William George

BIOGRAPHY

    Tenor William George has been praised as “a world-class performer,” “a truly excellent tenor,” “a delight to hear,” and “worth shouting about.” He has performed with many musical organizations around the world, including Los Angeles Opera, San Francisco Opera, New York City Opera, Hong Kong Arts Festival, the Savonlinna (Finland) Festival, the Aldeburgh (England) Festival, the Stockholm Tonsättarfestival, and at Carnegie Hall. He has toured the country as Count Almaviva with New York City Opera, and as Don Ottavio with Western Opera Theater. As an haute contre he sang the role of Le Peinture in Charpentier’s Les Arts Florrissants with Concert Royal and New York Baroque Dance Company. Recent appearances include Leighton’s Symphony #3 with the Philippines Symphony, an appearance at the Elysium festival in Germany and New York singing Kurt Weill, concerts with contemporary music ensemble New Music New York and Erato Ensemble in Vancouver, British Columbia.
    As a recitalist, Mr. George has appeared in the U.S., England, and Sweden, and has taped a recital for Japan’s NHK network television. His recordings include Geometrics by L.Warde (Platso), a collection of Irish songs and a CD of original country songs (Milk Cow). He has contributed vocals for an upcoming CD of music by avant-garde composer Franklin Latner, Marga Richter's opera Riders to the Sea, and Charpentier’s Les Arts Florrissants. Upcoming performances include Carmina Burana and Messiah in Vancouver, and appearances with Erato Ensemble and New Music New York.
    A specialist in contemporary music, Mr. George has sung several prestigious American premieres, including the role of Hermes in Sir Michael Tippett's King Priam, Edgar Allen Poe in Augusta Read Thomas’ Ligeia, and Kenneth Leighton’s Symphony #3. He also received acclaim for his performances of Tippett’s song cycles at Tippett festivals in Stockholm and Sacramento, and Benjamin Lees’ Echoes of Normandy, also in Sacramento. He recently sang the world premiere of Marga Richter’s Dew-drops On A Lotus Leaf, for counter-tenor and string quartet, and Brent Michael David's Viola Jokes, with acclaimed violist Melia Watras, which was also recorded for CD release in Fall 2007.
    Mr. George is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where he was named Outstanding Graduate Student from the School of Music. He has been regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, and was awarded generous grants for four years by the Leni Fe Bland Foundation. The tenor also took part in San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program and Western Opera Theater, and studied at the Britten-Pears School of Music in England.

CONCERT REPERTOIRE

Bach                 Mass In B minor                                    Long Beach Bach Festival
Bach                 Magnificat                                             California Heights Camarata
Beethoven        Mass in C                                            New England Symphony
Beethoven        Choral Fantasy (live radio broadcast)    Pacific Symphony
Britten              Serenade for Tenor, Horn & Strings    CSU Long Beach Symphony
Britten          Saint Nicolas                                        California Heights Camarata
Britten            Paul Bunyan (excerpts)                        Aldeburgh Festival Orchestra
Handel       Messiah                                                New England Symphony; Pacific Chorale
Handel             Chandos Anthem #4                            Noroton Chamber Orchestra
Henze              Elegy For Young Lovers (excerpts)       Aldeburgh Festival Orchestra
Lees                 Echoes of Normandy                             Camellia Symphony
Leighton        Symphony 3:“Laudes Musicae”             Camellia Symphony
Massenet          Manon (excerpts)                                   Recital
Mozart           Requiem                                                 Pacific Chorale
Neikrug            Los Alamos (NPR broadcast)                Aspen Festival Orchestra
Orff                  Carmina Burana                                     CSU Long Beach Symphony
Orff                  Catulli Carmina                                    Hudson Valley Singers
Richter             Dew-drops on a Lotus Leaf                  Long Island String Quartet
Saint-Saens     Requiem                                                  I Cantori de Carmel
Schubert        Mass in G                                                New England Symphony
Schubert        Mass in B-flat                                        New England Symphony
Stravinsky        The Rake’s Progress (excerpts)            Aldeburgh Festival Orchestra
Stravinsky        Pulcinella                                                USC Chamber Symphony
Tchaikovsky    Eugene Onegin (excerpts)                       Aspen Festival Orchestra
Tippett             A Child Of Our Time                            Camellia Symphony
Tippett             Song Cycles                                            Stockholm Tonsättarfestival
Verdi              La Traviata (excerpts)                             Chappaqua Symphony
Weill                German Opera Arias                              Elyssium Between Two Continents (Bernreid)

OPERA ROLES

Beaser/Drattell/Torke    Central Park                          Wesley/Hot Dog Vender      New York City Opera
Beethoven                     Fidelio                                 Jacquino                                Aspen Opera Theater
Bellini                           Norma                                     Flavio                                     LA Opera
Bernstein                       West Side Story                    Tony                                      USC Opera
Britten                           The Rape Of Lucretia             Male Chorus                          USC Opera
Britten                           Turn of the Screw               Quint                                      Aspen Opera Theater
Charpentier                  Les Arts Florissants                Le Peinture                            Concert Royal
Cimarosa                       The Secret Marriage               Paolino                                   Opera 100
Debussy                         L’Enfant Prodigue                 Azael                                      CSU, Long Beach
Gilbert & Sullivan          Trial By Jury                           Edwin                                    Eugene Opera
Handel                           Julius Caesar                           Sextus                                    USC Opera
Hoiby                            Summer & Smoke                   Roger                                    CSU, Long Beach
Korngold                       Die Tote Stadt                       Count Graf                            New York City Opera
Leoncavallo                   Pagliacci                              Beppe                                    LA Opera
Milhaud                         Le Pauvre Matelot                   Le Matelot                             Aspen Opera Theater
Monteverdi                    Il Ritorno d’Ulisse                   Telemaco                               LA Opera
Mozart                            Cosi Fan Tutte                        Ferrando                                Opera San Jose
Mozart                            Don Giovanni                       Don Ottavio                        Western Opera Theater
Mozart                            Le Nozze di Figaro               Don Basilio, Don Curzio       LA Opera/Aspen
Poulenc                        Dialogues of the Carmelites     Le Chevalier                        USC Opera
Puccini                           Tosca                                       Spoletta                                  LA Opera
Ravel                              L’Heure Espagnole                 Gonzalve                                USC Opera
Rossini                          Il Barbiere di Siviglia            Count Almaviva                   NYCO/LA Opera
Strauss                            Salome                                    Fourth Jew                            Hong Kong/LA Opera
Strauss                            Salome                                    Second Jew                             Savonlinna Festival
Thomas                           Ligeia                                    Edgar Allan Poe                     Aspen Opera
Tippett                            King Priam                            Hermes                                    San Francisco Opera
Verdi                            Otello                                       Cassio                                    LA Opera
Verdi                            Stiffelio                                    Federico                                   LA Opera
Wagner                        Tristan und Isolde                     Sailor/ Shepherd                    LA Opera
Weill                            Street Scene                            Sam                                         Aspen Opera

REVIEWS

“William George, with his clear, ardent tenor, easily projected Count Almaviva’s youth and passion. With his amazing vocal control – no problem with lightning-quick half steps here – George was the picture of 18th century elegance.”
        –Mary Kunz, Buffalo News (in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia)

“Tenor William George handled the subtlety of his role as Count Almaviva with technical skill. His comic bits as music master were hilarious.”
        –Ron Emery, Schenectady Times Union (in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia)

“William George’s vocal instrument was a delight to hear, and his stage portrayal of Count Almaviva gathered a lot of house.”
        –John Cutler, Lincoln Journal Star (in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia)

“The cast was a collection of truly world-class performers. William George’s Almaviva was a strong, likeable presence throughout.”    –Jason Marton, Corpus Christi Caller-Times (in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia)

“The New York City Opera National Company was nothing short of superb, with a key performance given by William George as Count Almaviva.”
        –Lisa Mohr, The Dispatch and Rock Island Argus (in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia)

“Tenor William George was convincingly lovestruck as Count Almaviva.”
        –Laurence E. MacDonald, The Flint Journal (in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia)

“Upon reflection, I find that it was the only perfect performance of any of my pieces that I ever heard! And I mean perfect in every way.”    –Marga Richter, composer (referring to a performance of her song Sarah do not mourn me dead.)

“The truly excellent tenor William George has a fine, strong voice and used it with passion.”
        –William Glackin, Sacramento Bee (in Benjamin Lees’ Echoes of Normandy)

“During Leighton's Symphony No. 3 “Laudes Musicae,” a three-part love letter to the musical arts, tenor William George gave a stirring performance. “... And in music, there is praise for life,” rang in the ears of the audience as George sang in his commanding tenor tessitura as well as in a stunning high falsetto in the last movement.
        –Patricia Smith, Sacramento Bee

“Mr. George sang Tippett’s songs with effective feeling in an appealing voice with a good upper range; a powerfully fervent performance.”

        –William Glackin, Sacramento Bee (recital of Michael Tippett songs)

“William George’s light tenor triumphed as Hermes.”
        –Allan Ulrich, San Francisco Examiner (in Michael Tippett’s King Priam)

“William George (Hermes) sang his hymn to music beautifully.”
        –Stephanie von Buchau, Oakland Tribune (in Michael Tippett’s King Priam)

“Only William George as Hermes was able to consistently enunciate the English words understandably.”
        –Paul Thomason, Bay Area Reporter (in Michael Tippett’s King Priam)

“William George sang a mellifluous Hermes.”
        –Stephanie von Buchau, Opera News (in Michael Tippett’s King Priam)

“William George’s Flavio kept the level of singing high.”
        –Victoria Looseleaf, Los Angeles Downtown News (in Bellini’s Norma)

“Tenor William George, as Edgar Allan Poe, had a fine voice and compelling acting.”
        –Eleanor Keats, The Denver Post (in Augusta Read Thomas’ Ligeia)

"William George was menacing as Spoletta."
        –Chris Pasles, The Los Angeles Times (in Puccini’s Tosca)

“Another singer who really came into his own was tenor William George, the quintessential cad in Trial By Jury, then a desperately earnest lover in the excerpts from The Mikado.”
        –Linda Wilton Smith, The Register-Guard (with Eugene Opera)

“The intensity of William George’s heartfelt Lensky’s aria from Eugene Onegin is worth shouting about.”
        –Jeff Bradley, The Denver Post (concert performance)

“William George’s Lensky’s Aria was absolutely gorgeous, and well-acted. The voice has ‘ping,’ a real tenor ring to it. An excellent tenor.”
        –Barbara Smythe, host of the Opera Show on KAZU 90.3 FM, as reported in Coast Weekly [Carmel, California]

“In the Sanctus by Gounod, tenor William George sang with a clear, bell-like quality and achieved a high level of emotional intensity.”
        –Lyn Bronson, Carmel Pine Cone (with Carmel I Cantori)