GMHC Presents:
Richard Bernstein, Bass-Baritone
Acclaimed not only for the beauty and resonance of his voice, but
also for his consummate stage abilities, Richard Bernstein is at the
forefront of the singers of his generation and is known internationally
as an outstanding singing actor. This beguiling and magnetic bass-baritone
garners praise from critics and audiences alike. With each season, he broadens
the scope of his artistry, adding new roles and gaining greater recognition.
The 2004–05 season is a season of debuts and celebration for
the young and versatile bass-baritone. Mr. Bernstein began this season
with a role debut as the Reverend Olin Blitch from Carlisle Floyd's Susannah
with the Chautauqua Opera to tremendous critical acclaim. Next came his debut
with the Bellingham Festival of Music where the Mozart specialist sang the
role of Leporello from Mozart's Don Giovanni. Literally moments before the
performance began, the artist engaged to perform the role of Masetto canceled
due to illness, and Mr. Bernstein sang both roles in the concert performance.
Of this performance, critic Jack Frymire wrote, "As a spur-of-the-moment
tour-de-force, his feat surpasses anything I've ever seen...The large audience
responded with a riotous ovation." In the early fall, Mr. Bernstein returns
to the Opera Company of Philadelphia in a major role debut as Méphistophélès
in Gounod's Faust. Additionally, in November 2004, Mr. Bernstein returns to
Pittsburgh Opera to reprise his performances as Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro,
which he last sang with this company in 1994. The clever and resourceful valet
has become one of his signature Mozartian roles, which he has performed to
tremendous international acclaim over 100 times at such theaters as the
Metropolitan Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper, Teatro del Maggio Musicale in
Florence Italy, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Seattle Opera, and Los Angeles
Opera among others. In February. 2005, Mr. Bernstein will make his French
debut as Leporello in Don Giovanni with the Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse.
He then returns to the Metropolitan Opera for his tenth consecutive season
with that company. The magnetic bass-baritone will sing the roles of Angelotti
in Tosca, and Abimélech in Samson et Dalilah from February – May 2005. In May
and June of 2005, Mr. Bernstein makes his company debut with L'Opéra de Montréal
as Escamillo in Carmen. Ending the season, Mr. Bernstein returns to the Metropolitan
Opera for the MET's Summer Season in the Parks to reprise the roles of Angelotti
and Abimélech.
In the 2003–2004 season the bass-baritone sang the title
role in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro with the Teatro del Maggio Musicale
in Florence, Italy under the baton of Maestro Zubin Mehta. The remainder
of the 2003–2004 season, Mr. Bernstein spent with the Metropolitan
Opera. He performed a wide range of roles in the operas Don Giovanni,
Salome, Tosca, and the new Metropolitan Opera production of Benvenuto
Cellini.
The 2002–2003 season was a year of firsts for Mr. Bernstein. He
received the highest accolades for debuts in three new roles: Marco, in
the Metropolitan Opera premiere of Bolcom's A View From the Bridge, Mustafà
in L'Italiana in Algeri with the Central City Opera, and Méphistophélès
in La Damnation de Faust with the Grant Park Symphony in Chicago. He also
made his debut with the Houston Symphony Orchestra as the Bass soloist in
Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. One of the highlights of his season, however,
was a star turn as Leporello opposite Dmitri Hvorostovsky in Don Giovanni
at the Metropolitan Opera, where he earned critical acclaim worldwide.
Mr. Bernstein has appeared with the opera companies of Los Angeles,
San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Michigan, Atlanta,
Cincinnati, Palm Beach and Vancouver, as well as with the Lyric Opera of
Chicago, Opera Pacific and Wolf Trap. His European operatic performances
have taken him to Germany (Bayerische Staatsoper), Austria (Klangbogen
Festival), Spain (Valencia and Mallorca) and Italy (Torino, Treviso, and
Oderzo). Additionally, Mr. Bernstein has collaborated with many major
American symphony orchestras and has also appeared at prestigious festivals
in the United States and abroad. These include the New York Philharmonic,
the Chicago, San Francisco and National Symphonies, the Philadelphia
Orchestra, the New York Choral Society at Carnegie Hall, as well as at
the Lincoln Center, Ravinia, Spoleto, the Aspen Music Festival, the
Tanglewood Music festival, and festivals abroad in Israel, Japan,
Germany and Finland.
Born and raised in New York, Mr. Bernstein studied music at the
University of Southern California. Upon graduation he was invited to
join the Los Angeles Opera Resident Artist program, where he honed
his craft for five seasons.
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