Brian Thorsett, tenor

Appearing: March 4-7, Serenades and Dances. Purchase tickets here.

Since taking to the operatic stage in 2001, tenor Brian Thorsett has been seen and heard in over 70 diverse operatic roles, ranging from Monteverdi to Britten, back to Rameau and ahead again to works composed especially for his talents. During 2010, he returns to the roles Ernesto in Don Pasquale and Jupiter and Apollo in Semele, while taking on two new roles composed for him.

As a concert singer Brian fosters a stylistically diversified repertoire of over 90 works, which has taken him to concert halls across the US and Europe. Future engagements include Evangelist in both Bach’s St. John and St. Matthew Passions, Mass in B Minor, and Missa Brevis in G and G minor, the Petite Messe Solennelle of Rossini, the Lord Nelson Mass and Creation of Haydn, Handel’s Messiah and Saul, Monteverdi’s Tirsi e Clori, Beethoven’s Christus am Ölberge, Choral Fantasy and Mass in C, Mendelssohn’s Christus and Elijah, a concert of Bach arias and duets with the California Bach Society, Schubert’s Mass in E-Flat, Respighi’s Laud to the Nativity, Finzi’s Dies Natalis and Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb and Serenade for Tenor, Horn & Strings with Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and the New Century Chamber Orchestra.

An avid recitalist, Brian will be featured in recitals in San Francisco, San Jose and Half Moon Bay, CA presenting the music of Monteverdi, Grieg, Enescu, Coates, Ginastera, Turina, Britten, and premieres of Nicolas Carlozzi. He is a graduate of San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program, Glimmerglass Opera’s Young American Artist program and spent two summers at the Music Academy of the West.

A great enthusiast of Benjamin Britten’s music, Brian has extensively performed the composer’s work. He has dedicated multiple recitals entirely to Britten’s songs, including the complete works for tenor and horn. A favorite recital project involved reading excerpts from the private letters of Britten and life-long partner, Peter Pears interwoven with specifically mentioned songs. Concert works range from the large-scale War Requiem and Ballad of Heroes, to the more intimate Canticles and Serenade, which he has performed several times.

During the summer of 2009, he studied and performed the St. Matthew Passion with Masaaki Suzuki (Bach Collegium Japan) at the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme at the Aldeburgh Festival in England. While there, Brian was able to conduct research in Britten’s private library and perform on the Snape Maltings stage where many of his works were premiered.

Mr. Thorsett joins New Century in March for Serenades and Dances. Purchase tickets to see him perform here.