(Credit: Karli Cadel)

Over the past two season Steven LaBrie’s star has risen. He had breakouts with the New Amsterdam Opera and Teatro Nuovo and made major role debuts as well as house debuts with some of the United States’ major regional theaters including the San Diego Opera, Tulsa Opera, and Florida Grand Opera.

This week LaBrie makes his long awaited European debut, taking his career to another level and broadening his audience.

LaBrie will make his house debut at the Tiroler Festspiele Erl in the role debut of Heger / Jäger in Dvořák’s “Rusalka.” The role will mark a departure for the American baritone who has become well-known for his performances in the Bel Canto and modern repertoire. This will be his first Czech role and based on critical phrase for LaBrie’s tone and beautiful phrasing, it should be a perfect fit for his voice.

A winner of multiple competitions, including the George London Foundation and The Gerda Lissner Foundation, LaBrie will continue to expand his horizons this season as he will make his debut at the Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage of Carnegie Hall singing Orff’s” Carmina Burana” and Walton’s “Belshazzar’s Feast.”

He will also return to Jazz at Lincoln Center to sing Escamillo in Bizet’s “Carmen” with MasterVoices and will be featured in Mendelssohn’s “Elijah” with the St. George’s Choral Society of NYC.

Further Reading 

OperaWire interviewed LaBrie following his acclaimed performance of “La Favorite” with the New Amsterdam Opera. You can read the interview here.

Recordings 

For those not familiar with LaBrie’s voice the baritone can be heard on the CD “Remember” by Roven Records where he performs a number of modern works from living composers.

Here is he performing Largo al Factotum from “Il Barbiere di Siviglia.”

And here he is singing an aria from “Lucia di Lammermoor.”