Regarded as one of the most elegant and accomplished bel canto singers on the operatic stage today, Gregory Kunde has appeared regularly at the world’s most notable venues, including the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, Houston Grand Opera, Opéra Bastille, Théatre du Châtelet, Théatre des Champs Elysées, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the Sydney Opera House. He has collaborated with many outstanding conductors and stage directors, including Bonynge, R. Abbado, Muti, Plasson, Prêtre, Rattle, Dutoit, Nelson, Gardiner and Davis, Ronconi, Pizzi, Vick and Loy.
Recent highlights have included appearances as Rinaldo Armida, Pollione Norma, Rodrigo La donna del lago, Arnold Guillaume Tell, Damnation de Faust with Maestro Dutoit in Amsterdam, Arrigo Vespri Siciliani both in Italian and French, and the title roles of La clemenza di Tito, Idomeneo and Poliuto. Engagements in the 2011-12 season included Admeto Alceste (Royal Danish Opera), Raoul Les Huguenots (Opéra national du Rhin), the title role of Rossini Otello (La Monnaie), Verdi Messa da Requiem under Roberto Abbado (Teatro Massimo, Palermo), Riccardo Un ballo in maschera (Teatro Regio di Torino) and Rodrigo La donna del lago (Theater an der Wien).
Engagements in the 2012-13 season include the title role of Verdi Otello (La Fenice); Gualtiero Il Pirata (Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona); Arrigo I Vespri Siciliani (Greek National Opera); and Arturo La Straniera (Zurich Opera).
Kunde’s rich discography includes Berlioz Les Troyens at the Théâtre du Châtelet (Opus Arte DVD, Gramophone magazine’s ‘DVD of the Year’), Berlioz Benvenuto Cellini (Virgin Classics CD, Gramophone’s ‘Opera Recording of the Year’), and Benvenuto Cellini with Sir Colin Davis (LSO Live CD).
Gregory Kunde is represented by Intermusica worldwide.
September 2012 / 262 words. Not to be altered without permission. Please destroy all previous biographical material.
Opera Repertoire
| BELLINI
|
Pollione Norma*#
Gualtiero Il Pirata*
Arturo La Straniera*
|
BERLIOZ
|
Cellini Benvenuto Cellini#
Faust La Damnation de Faust*#
Énée Les Troyens#
|
BIZET
|
Don José Carmen**
|
| BRITTEN |
Captain Vere Billy Budd**
Aschenbach Death in Venice**
Grimes Peter Grimes*
Peter Quint The Turn of the Screw# |
| CHARPENTIER |
Julien Louise# |
| DONIZETTI |
Percy Anna Bolena#
Tamas Gemma di Vergy#
Nemorino L'Elisir d'Amore#
Edgardo Luccia di Lammermoor#
Gennaro Lurcrezia Borgia#
Leicester Maria Stuarda#
Poliuto Poliuto#
Roberto Roberto Devereux** |
GLUCK
|
Alceste Admète*#
Armide Renaux#
|
GOUNOD
|
Faust Faust#
|
HALÉVY
|
La Juíve Eléazar* |
| HAYDN |
Armida Rinaldo# |
MASSENET
|
Des Grieux Manon#
Werther Werther**
|
| MEYERBEER |
Les Huguenots Raoul#
Robert Robert le diable* |
MOZART
|
Tito La Clemenza di Tito#
Don Ottavio Don Giovanni#
Idomeneo Idomeneo#
Mitridate Mitridate#
|
| OFFENBACH
|
Hoffmann Les Contes d'Hoffmann# |
PUCCINI
|
Rodolfo La Bohème**#
Pinkerton Madama Butterfly**#
Cavaradossi Tosca**
Des Grieux Manon Lescaut**
|
| ROSSINI |
Contareno Bianca e Falliero**
Rodrigo La Donna del Lago#
Leicester Elizabetta, Regina d'Inghilterra#
Pirro Ermione#
Arnold Guillaume Tell*#
Otello Otello*#
Argirio Tancredi#
Antenore Zelmira# |
| SAINT-SAËNS
|
Samson Samson et Dalila**
|
VERDI
|
Radames Aida**
Riccardo/Gustav V Un Ballo in Maschera#
Don Carlos Don Carlos (Fr, It)**
Don Alvaro La Forza del Destino**
Macduff Macbeth**
Rodolfo Luisa Miller*
Tenor Soloist Requiem#
Manrico Il Trovatore**
Arrigo I Vespiri Siciliani*#
Henrí Les Vêpres Siciliennes*#
Otello Otello#
|
#Roles sung
* Roles with future contracts
** Roles in preparation
Mario del Monaco Tribute Gala / Teatro Carani
“Among the artists, there was also the tenor Gregory Kunde who is considered by many to be one of the most elegant and complete bel canto singers on the opera scene today…”
Gazetta di Moderna, March 2013
Gualtiero in Bellini Il Pirata / Liceu Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
cond. Antonino Fogliani / Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona
“The presence of Gregory Kunde at Liceu raised considerable expectations. Happily, his Gualtiero was excellent. His voice has gained in weight in recent years, his technique is outstanding, his diction impeccable, and his high register infallible. I had the impression that he wasn’t always at his full vocal power, but nothing that could mar this excellent performance.”
José Mª Irurzun, Seen and Heard International, January 2013
Antenore in Rossini Zelmira / Rossini Opera Festival
cond. Roberto Abbado / dir. Giorgio Barberrio Corsetti (Decca)
“Gregory Kunde was a perfect counterpoint to Flórez, with a completely different timbre that was sombre and dense, diving beautifully into the lower register. He was dramatically very skilful, making the treacherous Antenore more than just a baddie in a melodrama”.
“Après le contraltino, le baritenore : Gregory Kunde apporte à Flórez un parfait contrepoint, avec un timbre entièrement différent, sombre et dense (ah, ces soudaines plongées dans le grave !), et avec un tout autre métier sur le plan théâtral, sans quoi le traître Antenore se réduirait à un méchant de mélodrame”.
Laurent Bury, ForumOpera, November 2012
Title Role in Verdi Otello / La Fenice
cond. Myung-Whun Chung / dir. Francesco Michelis
“Gregory Kunde gave a compelling portrayal of Otello both vocally and dramatically”.
Opera Now, February 2013
“Kunde’s performance was formidable”.
Susan Nickalls,
Financial Times, November 2012
“Gregory Kunde as Otello [has] the ringing tones necessary for the sudden thrilling outbursts that characterise the opera”.
Paul Gent, The Telegraph, November 2012
“Gregory Kunde’s Otello was simply amazing; he delivers every nuance of character with the strength that Verdi singing requires, and combines it with the technical skill and elegance of phrasing that one derives from Rossini and bel canto repertoire. Every accent, every color requested by Verdi is returned by Kunde with sensitivity and intelligence”.
“Semplicemente straordinario l’Otello di Gregory Kunde, capace di rendere ogni sfumatura del personaggio con la forza che il canto verdiano richiede, unendola alla perizia tecnica ed all’eleganza del fraseggio che gli deriva dal repertorio rossiniano e belcantistico. Ogni accento, ogni colore richiesto da Verdi è restituito da Kunde con sensibilità ed intelligenza”.
Alessandro Cammarano, OperaClick.com, November 2012
Pollione in Bellini Norma
Festival Bellini / cond. Giuliano Carella / dir. Enrico Gastiglione
“Pollione was sung by Gregory Kunde, whose timbre and style are remarkable ...”
Paperblog, July 2012
Otello in Rossini Otello
La Monnaie / cond. Evelino Pidò
“The virtuoso soloists drew bravissimos from the audience with a festive demonstration of bel canto vocal prowess. Gregory Kunde was credible and moving in the lead role, his powerful, somber tenor conveying the character’s wrenching anguish.”
Jim Ruane, Bloomberg News, May 2012
“Kunde was an Otello par excellence... His vocal projection, his style, his identification with the role were outstanding... it will be a challenge for anyone trying to reach, or even surpass this high level.”
Jorge Binaghi, Mundoclasico.com, May 2012
Mahler Das Lied von der Erde (Naxos)
“[The strings’] lean but incisive quality makes for some real chamber-musical moments … many of which tenor Gregory Kunde sensitively shares. Indeed, the two drinking songs and the porcelain-pavilion intermezzo are as energised as any on disc. Kunde can manage the impossibly high tessitura and never forces his voice”
David Nice, BBC Music Magazine, February 2012