Kevin Langan

Vocalists — Bass

• Manager: Elizabeth Crittenden, Damon Bristo
  Management Territory: Worldwide

"And easily the best among the secondary roles was the Friar Laurence of veteran bass Kevin Langan. In fact, of all the singers, it was only Langan who offered the complete package: vibrant, ringing tone, polished phrasing, incisive diction, and convincing, unfussy acting. Hopefully, the younger singers (including the two leads) were paying attention to the mastery Langan brought to the 'craft' of being a successful opera singer." —David Laviska, MusicalCriticism.com

"Deep, toffee-smooth voice and convincing interpretive abilities" —Tim Page, New York Times

"The Bartolo of American Bass Kevin Langan was absolutely revelatory:....he delivered 'La vendetta' with a vocal sheen that I have never heard before." —Opera Magazine

About

American bass Kevin Langan is one of the most sought-after artists in opera and concert. His “deep, toffee-smooth voice and convincing interpretive abilities” (Tim Page, N.Y. Times) have made him a favorite with all the leading North American opera companies. His career currently spans 28 years and over 1200 performances covering a vast repertoire of over 80 roles from early Baroque through 20th century works, with the majority of his work in Handel, Mozart and Verdi operas. Mr. Langan has been a leading bass for twenty . . . seasons with the San Francisco Opera where has appeared in almost 300 performances there of 40 different productions beginning with 'Samson et Dalila' through critically acclaimed performances of Timur ('Turandot'), Colline ('La bohème'), Ramfis ('Aida'), Padre Guardiano ('La forza del destino'), Henry VIII ('Anna Bolena'), Sparafucile ('Rigoletto'), Sobakin ('The Tsar’s Bride'), and Sarastro ('Die Zauberflöte'). Mr. Langan’s “notable Sarastro” (Andrew Porter, New Yorker) has been previously heard in Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, San Diego, Toronto, Calgary, Winnipeg, Omaha, West Palm Beach, Washington, and Santa Fe.

Last season Mr. Langan appeared as The Badger/Parson in 'The Cunning Little Vixen' for the Saito Kinen Festival in Japan under Seiji Ozawa, Sarastro in 'Die Zauberflöte' for Opera Hamilton in Canada, Timur in 'Turandot' for Opera Company of Philadelphia, and Daland in 'Der fliegende Holländer' for Atlanta Opera.

Engagements this season include The Badger/Parson in 'The Cunning Little Vixen' for Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino under Seiji Ozawa, Trulove in 'The Rake's Progress' for The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Friar Lawrence in 'Romép et Juliette' for San Diego Opera, and Ashby in 'La fanciulla del West' for San Francisco Opera under new music director Nicola Luisotti. He will be seen in future seasons at Florida Grand Opera, San Diego Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, Opera Colorado, Minnesota Opera, and Dallas Opera.

Recent engagements for Mr. Langan have included Friar Lawrence in 'Roméo et Juliette' with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Beethoven's 9th Symphony with his home state orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony, Daland in 'Der fliegende Holländer' with Portland Opera, Bartolo in 'Le nozze di Figaro' with San Diego Opera, and Act II of 'La bohème' for Florida Grand Opera's Gala Concert Opening of it's new Ziff Opera House in Miami. Other recent engagements for Mr. Langan: Colline in 'La bohème' and Basilio in 'Il barbiere di Siviglia' at the Metropolitan Opera, Méphistophélès in 'Faust' with Houston Grand Opera and Canadian Opera Company, Leporello in 'Don Giovanni' with Los Angeles Music Center Opera, Seattle Opera, New York City Opera, Vancouver Opera, Miami Opera, and Santa Fe Opera, Pimen in 'Boris Godunov' with Seattle Opera, Canadian Opera, and Florida Grand Opera, Osmin in 'Die Entführung aus dem Serail' with Opera Lyon (France), Santa Fe, Boston Baroque, and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Seneca in 'L’incoronazione di Poppea' with Dallas Opera, Canadian Opera, Miami, Santa Fe, Central City, and Music of the Baroque-Chicago, Phillip II in 'Don Carlos' with Canadian Opera, Figaro in 'Le nozze di Figaro', and Alvise in 'La Gioconda' with Florida Grand Opera, Timur in 'Turandot' with The Royal Flanders Opera in Belgium, San Francisco Opera, Dallas Opera, San Diego Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Florida Grand Opera, and New York City Opera, Rocco in 'Fidelio' with Seattle Opera and Pittsburgh Opera, Daland in 'Der fliegende Holländer' with New York City Opera, San Diego Opera, and Portland Opera, Wurm in 'Luisa Miller' with Washington Opera, Balthazar in 'La favorite' with San Francisco Opera, Friar Lawrence in 'Roméo et Juliette' with Chicago Lyric, and Dallas, Sparafucile in 'Rigoletto' with Chicago Lyric, San Francisco, New York City Opera, Seattle, and Festival Lyrique-en-Mer in Belle-Ille, France, Raimondo in 'Lucia di Lammermoor' with Seattle, San Diego, Tulsa, Miami, Greensboro, and Opera Colorado, Alidoro in 'La cenerentola' in San Diego, The Pirate King in 'The Pirates of Penzanze' with Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Bartolo in 'Le nozze di Figaro' with Netherlands Opera under Nicklaus Harnoncourt. Mr. Langan also appeared in the highly successful world premiere of Tobias Picker's 'Emmeline' as Henry Mosher at Santa Fe and New York City Opera.

Mr. Langan’s orchestral appearances include the Cincinnati May Festival as Rocco in 'Fidelio' under Music Director James Conlon, the Caramoor Festival as Rocco in 'Leonore' under John Nelson, the Pittsburgh Symphony in Mahler’s 'Das klagende Lied', and the Chicago Symphony in Janacek’s 'Glagolitic Mass' both under Michael Tilson Thomas, the Mostly Mozart Festival on Tour to Japan in Mozart’s Requiem and Leporello in 'Don Giovanni', as well as Verdi’s Requiem with the Symphonies of Richmond, Dallas, and Seattle. He has also appeared in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Handel’s Messiah and Rossini’s Stabat Mater with the symphonies of Los Angeles, Houston, Indianapolis, Buffalo, Seattle, New Jersey, and the National Symphony in Washington.

Mr. Langan’s video credits in addition to the DVD release of David Hockney’s 'Turandot', include DVD releases of 'Aida' with Luciano Pavarotti, 'Samson et Dalila' with Placido Domingo, Vivaldi’s 'Orlando Furioso' with Marilyn Horne, and Tobias Picker’s 'Emmeline' as seen on PBS. Mr. Langan's discography includes the Grammy-nominated Teldec recording of 'Le nozze di Figaro' under Nicklaus Harnoncourt, and Albany Records 'Emmeline' under George Manahan and recorded live with the Santa Fe Opera.

(Updated April 2010)

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