Kevin Langan

Vocalists — Bass

• Manager: Elizabeth Crittenden , Artistic Advisor & Consultant
  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

New York Times describes Mr. Langan's "Deep, toffee-smooth voice and convincing interpretive abilities" and Opera Magazine comments "The Bartolo of American Bass Kevin Langan was absolutely revelatory:....he delivered 'La vendetta' with a vocal sheen that I have never heard before." —Tim Page, New York Times and Opera Magazine

Kevin Langan, who is well known to South Florida audiences, was a menacing Sparafucile, the professional assassin who offers to solve Rigoletto’s problem with the Duke. In opera everyone talks about high notes, but Sparafucile’s most impressive note is a low F at the end of his sinister dialogue with Rigoletto, and Langan’s deep bass sustained the note memorably as he strode off the stage. —David Fleshler, Jan 2012 -- Florida Grand Opera delivers a powerful and memorable “Rigoletto”

About

KEVIN LANGAN
American bass Kevin Langan is clearly one of the most successful 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 virtually all of the leading North American opera companies. His career currently spans 35 years and almost 1300 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 thirty years with the San Francisco Opera. He recently became the first artist in the 88 year history of the company to reach the lofty level of 300 career performances in leading roles with the company. He has appeared in 43 different productions in San Francisco beginning with the PBS and DVD production of SAMSON ET DALILAH in 1980, through critically acclaimed performances of Timur in TURANDOT (available on DVD) in 1993, Colline in LA BOHEME, Ramfis in AIDA, Padre Guardiano in FORZA DEL DESTINO, Henry VIII in ANNA BOLENA, Sparafucile in RIGOLETTO, Sobakin in THE TSAR'S BRIDE, and Sarastro in DIE ZAUBERFLOTE. Mr. Langan’s “notable Sarastro” (Andrew Porter, New Yorker) has been previously heard in Dallas (twice), Houston (twice), Philadelphia, St. Louis, San Diego, Austin, Toronto, Calgary, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Omaha, West Palm Beach, Washington, and Santa Fe. His Sprecher in the same opera has now been heard in Chicago, Dallas, and Austin.
Mr. Langan has also been a leading bass for 11 seasons with The Lyric Opera of Chicago giving over 125 performances of 13 different productions there, as well as 14 seasons with The Santa Fe Opera giving over 165 performances of 20 different productions there.
Last season Mr. Langan appeared as Sparafucile in RIGOLETTO with Florida Grand Opera, The Sprecher in DIE ZAUBERFLӦTE with The Dallas Opera and Austin Lyric Opera, and The Capitán in Daniel Catán’s opera FLORENCIA EN EL AMAZONAS with Opera Colorado.
Engagements this season include Friar Lawrence in ROMEO & JULIETTE with Opera Colorado, The 4th Tempter and 4th Knight in Pizzetti’s ASSASSINO NELLA CATTEDRALE with San Diego Opera, and Dr. Gibbs in Ned Rorem’s opera OUR TOWN with Central City Opera.
Recent engagements have included Colline in LA BOHEME and Basilio in BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA at the Metropolitan Opera, Parson/Badger in CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN with The Saito Kinen Festival in Japan under Seiji Ozawa which was televised throughout Japan, as well as the Maggio Musicale in Florence, also with Maestro Ozawa and taped for television throughout Italy, Mephistopheles in FAUST with Houston Grand Opera, Canadian Opera, 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 ENTFÜHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL with Opera Lyon (France), Santa Fe, Boston Baroque, and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Seneca in CORONAZIONE 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, the title role in 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, Opera Co. of Philadelphia, 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 FLIEGHENDE HOLLÄNDER with New York City Opera, San Diego Opera, Atlanta Opera, and Portland Opera. Wurm in LUISA MILLER with Washington Opera, Balthazar in LA FAVORITE (original french version) with San Francisco Opera, Friar Lawrence in ROMEO ET JULIETTE with Chicago Lyric, Dallas, and San Diego, Sparafucile in RIGOLETTO with Chicago Lyric, San Francisco, New York City Opera, Seattle, Miami, and Festival Lyrique-en-Mer in Belle-Ille, France, Raimondo in LUCIA with Seattle, San Diego, Tulsa, Miami, Greensboro, and Opera Colorado, Alidoro in LA CENERENTOLA in San Diego, Swallow in PETER GRIMES with Santa Fe Opera, The Pirate King in PIRATES OF PENZANCE with Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Bartolo in 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, which was televised on PBS, 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 with the Symphonies of Seattle, Oakland, and New Jersey. His performances of Handel’s MESSIAH have been with Houston and Indianapolis, and Rossini’s STABAT MATER with the Buffalo Symphony. Other appearances have been the Mozart REQUIEM with The Los Angeles Philharmonic, Trulove in THE RAKE’S PROGRESS with The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra under Edo de Waart, and Stravinsky's OEDIPUS REX with The National Symphony in Washington.
Mr. Langan’s video credits in addition to the DVD release of David Hockney’s TURANDOT, include DVD release's of AIDA with Luciano Pavarotti, SAMSON ET DALILAH with Placido Domingo, Vivaldi’s ORLANDO FURIOSO with Marilyn Horne, Tobias Picker’s first opera EMMELINE seen on National PBS Television, and Janacek’s CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN under Seiji Ozawa, seen on National NHK Television throughout Japan, and RAI Television in Italy. Mr. Langan's discography includes the Grammy-nominated Teldec recording of NOZZE DI FIGARO under Nicklaus Harnoncourt, and Albany Records EMMELINE under George Manahan and recorded live with The Santa Fe Opera.
Mr. Langan has recently (2002, 2004) presented recital programs for the prestigious Silversea Cruise Line for their classical-themed cruises in the Carribbean and Northern Europe.
Mr. Langan made his American recital debut at Carnegie Recital Hall in 1984, presenting a similar program to the one that marked his successful recital debut in London at Wigmore Hall in 1979 as a protégé of the late legendary record producer Walter Legge and his wife, the late soprano Elizabeth Schwarzkopf.
Mr. Langan was born in New York City and received his training at Indiana University Music School and was a life-long student of the late soprano Margaret Harshaw. He is the recipient of the prestigious 1983 Richard Tucker Foundation Grant Award, and was a 1980 National Finalist of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, the 1981 Opera America Auditions, and the 1980 San Francisco Opera Auditions.

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