Ratner Baritone Revised

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CARL J. RATNER • Baritone Representation: Leota Arts Management Leota Bauman 404 Sturdy Rd., Suite B3 • Valparaiso, IN 46383 • 630-235-8676

BIOGRAPHY

In 2013-2014, Carl Ratner staged La Bohème for Harbor Country Opera in New Buffalo Michigan, and sang the roles of Benoit and Alcindoro. He returned to the Twin Cities for Russian Seasons of Minnesota’s collaboration with Voices of Vienna, an evening of “Russian Inspiration in Viennese Operetta,” performing music of Lehár, Kálmán, and Johann Strauss II. In 2014 he is scheduled to sing recitals of Russian song in Washington DC and at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona, Florida, where he will also give a master class. In 2012-2013, Ratner was the featured soloist in a concert honoring the Russian Ambassador to the United States as part of a “Russia Day” celebration in Chicago. He returned to Naples, Florida, to perform the role of Pilate in Bach’s Saint John Passion, as well as the Bass solos in Cantatas 78 and 106 with The Bach Ensemble of Naples. He performed the cycle American Pierrot: A Langston Hughes Songbook, written for him by eminent composer Robert Patterson, at the Belvedere Chamber Music Festival in Memphis, Tennessee, having given the world premiere of the cycle at Western Michigan University the previous year. He directed Pagliacci for Opera at the Acorn in Three Oaks, Michigan and sang the bass solo in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with BeethovenFest in Kalamazoo and Messiah with the Kalamazoo Oratorio Society. In 2011-2012, Baritone Carl Ratner performed the role of the Marquis in La Traviata with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Marullo in Rigoletto for Opera at the Acorn, and the Captain in Eugene Onegin with Opera Naples and the Naples Philharmonic. He sang a program Shostakovich songs at the Russian Cultural Center in Washington DC, and gave recitals in St. Paul, Ft. Myers, and Kalamazoo. He gave master classes at Florida Gulf Coast University, Wheaton College, Chamber Opera Chicago, and at Perugia Summer Music in Italy. He was baritone soloist for the Mass in B-minor with The Bach Ensemble of Naples, Florida. Ratner was awarded a 2010-2011 Fulbright grant to perform in recital, give lectures and master classes, direct an American chamber opera, and research Russian art song at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in the Russian Federation. Upon his return, he toured the United States with a recital of Russian and American songs, including a performance at the Chicago Cultural Center as part of “The Soviet Arts Experience,” a multi-event collaboration organized by the University of Chicago. In 2011 he also returned to the Bach Ensemble of Naples Florida for a mixed program of sacred music as well as two performances of Messiah. Other recent engagements include the role of Ping in Puccini’s Turandot with the Kalamazoo Symphony and Sharpless in the same composer’s Madama Butterfly, which he also directed, with the Battle Creek Symphony. Other operatic roles include Papageno in The Magic Flute, John Proctor in The Crucible, Ford in The Merry Wives of Windsor, and the title roles in Verdi’s Falstaff and Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. His concert work includes Bach’s Magnificat and Mass in A major with The Bach Ensemble of Naples, Vaughan Williams’s Dona Nobis Pacem and Copland’s Old American Songs with the Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale, and performances of the Fauré Requiem, Orff’s Carmina Burana, and David Gillingham’s Lifesongs. His recital programs, remarkable for their breadth and creativity, have included works ranging from Rameau’s Thétis to Bolcom’s Cabaret Songs. He has performed in 13 languages. Ratner’s career also includes over two decades of experience as an opera director. He learned his craft assisting directors at major opera houses including Covent Garden (London), the Metropolitan Opera, Munich Opera, San Francisco Opera, English National Opera, New York City Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Santa Fe Opera, and the Spoleto Festival in Italy, where he worked with eminent

Leota Arts Management • www.LeotaArts.com • [email protected] CARL J. RATNER • Baritone Representation: Leota Arts Management Leota Bauman 404 Sturdy Rd., Suite B3 • Valparaiso, IN 46383 • 630-235-8676 composer Gian Carlo Menotti. From 1994 to 1999 served as Artistic Director of Chicago Opera Theater, Chicago’s second largest opera company. He previously held the same position with Chamber Opera Chicago from 1984 to 1993.

He currently serves as Director of Opera and Associate Professor of Voice for the School of Music at Western Michigan University, where he directs the annual opera production and teaches applied voice, opera workshop, vocal literature, and French and German diction. He received his Bachelor of Music degree in music history from the Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio and also participated in an internship in opera, dance, and drama production at The Juilliard School in New York City. He earned a Master of Arts in vocal pedagogy at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago and his Doctor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the School of Music at Northwestern University.

RESUME

Opera Roles Company and Conductor Captain Eugene Onegin Opera Naples (2012) Vladimir Lande Marullo Rigoletto Opera at the Acorn Theatre (2011) Philip Bauman Frank Die Fledermaus Gala Opera Naples (2008) Lucy Arner Papageno The Magic Flute Opera at the Acorn Theatre (2008) w/piano John Proctor The Crucible Chamber Opera Chicago (2007) Beaumont Glass Falstaff Falstaff Western Michigan University (2006) David Little Marchese La Traviata L’Opera Piccola of Chicago (2005) Richard Boldrey Papageno The Magic Flute DuPage Opera Theater (2001) Harold Bauer Schicchi (cov) Gianni Schicchi Chicago Opera Theater (2000) Lawrence Rapchak Ford The Merry Wives of Windsor DuPage Opera Theater (2000) Harold Bauer

Symphony Orchestras Soloist Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 BeethovenFest, Kalamazoo, (ant. 2012) Barry Ross Marchese La Traviata Kalamazoo Symphony (2011) Raymond Harvey Ping Turandot Kalamazoo Symphony (2009) Raymond Harvey Sharpless Madama Butterfly Battle Creek Symphony (2008) Anne Harrigan Benoit La Bohème Kalamazoo Symphony (2002) Raymond Harvey

Oratorio Bach: St. John Passion, The Bach Ensemble of Naples FL (ant. 2013) Ronald Doiron Bach: Mass in B-minor, The Bach Ensemble of Naples FL (ant. 2012) Ronald Doiron DuBois: Seven Last Words of Christ, Naples Orch. and Chorus (2011) Robert Herrema Handel, Messiah, The Bach Ensemble of Naples FL (2011, 2008, 2006) Ronald Doiron Bach: Magnificat, The Bach Ensemble of Naples, FL (2005) Ronald Doiron Fauré, Requiem, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Marco Island FL (2005) Ronald Doiron Bach, Mass in A major The Bach Ensemble of Naples, FL (2004) Ronald Doiron Copland, Old American Songs Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale (2003) Bruce Hall Vaughan Williams, Dona Nobis Pacem, Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale (2003) Bruce Hall

Solo and Collaborative Recitals Performed (selected) "Songs of Shostakovich," Russian Cultural Centre, Washington DC (2012) "Concerto dei Maestri," Perugia Summer Music, Italy (2012) "Russian Seasons" St. Paul, MN (2011 and 2012) "Songs, Psalms and Spirituals" Germany and the Czech Republic (2011) “The Soviet-American Connection” Chicago Cultural Center (2011) Songs by Russian and American Composers, St. Petersburg Conservatory (2010) “Songs and Sonatas of William Bolcom,” Jewel Box Series, Chicago, (2009) “Voice and Virtuosity,” Mostly Music of Chicago (2006) “Hebrew Heroes,” Michigan Festival of Sacred Music (2005) Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky Romances, Russian Festival, Kalamazoo (2005) “American Songbook,” Emmanuel Church, West Hampstead, London (2005) Tchaikovsky Songs and Arias, Russian Festival, Kalamazoo, MI, (2004) “Song and Sonority,” Mostly Music of Chicago (2004) Rubloff Cantors Concert, Temple Sholom, Chicago (2004) “Hebrew Heroes,” Temple Moses Montefiore, Normal, IL (2004)

Lawson Concert, Temple Am Sholom, Chicago, IL (2003) Rubloff Cantors Concert, Temple Sholom, Chicago IL (2003) Michigan Festival of Sacred Music (November 2001)

REVIEWS

“His performance as Puccini’s [Gianni Schicchi] was a delight—charming, indeed lovable, and nicely sung, too” From a tribute by Richard Covello Reviewer for Opera Canada

“The Acorn's Papageno was performed by the multitalented Carl Ratner, a singer, director, teacher, and actor--plus a magical flute player.” Ed Vincent, Oak Park Journal http://oakparkjournal.com/2008/2008-Magic-Flute-Acorn-theatre-review.html

“Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra's 'Turandot' was thrilling. Soloists ranged from good to superb. Carl Ratner (Ping), David Wahrmund (Pang) and Peter Tantsits (Pong) sang and acted exceptionally well. C.J. Gianakaris Kalamazoo Gazette

Leota Arts Management • www.LeotaArts.com • [email protected]