Brian Jagde
American tenor Brian Jagde has quickly emerged as one of the most engaging and exciting lirico-spinto voices of his generation.
This season, Mr. Jagde makes house debuts at the Teatro San Carlo as Don José in Carmen, led by Zubin Mehta, Houston Grand Opera as the Prince in Rusalka, and Palm Beach Opera as Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos. He sings Don José in return engagements at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and San Francisco Opera, in the United States premiere of Calixto Bieito’s thrilling production. He also returns to Minnesota Opera in his role debut as Bacchus.
Last season featured spectacular house debuts for Jagde. His performance hailed him as “the ideal Pinkerton” (What’s On Stage) in Madama Butterfly at the Royal Opera House, and his Cavaradossi in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Tosca was “a revelation” (Chicago Reader). He also gave a ‘radiant’ and “glorious” (San Francisco Classical Voice) solo recital debut at the Mondavi Center in Davis, California, with pianist Craig Terry.
Brian Jagde’s recent engagements include debuts at the Metropolitan Opera as Count Elemer in Arabella, Don José in Carmen at Opéra de Limoges, Cavaradossi at Santa Fe Opera and Deutsche Oper Berlin, Rodolfo in La bohème with the Ópera de Bellas Artes, Ismaele in Nabucco at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, and the Prince in Rusalka and Narraboth in Salome at Opera San Antonio. He was also seen as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly at San Francisco Opera, Matteo in Arabella with Minnesota Opera, Rodolfo in La bohème with the Münchner Philharmoniker and at the Castleton Festival, and Narraboth at Santa Fe Opera. Jagde made his European debut in the title role of Werther and Macduff in Macbeth at the Teatr Wielki Opera Poznan in Poland.
Mr. Jagde has received numerous awards, including top prize at the Loren L. Zachary Competition in 2014, and second prize in Placido Domingo’s 2012 Operalia Competition. Jagde won additional accolades at Operalia for his interpretations of Wagner-Strauss repertoire, receiving the Birgit Nilsson Prize. He is a graduate of San Francisco Opera’s Adler and Merola Programs.
