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Praised by Opera News for "singing up a stylish storm" and for getting "the gold star for trills", the American tenor Jason Ferrante sings both comedians and protagonists on the operatic stage, and in concert, a repertoire of a wide range of composers from Bach and Handel to John Musto and Lowell Liebermann.
Ferrante will begin the 2010-2011 season as Jacquino in Fidelio for his debut with Opera Boston in Thaddeus Strassberger's new production of FIDELIO. He will also appear in his most frequently performed role, Goro in MADAMA BUTTERFLY, for debuts at Opera Omaha and Kentucky Opera. In December he will return to the Jacksonville Symphony for performances of Handel's MESSIAH.
In the 2009-2010 season, Ferrante debuted at the New York City Opera as King Ouf in L'ETOILE, the Wexford Festival as the Tenor Opera Box Ghost in THE GHOSTS OF VERSAILLES, the Eugene Opera as Basilio in LE NOZZE DI FIGARO, and returned to Italy as the Beadle in SWEENEY TODD at Teatro Comunale di Bologna and Teatro Municipale di Piacenza. In May 2010, he traveled to Guangzhou, China to sing Pong in TURANDOT under the baton of Lorin Maazel to open the brand new Guangzhou Opera House.
In the 2008-2009 season, Ferrante was heard as Goro in MADAMA BUTTERFLY in a debut with Madison Opera, as Pang in TURANDOT with the Jacksonville Symphony, in multiple roles in CANDIDE at Toledo Opera, Tavannes in LES HUGUENOTS at the Bard Summerscape and in his European debut at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna as well as the Teatro Comunale di Modena,and the Teatro Rossini di Lugo as the Beadle in SWEENEY TODD
In the 2007-2008 season, Ferrante returned to Arizona Opera as Arturo in LUCIA DI LAMERMOOR, Dr. Blind in DIE FLEDERMAUS, and Monostatos in THE MAGIC FLUTE. His schedule also included performances as Pong in TURANDOT with Orlando Opera, Borsa in RIGOLETTO with New Jersey Opera Theater, Eumete in THE RETURN OF ULYSSES with the Greenwich Music Festival, a solo recital with pianist Kathleen Kelly at the Clark Museum in Williamstown, MA and Don Basilio/Don Curzio in LE NOZZE DI FIGARO at Berkshire Opera.
Highlights of the 2006-2007 season included a return to Arizona Opera as Basilio in LE NOZZE DI FIGARO directed by Sir Thomas Allen, a debut at the Kennedy Center as the Second Nazarene in SALOME with the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leonard Slatkin and starring Deborah Voigt, a debut with Orlando Opera as Goro in MADAMA BUTTERFLY,a return invitation to sing at the 2006 Wolf Trap Ball at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap, and his first performances as the tenor soloist in CARMINA BURANA with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra.
Ferrante’s other operatic credits include Goro in MADAMA BUTTERFLY with Berkshire Opera, Harrisburg Opera, Opera Birmingham, Jacksonville Symphony and Annapolis Opera, St.Brioche in THE MERRY WIDOW with Indianapolis Opera, Tybalt in ROMEO ET JULIETTE and the Beadle in SWEENEY TODD at Wolf Trap Opera where he was a two-time recipient of a Shouse Grant, The Magician in THE CONSUL at Arizona Opera, Paolino in THE SECRET MARRIAGE with Berkshire Opera, Cornaccio in the world premiere of John Musto's VOLPONE at Wolf Trap, Peter Quint in THE TURN OF THE SCREW with Sideshow Opera, Rooster in the musical ANNIE with Ash Lawn Opera, Spalanzani in THE TALES OF HOFFMANN with the Sarasota Opera, Torquemada in L'HEURE ESPAGNOLE and Bardolfo in FALSTAFF at Tanglewood under the baton of Seiji Ozawa, Brighella in ARIADNE AUF NAXOS and Monostatos in THE MAGIC FLUTE with the Aspen Opera Theatre Center.
While a student at Juilliard from 1993-2000, Ferrante appeared in many roles including Ximenes in the U.S. stage premiere of Weill’s DER KUHHANDEL, and roles in LE NOZZE DI FIGARO, THE ITALIAN STRAW HAT, WERTHER, THE LOVE FOR THREE ORANGES, STREET SCENE, L'ETOILE, and THE FAIRY QUEEN.
Ferrante has been heard in concert and recital on five continents and holds both the Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Juilliard School, where he studied with Beverley Peck Johnson and was the recipient of the Alice Tully Voice Scholarship. He is the recipient of awards and fellowships from Wolf Trap, Annapolis Opera, The Rosa Ponselle Foundation, Aspen Music Festival and Tanglewood. He has been heard and seen on NPR, PBS, WNYC, and WQXR, served on the voice faculty of Towson University, and has been a panelist on the Metropolitan Opera Quiz. In addition to maintaining a busy performing career, the Baltimore native makes his home in Miami, FL where he serves on the voice/opera faculty of the New World School of the Arts.
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