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photographed by Joan TOMÁS © Fidelio Artist Fidelio Artist express your talent Kenneth TARVER, tenor
The American tenor Kenneth Tarver is considered to be one of the outstanding tenore di grazia of his generation, internationally recognized for the beauty of his tone, virtuosic technique, extensive and even vocal range combined with an attractive and elegant stage presence. He has forged his career in many of the most important theatres on the opera circuit including the Royal Opera House Covent Garden (Falstaff, Così fan tutte, La Cenerentola and Rossini’s Otello), Wiener Staatsoper (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Deutsche Oper Berlin (Don Pasquale, Der Rosenkavalier, Die Zauberflöte, Semiramide), Staatsoper Unter den Linden (Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Belshazzar, Antígona), Bayerische Staatsoper (Così fan tutte, La Cenerentola, Falstaff), Dresden Semperoper (L’Italiana in Algeri), Gran Teatre del Liceu Barcelona (Il viaggio a Reims), Opéra Comique París (Fra Diavolo), Teatro Capitole Toulouse (Belshazzar), eatro Lirico Trieste (Il Turco in Italia), Theatre de La Monnaie Brussels (Idomeneo), Metropolitan Opera (Il barbiere di Siviglia, La Cenerentola), Teatro San Carlos Naples (Così fan tutte) and the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence (Don Giovanni) conducted by Claudio Abbado.
Of a recent performance as Don Ramiro in Rossini’s La Cenerentola with Washington Concert Opera in May 2010, conducted by Antony Walker, The Washington Post wrote: “her prince charming was Prince Ramiro, sung by tenor Kenneth Tarver with warmth and quiet power and with a voice that was remarkably consistent throughout its wide range…Tarver maintained an imposing dignity and a presence in which even a raised eyebrow commanded attention” and The Baltimore Sun wrote: “Kenneth Tarver brought a light, uncommonly sweet tenor and often exquisite phrasing to the role of the Prince”; of his Lindoro in L’Italiana in Algeri at Teatro Municipal in Santiago de Chile, El Mercurio praised his “elegant figure and style on stage with free-flowing singing and reliable top notes”.
Kenneth Tarver is a specialist in the most demanding virtuosic operatic repertoire. Recent successes include the title role in Rossini’s Aureliano in Palmira conducted by Maurizio Benini ( recorded by the label Opera Rara, October 2010), the role of Orfeo in Haydn’s L’Anima del Filosofo at the Budapest Festival conducted by Adam Fisher, Gluck’s Orphèe et Euridice at Staatsoper Stuttgart, Mozart’s Idomeneo at La Monnaie with Jeremie Rhorer, Haydn’s Orlando Paladino at the As Don Ramiro in Cenerentola Concertgebouw Amsterdam with at the Royal Opera House, London ©Clive Barda
Fidelio Artist | Via Laietana 36, 6º 2ª. 08003 Barcelona (España) | Tel.: (+34) 93 268 35 90 | (+34) 664 259 613 | www.fidelioartist.com
Fidelio Artist express your talent the Hilversum Radio Orchestra conducted by Alessandro De Marchi and Haydn’s L’Infedeltà Delusa at the Musikverein Vienna conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt.
He had great success in Barcelona, where he recorded the opera Sesostri, rè d'Egitto for Harmonia Mundi. This opera is by the Catalan composer Domènec Terradellas (1713- 1751), and was resurrected and re-premiered on 11th December 2010 in concert format at the Barcelona Auditori.
As Fra Diavolo at the Opéra Comique Paris© Pierre Grosbois
Kenneth Tarver has been invited to perform on prestigious concert stages, amassing an impressive repertoire of both well know and seldom performed masterpieces with such conductors as Alberto Zedda: Rossini’s Moïse et Pharaon (Opera Royale de Wallonie, Liege), L’Inganno Felice, La Gazza Ladra (Rossini Festival Wildbad), La Scala di Seta (Deutsche Oper), Adelaide di Borgogna (La Coruña), Ricardo Chailly: Stravinsky Pulcinella (Concertgebouw Orchestra), Bach’s Matthäus-Passion (Milano Giuseppe Verdi Symphony), Johannes-Passion (Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchester), Carlo Rizzi: Rossini’s Armida (Edinburgh Festival), Bobby McFerrin: Handel’s Messiah (Munich Philharmonic), Frans Bruggen: Mozart’s Requiem (Orchestra della Toscana). Other highlights include Rodion Shchedrin’s My age, My Wild Beast (Rheingau Festspiele), a film of Judith Weir’s Armida for Channel 4 TV in the UK, Orff’s Carmina Burana at the Verbier Festival and Mozart’s Requiem at the Tanglewood Festival conducted by James Levine.
After his performances in Toulouse, he will travel to La Coruña (Spain) to appear in the A Coruña Mozart Festival where he will perform the opera Sesostri, rè d’Egitto by the Catalan composer Domènec Terradellas (1713-51) in concert format on the 27th May. This performance coincides with the release the CD of the same opera recorded with the Royal Chamber Opera Company on the label Harmonia Mundi.
Fidelio Artist | Via Laietana 36, 6º 2ª. 08003 Barcelona (España) | Tel.: (+34) 93 268 35 90 | (+34) 664 259 613 | www.fidelioartist.com
Fidelio Artist express your talent Others of his future engagements include his participation in Berlioz’s Te Deum with the Oslo Philharmonic and also in Mozart’s Coronation Mass which will be performed as part of the celebrations organised for Prince Alberto of Monaco’s wedding.
As a favoured artist Tarver has an impressive recording catalogue. Highlights include collaborations with Deutsche Grammophon: Pierre Boulez and the Cleveland Orchestra (Berlioz - Les nuits d’été and Roméo et Juliette), Kent Nagano and the London Symphony Orchestra (Bernstein - A White House Cantata), works for the label LSO Live: Sir Colin Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra (Berlioz - Béatrice et Bénédicte, Roméo et Juliette and the highly acclaimed Les Troyens which was awarded Grammy’s for Best Opera Recording and Best Classical Recording). As an accomplished recitalist, Tarver was also featured on the series of complete Ives songs on the Naxos label. He has also recorded successfully for Opera Rara: Rossini’s La donna del lago with Maurizio Benini, and for Harmonia Mundi: Don Giovanni and Idomeneo with the Freiburger Barockorchester conducted by René Jacobs.
As Lindoro in L’Italiana in Algeri at Teatro Municipal de Chile
Kenneth Tarver is a distinguished graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy, The Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and holds a Masters of Music Performance from Yale University School of Music, where he received the Dean’s Award for the Most Outstanding Student in the graduating class. He is a past winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and was a member of the Metropolitan Opera's Young Artist Development Program and the Staatsoper Stuttgart Ensemble.
Fidelio Artist | Via Laietana 36, 6º 2ª. 08003 Barcelona (España) | Tel.: (+34) 93 268 35 90 | (+34) 664 259 613 | www.fidelioartist.com
Fidelio Artist express your talent
Some reviews
Antigona, Traetta, Staatsoper Berlin
“Kenneth Tarver als Adrasto bestach mit dem vol len Glanz seines Tenors, auch wenn diese relativ kleine Rolle ihm kaum Gelegenheit bot, sein ganzes vokales Konnen zu zeigen”. R. Erkens, Das Opernglas, March 2011
“Luxuries besetzt ist die recht kleine Partie des Adrasto mit Kenneth Tarver”. Ingrid Wanja, Orpheus, March 2011
“Kenneth Tarver come Adraste, l'altro ruolo per tenore dell 'opera, lo contrastava con educato belcanto lirico” Bernd Hope, L’Opera, March 2011
“Kenneth Tarver, as the Theban citizen Adrasto, also give strong performances” George Loomis, The New York Times, February 2011
“Kenneth Tarver must represent nobility, and he does it with vertiginous elegance” Ulrich Amling, Tagesspiegel, February 2011
“Souveran führt Kenneth Tarver den Adrasto vor”. Volker Blech, Berlin Morgenpost February 2011
“Kenneth Tarver ist der tenore di grazia und leiht sein nobles Organ der Partie des Adrasto”. Harri Wangerin, Oranienburger Generalanzeiger, February 2011
as Adrasto in Antigona©Matthias Baus
Fidelio Artist | Via Laietana 36, 6º 2ª. 08003 Barcelona (España) | Tel.: (+34) 93 268 35 90 | (+34) 664 259 613 | www.fidelioartist.com
Fidelio Artist express your talent
Sesostri, re d’ Egitto, Terradellas, L’Auditori, Barcelona “el tenor Kenneth Tarver, de voz bien impostada y de impecables agudos”. Marcel Cervelló, Ópera Actual, January 2011
“las aportaciones de otros cantantes como Kenneth Tarver, con un rol, Amasi, que reclama una extensión de dos octavas y media de registro en una partitura endemoniada”. Mercedes Conde Pons, Revista Musical Catalana, January 2011
Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Mozart, Staatsoper Berlin “Le Belmonte de Kenneth Tarver, lui, offre ce que le rôle demande avant tout, du beau chant” Dominique Adrian, www.resmusica.com, November 2010
Aureliano in Palmira, Rossini. Royal Festival Hall, London “The Aurelian of Kenneth Tarver was similarly excellent, his tenor proving warm-timbred and buoyant, dexterous at handling the role’s coloratura passages. His Act I aria exhorting the Romans to value mercy as well as strength,“Cara patria! Il mondo trema”, was a highlight, his phrasing clear and beautiful” John E. de Wald, Opera-Britannia.com, October 2010
“Aureliano, however, gets the best music: Kenneth Tarver captured his mix of dignity, waspishness and deprecating self-awareness to perfection”. Tim Ashley, The Guardian, October 2010
“Kenneth Tarver was magnificent and easily dominating the orchestra on stage”. Peter Grahame Woolf, Musical Pointers, October 2010
As Ernesto Don Pascuale at Deustche Oper Berlin© Bernd Uhlig
Fidelio Artist | Via Laietana 36, 6º 2ª. 08003 Barcelona (España) | Tel.: (+34) 93 268 35 90 | (+34) 664 259 613 | www.fidelioartist.com
Fidelio Artist express your talent
La Cenerentola, Rossini. Lisner Auditorium (Washington Concert Opera) “Her prince charming was Prince Ramiro, sung by tenor Kenneth Tarver with warmth and quiet power and with a voice that was remarkably consistent throughout its wide range. Whether as the prince himself or impersonating his valet (as he does through much of the opera), Tarver maintained an imposing dignity and a presence in which even a raised eyebrow commanded attention”. Joan Reinthaler, Washington Post, May 2010
“Kenneth Tarver brought a light, uncommonly sweet tenor and often exquisite phrasing to the role of the Prince”. Tim Smith, The Baltimore Sun, May 2010
Idomeneo, Mozart. Théâtre Royal de La Monnaie (Bruxelles) “Quant à Kenneth Tarver (très Obama, pour le coup), il se révèle le plus mozartien de la bande, campant Arbace en directeur de com’, élégant et attentif”. Martine D. Mergeay, La Libre Belgique, April 2010
“Trop souvent sacrifié, le rôle plus modeste d’Arbace, opportunément réhabilité par la mise en scène, trouve en Kenneth Tarver une incarnation parfaite”. Harry Halbreich, AsOpera.com, March 2010
Fra Diavolo, Auber. Opéra Royal de Wallonie, Liège “Schlussendlich hinterliess aber der Titelrollensänger den besten Eindruck: Kenneth Tarver. Mit hellem, obertonreichem, fast französisch timbriertem Tenor, mit Koloraturgewandtheit, mühelosen Spitzentönen und einer attraktiven Bühnenerscheinung brachte er alle Voraussetzungen für diese schwer zu besetzende Partie mit -und empfahl sich zugleich fur weitere Opéra-comique-Aufgaben wie Boieldieus »Dame blanche« oder Adams gefürchteten »Postillon von Lonjumeau«”. A. Laska, Das Opernglas, April 2009
As Belshazzar in Belshazzar at Staatsoper Unter Den Linden
Fidelio Artist | Via Laietana 36, 6º 2ª. 08003 Barcelona (España) | Tel.: (+34) 93 268 35 90 | (+34) 664 259 613 | www.fidelioartist.com
Fidelio Artist express your talent
Kenneth Tarver in the international press
Orpheus magazine, January/February 2011
Ópera Actual magazine, October 2010
Interview in the Interview in Der Tagesspiegel, Spanish January 2011 newspaper El Periódico, December 2010
Interview in the French newspaper La Dépêche, May 2011
Fidelio Artist | Via Laietana 36, 6º 2ª. 08003 Barcelona (España) | Tel.: (+34) 93 268 35 90 | (+34) 664 259 613 | www.fidelioartist.com