Richard Zuch Bass
Richard Zuch has been captivating national and international audiences for over two decades. His rich bass voice has been noted for its power and beauty, and he consistently receives praise for his musicianship and dedicated performances.
In 2017/18, Mr. Zuch will perform Timur in Turandot with Knoxville Opera and Nourabad in Les Pêcheurs de Perles with Winter Opera of St. Louis. In recent seasons, he has appeared in multiple productions at the Utah Festival; as Daland in Der fliegende Holländer, The Old Doctor in Vanessa, Lazar Wolf in Fiddler on the Roof, Dr. Engel in The Student Prince, the bass soloist in Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, and as a featured soloist in an all Beethoven concert. He made his role debut of Sarastro in The Magic Flute with Opera Delware and sang Il Sagrestano in St. Petersburg Opera’s production of Tosca. He has sung both Raphael and Adam in Haydn’s Creation with the New Jersey State Opera Orchestra at Ocean Grove and with the Harrisburg Symphony, and with the Orchestra Society of Philadelphia he sang Verdi’s Requiem. He has performed with the Metro Chamber Orchestra singing the role of Boaz in Philip Hagemann’s opera Ruth, and with Fort Worth Symphony singing the bass solo in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Experienced and knowledgeable in Baroque style, he has sung the bass solo in Händel’s Messiah many times including with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Main Line Symphony.
Mr. Zuch’s frequent solo appearances include performances of Händel’s Messiah, Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Die erste Walpurgisnacht, Mozart’s Requiem, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Choral Fantasy, Mass in C and Missa Solemnis. He has been featured in Haydn’s Creation and Lord Nelson Mass, Bach’s St. John and St. Matthew Passions, Nielsen’s Symphony No. 3, and Bruckner’s Te Deum. He is an active recitalist in a wide range of nuanced and entertaining repertoire.
A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, from which he holds both an Artist’s Diploma and a Certificate for Advanced Vocal Studies, Mr. Zuch has been a featured soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia, the Delaware Symphony, the Tulsa Symphony, the Harrisburg Symphony, the Pennsylvania Symphonia, and the Hilton Head Orchestra. In addition, he was a soloist with the Curtis Orchestra at the Verbier Music Festival in Switzerland under the direction of Maestro Kurt Masur.
!
Richard Zuch Bass
Solo Concert & Oratorio Verdi Requiem Orchestra Society of Philadelphia Händel Messiah Fanwood Presbyterian Church Soloist Beethoven Concert Utah Opera Festival Beethoven Missa Solemnis Utah Opera Festival Haydn The Creation Harrisburg Symphony Beethoven Symphony No. 9 Fort Worth Symphony Haydn The Creation New Jersey State Opera Orchestra Haydn Lord Nelson Mass Brandywine Singers Mendelssohn Die erste Walpurgisnacht Rockland Community Choir Beethoven Choral Fantasy Rockland Community Choir Händel Messiah The Philadelphia Orchestra Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem The Delaware Symphony Händel Messiah Main Line Symphony Mendelssohn Elijah Main Line Symphony Mozart Requiem Main Line Symphony Beethoven Symphony No. 9 Main Line Symphony Beethoven Symphony No. 9 Pennsylvania Symphonia Mozart Requiem Pennsylvania Symphonia Haydn The Creation Pennsylvania Symphonia Händel Messiah Pennsylvania Symphonia Bach St. John Passion Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia Nielsen Symphony No. 3 Haddonfield Symphony Beethoven Symphony No. 9 Haddonfield Symphony Haydn The Creation Haddonfield Symphony Haydn The Creation Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Mozart Requiem Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Händel Messiah Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Beethoven Choral Fantasy Verbier Music Festival (Switzerland) Beethoven Mass in C Berkshire Choral Festival Bruckner Te Deum Berkshire Choral Festival Beethoven Missa Solemnis Philadelphia Singers Bach St. John Passion Philadelphia Singers Mozart Solemn Vespers Philadelphia Singers Mozart Requiem Philadelphia Singers Bach St. Matthew Passion Philadelphia Singers Bach St. John Passion Bremer Dom Chor/ Kammerorchester
! !
Richard Zuch Bass Opera Timur Turandot Knoxville Opera 2018 Nourabad Les Pêcheurs de Perles Winter Opera of St. Louis 2018 The Old Doctor Vanessa Utah Opera Festival 2014 Dr. Engel The Student Prince Utah Opera Festival 2014 Daland Der fliegende Holländer Utah Opera Festival 2013 Lazar Wolf Fiddler on the Roof Utah Opera Festival 2013 Sacristan Tosca St. Petersburg Opera (FL) 2013 Sarastro The Magic Flute Opera Delaware 2011 Boaz Ruth Metro Chamber Orchestra 2010 Baron Duphol La Traviata Opera Delaware 2010 Bogdanovitch The Merry Widow Opera Delaware 2010 Zuniga Carmen The Hilton Head Orchestra 2001
Voice Teachers & Coaches William Riley Edward Zambara Todd Duncan Ferris Ohl Martha Massena David Lofton Donald St. Pierre Otto-Werner Mueller Szymon Goldberg Rafael Druian Jaime Laredo
Current Positions Voice Instructor, Valley Forge Christian College, 2005 – present Soloist, The Church of the Good Samaritan, 1988 – present Soloist, Ocean Grove Auditorium, 2004 – present
Past Positions Administrator of Symphony Orchestra, Curtis Institute of Music, 1988 – 2006 Soloist, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 1999 – 2006 Orchestra Manager/ Librarian, Verbier Music Festival (Switzerland), 2000 – 2002 Orchestra Manager, The Curtis Institute of Music, 1985 – 1988 Personnel Manager, The Philadelphia Singers, 1997 – 1998
Education Vocal Studies with William Riley, 2007 – present Vocal Studies with Edward Zambara, 1995 – 2007 Curtis Institute of Music, Artist’s Diploma/ Certificate for Advanced Vocal Studies, 1985 Heidelberg College, Tiffin, OH, B.M. 1979
! !
Richard Zuch Bass
Opera Repertoire
Beethoven Tchaikovsky Rocco ……………….…………...…. Fidelio Prince Gremin ………..… Eugene Onegin
Berlioz Verdi Narbal ………………..……... Les Troyens Zaccaria ………………..……..…. Nabucco Silva ………………….………….... Ernani Mozart Banco …………………………..... Macbeth Osmin …. Die Entführung aus dem Serail Sparafucile …………..…………. Rigoletto Il Commendatore ….……. Don Giovanni Il Grande Inquisitore ….……. Don Carlo Sarastro ……….…….….. Die Zauberflöte Il Re …………………….………….… Aida
Mussorgsky Boris Godunov ….………. Boris Godunov Wagner Tscherewik …….……….. Der Jahrmarkt Daland ….…....… Der fliegende Holländer König Heinrich ……..………... Lohengrin Nicolai Pogner …... Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg Falstaff ...... Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor Gurnemanz ……..……………..… Parsifal Fafner ………..…………... Das Rheingold Puccini Hunding ……………..…...… Die Walküre Timur …………….……………. Turandot Fafner …………...... …………..... Siegfried Hagen ………..…….... Götterdämmerung Smetana Landgraf …….….…………... Tannhäuser Kezal ………...….…. Die verkaufte Braut König Marke ……..… Tristan und Isolde
R. Strauss Weber Baron Ochs ………..... Der Rosenkavalier Hermit ………..………..... Der Freischütz
Concert Repertoire
Bach ………... Magnificat, St. Matthew Passion Haydn ……..… Creation, Lord Nelson Mass Beethoven ……….….… Mass in C Major Mozart ………... Requiem, Coronation Mass Dubois ………. The Seven Last Words of Christ Rossini ………………..……. Stabat Mater Händel …………………..……….. Messiah Vaughan Williams …… Serenade to Music
This list represents recommended roles in the artist's operatic repertoire. For a list of performed repertoire, please refer to the artist's resume and biography.!
!
Richard Zuch Bass
Reviews
“The high priest, Nourabad, is sung by Richard Zuch; his thunderingly powerful basso commands both players and audience.” Steve Callahan, BROADWAYWORLD.COM
“Zuch has a rich voice and the audience longed to hear more from him.” Jay Wamsely, DESERET NEWS
“Zuch projected with delightful ebullience and warmth. When he brought the Dutchman home to meet Senta, the couple’s ensuing duet was operatic gold as they warily sized each other up.” Robert Coleman, SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
“The rich bass of Richard Zuch, as Lazar the butcher, is not to be missed.” Jay Wamsely, DESERET NEWS
“In the role of the Doctor was the bass Richard Zuch, who sang with finely crafted expressiveness. His voice is resonant and beautifully rounded and was a wonderful contrast to the three high voices. And he showed himself an exceptional actor as well, bringing much need comic relief in his well played drunk scene in the second act.” Edward Reichel, REICHEL RECOMMENDS
“Richard Zuch brought Wotan-like power and Donizettian charm to the character of the Doctor... Mr. Zuch easily won the audience over. His spinning in a drunken circle to plop on the settee while sustaining a high F-sharp was nothing short of amazing.” James Sohre, OPERA TODAY
Richard Zuch Bass
Reviews, cont’d
“Richard Zuch gave commanding performances that managed to stand out amid all vocal and instrumental sound behind him.” (Beethoven Missa Solemnis) James D. Watts Jr., TULSA WORLD
“Soloists soprano Barbara Shirvis, mezzo-soprano Suzanne DuPlantis, tenor Rockland Osgood, and bass Richard Zuch displayed strong and pleasing voices, both individually and as a quartet.” (Beethoven Symphony No. 9) Philip A. Metzger, THE MORNING CALL
“Richard Zuch was superlative... he especially impressed as he soared over the massed singers and instrumentalists.” Paul Schlauter, ALLENTOWN