Biography
Hailed as “one of America's finest young baritones" by The New Yorker magazine, Thomas Meglioranza posesses a remarkably versatile voice that is equally at home in repertoire ranging from Monteverdi to Babbitt to Schubert to Gershwin. He was a winner of the 2005 Walter W. Naumburg Competition, the 2003 Franz Schubert/Modern Music Competition in Graz, the 2002 Concert Artists Guild Competition, and the 2002 Joy in Singing Award.
The 2008-09 season includes his Boston Symphony Orchestra debut at Tanglewood, singing John Harbison's new Fifth Symphony under the baton of Leonard Slatkin, Handel's Messiah with the Minnesota Orchestra, Schoenberg's Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte with pianist Peter Serkin and the Brentano Quartet, songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein with the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center's New Year's Eve Gala concert, Roberto Sierra's Missa Latina with Slatkin and the Houston Symphony, and his recital debut at Wigmore Hall. He has also been appointed Visiting Artist in Voice at the Longy School of Music in Boston.
An “immaculate and inventive recitalist” (The New Yorker), Mr. Meglioranza’s recent recitals include an all-contemporary American song program at Symphony Space, Schoenberg and his American Pupils at the Neue Galerie, Austrian Exiles at the Austrian Cultural Forum, and a program of British Music Hall songs at the Bard Music Festival. His new recording of Schubert songs is now available on his website, meglioranza.com.
Mr. Meglioranza’s portrayal of Prior Walter in the North American premiere of Peter Eötvös' Angels in America with Opera Boston was described as “immensely touching” (Boston Globe). Other opera performances include the title role in Don Giovanni with Julius Rudel and the Aspen Opera Theatre, and Chou En-lai in Nixon in China with Opera Boston.
Known for his illuminating performances of modern music, he has sung Babbitt with the Metropolitan Opera Chamber Ensemble, Schulhoff at the Ravinia Festival with James Conlon, John Adams’ Wound Dresser at Tanglewood, and regularly premieres new works written for his voice.
Mr. Meglioranza performs frequently with orchestras and Baroque ensembles around the country, including the Houston, Oregon, Grant Park and National Symphonies, Orpheus, Philharmonia Baroque, Portland Baroque, Apollo’s Fire, American Bach Soloists, Music of the Baroque and the New York Collegium.
A graduate of Grinnell College and the Eastman School of Music, Mr. Meglioranza is also an alumnus of Tanglewood, Aspen, Marlboro, Bowdoin, the Pacific Music Festival and the Steans Insititute at Ravinia. He is of Thai, Polish and Italian heritage and currently resides in New York City. His interests include cooking and running.
last update, May 2009
