Biography

photo by Michael Benabib

NICHOLAS TAMAGNA

NICHOLAS TAMAGNA, New York-based countertenor, is the first winner of the Nico Castel International Mastersinger Competition (2011) and the Arkadi Foundation Opera Idol Competition (2011), as well as a Semi-Finalist (2011) in the first ever countertenor competition, the Gianni Bergamo Classic Music Award for Countertenors in Lugano, Switzerland. He recently was described as a “sensitive countertenor soloist” by the New York Times in his Lincoln Center Debut at Avery Fischer Hall, in the Goossens’ Edition of Handel’s Messiah presented by Distinguished Concerts International New York. He was also seen recently as Farnace in Mozart’s early opera-seria Mitridate, Re di Ponto, with Little Opera Theatre of New York. Woolfe of the New York Times praised his voice as; “…vibrant in recitative and with full, rounded tone in his arias. He grew in force and stability…and he understood the most important thing about this repertory: that ornamentation serves a dramatic purpose.”  He was seen as Giulio Cesare in Giulio Cesare in Egitto with Bel Cantanti Opera in Virgina and Baltimore in October 2009, where his singing was described by Opera Brittania as “a sexy English male alto.” He made his debut performance as Orpheus in Orfeo ed Euridice with Brooklyn Repertory Opera in March 2008 and reprised this role with Opera Memphis in January 2010. Opera Now described him in the role of Orpheus as “exquisite, combining perfect tonal quality with substantial power. His voice soared with piecing [sic] sadness and soothed with a silky beauty, giving a glimpse, perhaps, of why castrati voices became the divos of the Baroque era.” Tamagna was an invited 2010 guest young artist with Canadian Operatic Arts Academy in London, Ontario in collaboration with Opera London and Maestro Timothy Vernon of Pacific Opera Victoria. He appears annually in the New Year’s All-Bach Concert with the Amor Artis Chamber Orchestra and Choir as the alto soloist, performing such works as Cantata 11, 79, and the Bach Magnificat.  In 2012, he will also be a guest alto soloist for Amor Artis’ Spring concert of the complete motets of J.S. Bach.  Nicholas Tamagna performed in December 2010 for the Fairfield Chorale’s performance of Handel’s Messiah as the alto soloist under the baton of the late maestro Johannes Somary. He has also been a guest and frequent soloist with Princeton Pro Musica, C4 Ensemble, One World Symphony, La Fiocco Ensemble, Ensemble Calandra (most recently on the ARTEK Midtown Concert Series), Crescendo Choir and Chamber Ensemble, St. Boniface Choir in Brooklyn, NY, and Trinity Episcopal Church in Bucks County, PA.