walker's LILACS with the Philadelphia Orchestra at Verizon Hall and Carnegie Hall/Stern Auditorium, conducted by Charles Dutoit, as well as the tenor soloist in Michael Tippett's A CHILD OF OUR TIME as part of the Honor! Festival at Carnegie Hall/Stern Auditorium. In addition, Mr. Thomas appeared at Carnegie's Weill Hall for the Marilyn Horne Foundation in a joint recital that was part of the mezzo's 75th birthday celebration.
Further engagements included Tamino in THE MAGIC FLUTE for Welsh National Opera, Malcolm in MACBETH for the Metropolitan Opera, as well as appearances at Festival d'Aix-en-Provence where he reprised his role of the Sultan in ZAIDE and A FLOWERING TREE at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, among other concert and recital engagements.
In the 2006/2007 season the tenor returned to the Metropolitan Opera to cover Tamino in DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE, while creating the role of the Prince in the world premiere of John Adams' A FLOWERING TREE for Peter Sellars' New Crowned Hope Festival in Vienna. The work was also the vehicle for his Berlin Philharmonic debut under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle, as well as his San Francisco Symphony debut. Other engagements this season included debuts with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Michigan Opera Theatre as Tybalt in ROMEO ET JULIETTE, concerts with the London Symphony at the Barbican Centre in London and recitals in Miami and NYC with renowned pianist Ken Noda.
 In the 2005/06 season the tenor covered Tamino and performed the 1st Prisoner in FIDELIO at the Metropolitan Opera, and returned to the Seattle Symphony for Mozart's MASS IN C-MINOR, and the finale of Strauss' IDOMENEO. Other appearances included the Sultan in Mozart's ZAIDE at the Vienna Festwochen, the Barbican Centre in London, and Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival in a new Peter Sellars production. During the 2003/04 Season Mr. Thomas performed Orff's CARMINA BURANA with the Yakima Symphony Orchestra, Ernesto in DON PASQUALE with Spokane Opera, and appeared in recital in NYC, Miami, and Manchester, VT. In the 2004/05 Season he made his Metropolitan Opera debut as the Herald in DON CARLO and covered Tito in Mozart's LA CLEMENZA DI TITO. Other appearances that season included debuts with the Seattle Symphony and Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival and a summer at the Marlboro Music Festival where he returned in 2006 to perform Mozart's IDOMENEO. In 2006 he was awarded 1st Place at the Liederkranz Competition as well as the George London Foundation Competition and was a major award recipient of the Lee Schaenen Foundation. In 2005 he was a winner in the Young Concert Artist Competition, George London Foundation Compeition, and the Loren L. Zachary Society Competition, as well as 1st place winner of the 2004 Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation Competition.
 Mr. Thomas has also performed with the Florida Grand Opera (Roderigo in OTELLO, Mayor Upfold in ALBERT HERRING, Ivan in Wargo's THE MUSIC SHOP, Male Chorus in THE RAPE OF LUCRETIA), Seattle Opera (Tamino in THE MAGIC FLUTE and Rodolfo in LA BOHEME) and Tulsa Opera (Nemorino in L'ELISIR D'AMORE, Borsa in RIGOLETTO, Ruiz in IL TROVATORE, Janicku in Janacek's DIARY OF ONE WHO VANISHED).
 Other notable appearances include his 2001 Tulsa Philharmonic debut with Simon Estes in a benefit for the Simon Estes Foundation, Handel's MESSIAH with the New Jersey Symphony, Rossini's STABAT MATER with Florida Grand Opera Chorus, and the U.S. Premier of Lorenzitti's MESSE A GRANDE SYMPHONIE with the Miami Bach Society. Mr. Thomas also recorded Thomas Sleeper's ACELDAMA: FIELD OF BLOOD for Albany Records.
An alumnus of the prestigious Lindemann Young Artist Development Program of the Metropolitan Opera, Russell Thomas was also a member of Seattle Opera Young Artist Program, a Roger R. Hinkley artist at the Florida Grand Opera, a Gerdine Young Artist with Opera Theatre of St Louis, an apprentice at the Sarasota Opera and was proud to take part in the 2005 and 2006 Marlboro Music Festivals. He holds a Bachelor's Degree of Music in Performance from the New World School of the Arts.
 Russell Thomas, tenor 
Kristine Opolais PartnerTanglewood Festival ChorusTanglewood Festival Chorus View biography in full page >
Tanglewood Festival Chorus
James Burton, BSO Choral Director and Conductor of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus
John Oliver (1939-2018), Founder
The Tanglewood Festival Chorus joins the BSO this season for performances of Beethoven's Choral Fantasy and Poulenc's Gloria led by Andris Nelsons (September 19-21, the opening program of the 2019-20 subscription season); Galina Grigorieva's On Leaving and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 2, also under Maestro Nelsons (November 21-26); Duruflé's Requiem under Giancarlo Guerrero (February 27-March 3), and Stravinsky's Perséphone with Thomas Adès conducting (March 26-28). In addition, to mark the TFC's fiftieth anniversary in April 2020, James Burton leads the ensemble in a post-concert Casual Friday performance of Rachmaninoff's All-Night Vigil (April 17). Originally formed under the joint sponsorship of Boston University and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the all-volunteer Tanglewood Festival Chorus was established in 1970 by its founding conductor, the late John Oliver, who stepped down from his leadership position with the TFC at the end of the 2015 Tanglewood season. In February 2017, following appearances as guest chorus conductor at Symphony Hall and Tanglewood, and having prepared the chorus for that month's BSO performances of Bach's B minor Massled by Andris Nelsons, James Burton was named the new Conductor of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, also being appointed to the newly created position of BSO Choral Director. Mr. Burton occupies the Alan J. and Suzanne W. Dworsky Chair on the Boston Symphony Orchestra roster.
Though first established for performances at the BSO's summer home, the Tanglewood Festival Chorus was soon playing a major role in the BSO's subscription season as well as BSO concerts at Carnegie Hall; the ensemble now performs year-round with the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops. It has performed with the BSO on tour in Hong Kong and Japan, and on two European tours, also giving a cappella concerts of its own on those two occasions. The TFC made its debut in April 1970 at Symphony Hall, in a BSO performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with Leonard Bernstein conducting. Its first recording with the orchestra, Berlioz's La Damnation de Faust with Seiji Ozawa, received a Grammy nomination for Best Choral Performance of 1975. The TFC has since made dozens of recordings with the BSO and Boston Pops, with Seiji Ozawa, Bernard Haitink, James Levine, Leonard Bernstein, Sir Colin Davis, Keith Lockhart, and John Williams. In August 2011, with John Oliver conducting and soloist Stephanie Blythe, the TFC gave the world premiere of Alan Smith's An Unknown Sphere for mezzo-soprano and chorus, commissioned by the BSO for the ensemble's 40th anniversary. Its most recent recordings on BSO Classics, all drawn from live performances, include a disc of a cappella music marking the TFC's 40th anniversary; Ravel's complete Daphnis et Chloé (a 2009 Grammy-winner for Best Orchestral Performance), Brahms's German Requiem, and William Bolcom's Eighth Symphony for chorus and orchestra (a BSO 125th Anniversary Commission). On July 4, 2018, the Tanglewood Festival Chorus joined Keith Lockhart for the 'Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular' on the Charles River Esplanade.
Besides their work with the BSO, TFC members have also performed with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic and in a Saito Kinen Festival production of Britten's Peter Grimes under Seiji Ozawa in Japan. The ensemble had the honor of singing at Sen. Edward Kennedy's funeral; has performed with the Boston Pops for the Boston Red Sox and Boston Celtics; and can be heard on the soundtracks of Clint Eastwood's Mystic River, John Sayles's Silver City, and Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan. TFC members regularly commute from the greater Boston area and beyond to sing with the chorus in Boston and at Tanglewood. For more information about the Tanglewood Festival Chorus and upcoming auditions, please visit www.bso.org/tfc.
James Burton View biography in full page >
James Burton was appointed Conductor of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and to the newly created position of BSO Choral Director, in February 2017. He made his BSO subscription-series conducting debut in October 2018, leading the Tanglewood Festival Chorus in Maija Einfelde's Lux aeterna. In August 2019 he led the Boston Symphony Children's Choir and Boston Symphony Orchestra in the world premiere of his The Lost Words, a BSO co-commission, as part of the summer's gala Tanglewood on Parade concert. In April 2020 he will conduct the Tanglewood Festival Concert in a post-concert Casual Friday performance of Rachmaninoff's All-Night Vigil to celebrate the TFC's fiftieth anniversary. Mr. Burton made his debut with the Boston Pops in December 2017, returned to the Pops podium last December—as he will again for Holiday Pops concerts in December 2019—and led the Pops this past June at Tanglewood in a program celebrating Queen with Marc Martel.
Born in London, James Burton holds a master's degree in orchestral conducting from the Peabody Conservatory, where he studied with Frederik Prausnitz and Gustav Meier. He began his training at the Choir of Westminster Abbey, where he became head chorister, and was a choral scholar at St. John's College, Cambridge. He has conducted concerts with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Hallé Orchestra, the Orchestra of Scottish Opera, the Royal Northern Sinfonia, BBC Concert Orchestra, and Manchester Camerata. Opera credits include performances at English National Opera, English Touring Opera, Garsington Opera, and the Prague Summer Nights Festival, and he has served on the music staff of the Metropolitan Opera and Opera de Paris. Mr. Burton's extensive choral conducting has included guest invitations with professional choirs including the Gabrieli Consort, the Choir of the Enlightenment, Wrocław Philharmonic, and the BBC Singers, with whom he performed in the inaugural season of Dubai's Opera House in 2017. From 2002 to 2009 he served as choral director at the Hallé Orchestra, where he was music director of the Hallé Choir and founding conductor of the Hallé Youth Choir, winning the Gramophone Choral Award in 2009. From 2002 to 2017 he was music director of the Schola Cantorum of Oxford. Well known for his inspirational work with young musicians, he was director of the National Youth Choir of Japan in 2017 and founded the Boston Symphony Children's Choir in 2018. Mr. Burton has given conducting master classes at the Royal Academy of Music in London and at the Tanglewood Music Center, and founded a scholarship for young conductors at Oxford. His growing composition portfolio includes works for commissioners including the National Portrait Gallery in London, the 2010 World Equestrian Games, the Choir of St. John's College, Cambridge, and the Exon Festival, where he was composer-in-residence in 2015. His works are published by Edition Peters. As BSO Choral Director and Conductor of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, James Burton occupies the Alan J. and Suzanne W. Dworsky Chair, endowed in perpetuity.
ProgramNotesAudio
Kristine Opolais DaughterPUCCINI Tosca, Act II
 WAGNER 'Entrance of the Guests' from Tannhäuser, Act II
 WAGNER 'Wie duftet doch der Flieder' (Hans Sachs' 'Flieder monologue')
 from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Act II
 DVOŘÁK 'Song to the Moon' from Rusalka, Act I
 DVOŘÁK Polonaise from Rusalka, Act II
 GERSHWIN From Porgy and Bess:
 Introduction and Jasbo Brown Blues, from Act I
 'Summertime,' from Act I
 'I got plenty o' nuttin',' from Act II
 'Bess, you is my woman now,' from Act II
GATES OPEN AT 5:30PM

View biography in full page > The 2020-2021 season is Andris Nelsons seventh as the Boston Symphony Orchestra's Ray and Maria Stata Music Director. In summer 2015, following his first season as music director, his contract with the BSO was extended through the 2021-22 season. In February 2018 Mr. Nelsons was also named Gewandhauskapellmeister of the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. On October 5, 2020, the BSO and GHO jointly announced extensions to Mr. Nelsons current contracts. His contract with the BSO was extended until 2025, and his GHO contract until 2027. An evergreen clause in his BSO contract reflects a mutual intention for a long-term commitment between the BSO and Mr. Nelsons beyond the years of the agreement. Mr. Nelsons' two positions, in addition to his leadership of a pioneering alliance between the institutions, have firmly established the Grammy Award-winning conductor as one of the most renowned and innovative artists on the international scene today. In fall 2019 Mr. Nelsons and the BSO hosted the Gewandhausorchester in historic concerts at Symphony Hall that included two performances by the GHO as well as concerts featuring the players of both orchestras together. In the 2019-20 season, Andris Nelsons led the BSO in repertoire ranging from favorites by Beethoven, Dvořák, Grieg, Mozart, Mahler, Ravel, and Tchaikovsky to world and American premieres of BSO-commissioned works from Eric Nathan, Betsy Jolas, and the Latvian composer Arturs Maskats. The season also brought the continuation of his complete Shostakovich symphony cycle with the orchestra and collaborations with an impressive array of guest artists. Mr. Nelsons' work with the BSO resumes with his return to Boston at the start of 2021. Andris Nelsons' and the BSO's ongoing series of recordings of the complete Shostakovich symphonies for Deutsche Grammophon has included the composer's symphonies 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, and 11 (The Year 1905), and most recently a two-disc set pairing Shostakovich's symphonies 6 and 7 (Leningrad). The cycle has earned three Grammy awards for Best Orchestral Performance and one for Best Engineered Album. The next installment, featuring symphonies nos. 1, 14, and 15 and the Chamber Symphony, Op. 110a (arr. Rudolf Barshai), is scheduled for release in summer 2021. Future releases will go beyond the symphonies to encompass the composer's concertos for piano, violin, and cello, and his monumental opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. Mr. Nelsons' other recordings with the orchestra include the complete Brahms symphonies for the BSO Classics label and a Naxos release of BSO-commissioned world premiere works by four American composers: Timo Andres, Eric Nathan, Sean Shepherd, and George Tsontakis. The fifteenth music director in the history of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Andris Nelsons made his BSO debut at Carnegie Hall in March 2011, his Tanglewood debut in July 2012, and his BSO subscription series debut in January 2013. In November 2017, Mr. Nelsons and the BSO toured Japan together for the first time. They have so far made three European tours together: immediately following the 2018 Tanglewood season, when they played concerts in London, Hamburg, Berlin, Leipzig, Vienna, Lucerne, Paris, and Amsterdam; in May 2016, a tour that took them to eight cities in Germany, Austria, and Luxembourg; and, after the 2015 Tanglewood season, a tour that took them to major European capitals and the Lucerne, Salzburg, and Grafenegg festivals. A scheduled February 2020 tour to East Asia was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic emergency. In his capacity as BSO Music Director and Gewandhauskapellmeister of the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Mr. Nelsons brings the BSO and GHO together for a unique multi-dimensional alliance including a BSO/GHO Musician Exchange program and an exchange component within each orchestra's acclaimed academy for advanced music studies. A major aspect of the alliance is a focus on complementary programming, through which the BSO celebrates 'Leipzig Week in Boston' and the GHO celebrates 'Boston Week in Leipzig,' highlighting each other's musical traditions through uniquely programmed concerts, chamber music performances, archival exhibits, and lecture series. The two orchestras have jointly commissioned and premiered works from Latvian, American, and German and Austrian composers. In addition to his Shostakovich recordings with the BSO, Mr. Nelsons' exclusive partnership with Deutsche Grammophon includes two other major projects. With the Gewandhausorchester he continues his critically acclaimed Bruckner symphonic cycle under the Yellow Label, of which four volumes have been released to date. His recordings of Beethoven's complete symphonies with the Wiener Philharmoniker were released by Deutsche Grammophon in October 2019. Mr. Nelsons frequently leads such orchestras as the Berlin Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. As an opera conductor, he has made regular guest appearances at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and the Bayreuth Festival. Born in Riga in 1978 into a family of musicians, Andris Nelsons began his career as a trumpeter in the Latvian National Opera Orchestra before studying conducting. He was Music Director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (2008-2015), Principal Conductor of Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie in Herford, Germany (2006-09), and Music Director of the Latvian National Opera (2003-07).	Andris Nelsons, conductor	View biography in full page > Kristine Opolais is one of the most sought after sopranos on the international scene today, with a firmly established reputation amongst the world's pre-eminent singing actresses, combining lustrous tone and fierce dramatic intensity. Opolais appears at the Metropolitan Opera New York, Wiener Staatsoper, Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, Bayerische Staatsoper, Teatro alla Scala, Opernhaus Zürich and Royal Opera House Covent Garden. She is working with such conductors as Daniel Barenboim, Sir Antonio Pappano, Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Mark Elder, Daniel Harding, Andris Nelsons, Fabio Luisi, Kirill Petrenko and Semyon Bychkov. Cute simple panda drawing. Kristine Opolais is one of the most sought after sopranos on the international scene today, with a firmly established reputation amongst the world's pre-eminent singing actresses, combining lustrous tone and fierce dramatic intensity. Opolais appears at the Metropolitan Opera New York, Wiener Staatsoper, Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, Bayerische Staatsoper, Teatro alla Scala, Opernhaus Zürich and Royal Opera House Covent Garden. She is working with such conductors as Daniel Barenboim, Sir Antonio Pappano, Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Mark Elder, Daniel Harding, Andris Nelsons, Fabio Luisi, Kirill Petrenko and Semyon Bychkov. Kristine Opolais is known for notable collaborations with the Metropolitan Opera, her performances frequently broadcast in HD worldwide. In Autumn 2018 Opolais returns to the Met to sing 'Suor Angelica', a role she has recorded for label ‘Orfeo' but until this point she has not sung on stage. Previously, she starred as the title role in Zimmerman's 2017 production of 'Rusalka', and received critical praise for her 'vocally lustrous and achingly vulnerable performance' (New York Times). Opolais maintains a strong relationship with the Met since her debut as Magda in 'La Rondine'. Famously, in 2014 she made history at the Met, with two role debuts in 18 hours. She gave a renowned performance in 'Butterfly', only to step in for a matinee of 'La boheme' the next day, which was cinema broadcast worldwide. In the 2018/19 season Opolais continues her strong collaboration with the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, returning to the House as Tosca. In London, Opolais has particularly cemented her title as 'the leading Puccini Soprano of today' (The Telegraph), appearing in Kent's 2014 production as Manon Lescaut, as well as starring as Cio-Cio San in „Madama Butterfly'. This season Opolais also returns to the Wiener Staatsoper for further signature performances of 'Tosca' and makes her debut at the Staatsoper Hamburg for two special performances of 'Manon Lescaut' as part of Hamburg's notable Italian Opera Festival and also tours to Japan, her Japanese debut, in 'Manon Lescaut' with the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. Opolais also has a significant relationship with the Bayerische Staatsoper, which started in 2010 when she made her acclaimed debut as Rusalka in Kušej's production, which she has been invited back numerous times to perform. Since this time Opolais has appeared in titles including 'Manon Lescaut', 'Madama Butterfly', Tatjana in 'Onegin' and Margherita in 'Mefistofele'. Opolais' solo concert and recital appearances, for which she is highly in demand, include performances at the Salzburg Festival, BBC Proms, George Enescu, Turku and Tanglewood Festivals, the Vienna Musikverein, Baden-Baden Festspielhaus, Royal Opera House Muscat, Royal Concertgebouw and Carnegie Hall, to name but a few. Opolais has appeared with orchestras including the Berliner Philharmoniker, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, with whom she tours this season, the Concertgebouworkest, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks and Filarmonica della Scala. Opolais' most recent opera recording was released in Autumn 2017, a DVD of 'Tosca', from Himmelmann's production in Baden-Baden, with the Berliner Philharmoniker, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle.	Kristine Opolais, soprano
View biography in full page > The Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel has performed in all the great opera houses of the world, and is especially recognised for his portrayals of Figaro, Falstaff and Wotan. He made his operatic début in 1990 as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte for Welsh National Opera. His international operatic career began in 1991 when he sang the Speaker in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte at the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels and in the same year he made his United States début as Figaro at the Santa Fe Opera. Other roles performed during his career include Holländer in Der fliegende Holländer, Méphistophélès in Faust, both the Title Role and Leporello in Don Giovanni, Jochanaan in Salome, Scarpia in Tosca, the Title Role in Gianni Schicchi, Nick Shadow in The Rake's Progress, Wolfram in Tannhäuser, Balstrode in Peter Grimes, Four Villains in Les contes d'Hoffmann, Dulcamara in L'Elisir d'Amore and the Title Role in Sweeney Todd. Bryn is also known for his versatility as a concert performer, with highlights ranging from the opening ceremony of the Wales Millennium Centre, BBC Last Night of the Proms, and the Royal Variety Show to a gala concert with Andrea Bocelli in Central Park, New York. He has given recitals in the major cities of the world and for nine years hosted his own festival in Faenol, North Wales. He is a Grammy, Classical Brit and Gramophone Award winner with a discography encompassing operas of Mozart, Wagner and Strauss, and more than ten solo discs including Lieder, American musical theatre, Welsh songs and sacred repertory. In 2003, Bryn was made a CBE for services to Opera in the Queen's New Year Honours list and in 2006 was awarded the Queen's Medal for Music. He is also the last recipient of the Shakespeare Prize by the Alfred Toepfer Foundation, Hamburg. Highlights in recent years include Bryn's debut in the role of Hans Sachs in the critically acclaimed production of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg for Welsh National Opera, his return to La Scala, Milan to open the 2011 season singing Leporello in Don Giovanni and Scarpia in Tosca. Highlights in 2012 included the role of Wotan in Wagner's Ring Cycle for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and the Metropolitan Opera, New York, the title role in Der fliegende Holländer for Zurich Opera, Scarpia for Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich and host to a four day festival, Brynfest, at the Southbank Centre, London as part of the Southbank Centre's Festival of the World. In 2013, Bryn made his debut in concert at the Abu Dhabi Festival and the Royal Opera House, Muscat and performed with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and returned to the Sydney Opera House in recital. His new album with the Mormon Tabernacle choir was released on the Deutsche Grammophon label in September 2013. Highlights in 2014 include semi-staged performances of Sweeney Todd at the Lincoln Center, New York and at the Llangollen International Music Festival, a concert tour of South Africa and a return to ROH, Covent Garden to sing Méphistophélès in Gounod's Faust and Dulcamara in L'Elisir D'Amore. Highlights in 2015 will be his debut in the role of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof for Grange Park Opera and concerts to celebrate his 50th birthday at the Royal Albert Hall, London and Wales Millennium Centre. Bryn is pleased to have an association with several companies, most notably Rolex, Clogau Gold and the Penderyn Distillery.	Sir Bryn Terfel, bass-baritone	View biography in full page > A native of Miami, Tenor Russell Thomas is quickly establishing himself as one of the most exciting vocal and dramatic talents on the international opera and concert scene, most recently as the First-Prize winner of the prestigious 'Viñas Competition' in Barcelona (First Prize, Audience Favorite and Best Tenor) and at the 'Competizione dell'Opera' in Dresden. Russell Thomas' current season begins with his role debut as Pinkerton in MADAMA BUTTERFLY for his return to the Welsh National Opera. He will then be heard in two operas at his home company, the Metropolitan Opera, first as Foresto and Uldino in a new Pierre Audi/Riccardo Muti production of Verdi's ATTILA, then as the Steersman in DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER. Later in the season, Mr. Thomas will add two more Verdi parts to his repertoire: the tenor solo in his MESSA DA REQUIEM for the Basel Opera and Cassio in OTELLO with the Cincinnati Opera. Future plans include returns to the Metropolitan Opera and a debut with the Frankfurt Opera, all in leading roles. Mr. Thomas' recent projects included Tamino in THE MAGIC FLUTE at the Metropolitan Opera, his debut as the Duke of Mantua in RIGOLETTO with the Arizona Opera, and the Steersman in DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER with Atlanta Opera. Russell Thomas also reprised his role of the Prince for John Adams' A FLOWERING TREE with Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Perth International Festival and the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. Among other notable debuts were the role of Mao Tse-Tung in Mr. Adams' NIXON IN CHINA with the Pittsburgh Symphony and the composer conducting as well as concerts of Schubert's MASS NO. 6 with the Houston Symphony and Hans Graf. He also performed George Walker's LILACS with the Philadelphia Orchestra at Verizon Hall and Carnegie Hall/Stern Auditorium, conducted by Charles Dutoit, as well as the tenor soloist in Michael Tippett's A CHILD OF OUR TIME as part of the Honor! Festival at Carnegie Hall/Stern Auditorium. In addition, Mr. Thomas appeared at Carnegie's Weill Hall for the Marilyn Horne Foundation in a joint recital that was part of the mezzo's 75th birthday celebration. Further engagements included Tamino in THE MAGIC FLUTE for Welsh National Opera, Malcolm in MACBETH for the Metropolitan Opera, as well as appearances at Festival d'Aix-en-Provence where he reprised his role of the Sultan in ZAIDE and A FLOWERING TREE at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, among other concert and recital engagements. In the 2006/2007 season the tenor returned to the Metropolitan Opera to cover Tamino in DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE, while creating the role of the Prince in the world premiere of John Adams' A FLOWERING TREE for Peter Sellars' New Crowned Hope Festival in Vienna. The work was also the vehicle for his Berlin Philharmonic debut under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle, as well as his San Francisco Symphony debut. Other engagements this season included debuts with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Michigan Opera Theatre as Tybalt in ROMEO ET JULIETTE, concerts with the London Symphony at the Barbican Centre in London and recitals in Miami and NYC with renowned pianist Ken Noda. In the 2005/06 season the tenor covered Tamino and performed the 1st Prisoner in FIDELIO at the Metropolitan Opera, and returned to the Seattle Symphony for Mozart's MASS IN C-MINOR, and the finale of Strauss' IDOMENEO. Other appearances included the Sultan in Mozart's ZAIDE at the Vienna Festwochen, the Barbican Centre in London, and Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival in a new Peter Sellars production. During the 2003/04 Season Mr. Thomas performed Orff's CARMINA BURANA with the Yakima Symphony Orchestra, Ernesto in DON PASQUALE with Spokane Opera, and appeared in recital in NYC, Miami, and Manchester, VT. In the 2004/05 Season he made his Metropolitan Opera debut as the Herald in DON CARLO and covered Tito in Mozart's LA CLEMENZA DI TITO. Other appearances that season included debuts with the Seattle Symphony and Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival and a summer at the Marlboro Music Festival where he returned in 2006 to perform Mozart's IDOMENEO. In 2006 he was awarded 1st Place at the Liederkranz Competition as well as the George London Foundation Competition and was a major award recipient of the Lee Schaenen Foundation. In 2005 he was a winner in the Young Concert Artist Competition, George London Foundation Compeition, and the Loren L. Zachary Society Competition, as well as 1st place winner of the 2004 Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation Competition. Mr. Thomas has also performed with the Florida Grand Opera (Roderigo in OTELLO, Mayor Upfold in ALBERT HERRING, Ivan in Wargo's THE MUSIC SHOP, Male Chorus in THE RAPE OF LUCRETIA), Seattle Opera (Tamino in THE MAGIC FLUTE and Rodolfo in LA BOHEME) and Tulsa Opera (Nemorino in L'ELISIR D'AMORE, Borsa in RIGOLETTO, Ruiz in IL TROVATORE, Janicku in Janacek's DIARY OF ONE WHO VANISHED). Other notable appearances include his 2001 Tulsa Philharmonic debut with Simon Estes in a benefit for the Simon Estes Foundation, Handel's MESSIAH with the New Jersey Symphony, Rossini's STABAT MATER with Florida Grand Opera Chorus, and the U.S. Premier of Lorenzitti's MESSE A GRANDE SYMPHONIE with the Miami Bach Society. Mr. Thomas also recorded Thomas Sleeper's ACELDAMA: FIELD OF BLOOD for Albany Records. An alumnus of the prestigious Lindemann Young Artist Development Program of the Metropolitan Opera, Russell Thomas was also a member of Seattle Opera Young Artist Program, a Roger R. Hinkley artist at the Florida Grand Opera, a Gerdine Young Artist with Opera Theatre of St Louis, an apprentice at the Sarasota Opera and was proud to take part in the 2005 and 2006 Marlboro Music Festivals. He holds a Bachelor's Degree of Music in Performance from the New World School of the Arts.	Russell Thomas, tenor