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About
Winner of the Birgit Nilsson prize at the 2016 Operalia competition, tenor Brenton Ryan is hailed by Opera News for his “remarkable tonal suavity and refined phrasing,” and is widely recognized as a singer of great vocal diversity and dramatic depth. Mr. Ryan returns to the Metropolitan Opera in the 2018 – 2019 season to sing both Spoletta in Sir David McVicar’s production of Tosca and Monostatos in the Julie Taymor production of The Magic Flute. Mr. Ryan also makes his European debut singing Pedrillo in a new production of Die Entführung aus dem Serail with Opéra de Monte-Carlo, returns to Opera Theatre of Saint Louis singing Nero in Tim Albery’s production of The Coronation of Poppea, and returns to Opera Philadelphia for his role debut as Lysander in the U.S. premiere of Robert Carsen’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Orchestral engagements include Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy with the LA Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, conducted by Bramwell Tovey.
The 2017-18 season saw Mr. Ryan’s return to the Metropolitan Opera as Spoletta in a new production of Tosca, conducted by Emmanuel Villaume, which was broadcast to theatres around the world as part of the Met’s Live in HD program. Mr. Ryan also made his house debut with Opera Philadelphia as Monostatos in the Barrie Kosky production of Die Zauberflöte, and his house debut with Santa Fe Opera singing the role of Dancing Master in Ariadne auf Naxos. Additional engagements included his house debut with Dallas Opera singing both Gastone in La traviata and Florian in Der Ring des Polykrates, as well as a return to LA Opera singing John Wormley in concert performances of Matthew Aucoin’s Crossing. Concert work included his debut with Virginia Symphony Orchestra for Orff’s Carmina Burana.
Highlights of previous seasons include Mr. Ryan’s house and role debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Pedrillo in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, conducted by James Levine in his final appearance as Music Director, his Lyric Opera of Chicago debut as Der Narr in Wozzeck conducted by Sir Andrew Davis, and his house debut with San Francisco Opera as Janek in Oliver Tambosi’s production of The Makropulos Case. At LA Opera, Mr. Ryan has sung Pedrillo in the James Robinson production of Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Gastone in La traviata alongside Placido Domingo, conducted by James Conlon, Monostatos in Die Zauberflöte, Spirit/Sailor Dido and Aeneas, Léon in The Ghosts of Versailles, which received a 2017 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording, Kyros in Hercules vs. Vampires, and Beppe in Pagliacci conducted by Domingo. He has also sung Henrik in A Little Night Music in his house debut with Houston Grand Opera.
Additional operatic engagements include his house debut with San Diego Opera as Gastone in La traviata, his house debut with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis singing the roles of Titorelli, Flogger, and Student in the US premiere of The Trial by Philip Glass, The Male Chorus in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, Belfiore in Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims, and Bardolfo in Verdi’s Falstaff as a Filene Young Artist at Wolf Trap Opera Company, Tony in West Side Story, and Léon in The Ghosts of Versailles at the Aspen Music Festival and School, Mosca in John Musto’s Volpone, Nanki-Poo in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado, Captain Macheath in The Beggar’s Opera, and the Prince in Susa’s Transformations.
Mr. Ryan’s concert appearances include semi-staged performances of Wozzeck, which received a 2018 Grammy for Best Opera Recording, and Ravel’s L’heure Espagnole, both with the Houston Symphony under Hans Graf, his Los Angeles Philharmonic debut in Beethoven's Choral Fantasy, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with both the Lexington Philharmonic and Rice University, Mozart’s Requiem with the Omaha Symphony, and Elijah at DePaul University. Recital work includes his debut at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and concerts with the New York Festival of Song at both Caramoor and Merkin Hall in New York City. Mr. Ryan is a 2012 alum of the Music Academy of the West.
A graduate of Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, Mr. Ryan also holds a Bachelor of Music degree from DePaul University. He is featured in the film In Our Nature, starring John Slattery, Zach Gilford, Gabrielle Union, and Jena Malone, singing a selection from Pagliacci.