A charismatic vocal force, American baritone Mark Delavan is sought after by opera houses throughout the United States and abroad for his dramatic, powerful voice, daring performances and commanding stage presence. A versatile artist respected for his musical depth, Mr. Delavan’s repertoire spans over 40 roles, including the title roles of Falstaff, Rigoletto, Der Fliegende Holländer, Gianni Schicchi, Simon Boccanegra and Sweeney Todd, as well as such signature roles as Iago, Gerard, Scarpia, Jochanaan, Germont and Amonasro. He has collaborated with such conductors as James Levine, James Conlon, Sir Andrew Davis, Seiji Ozawa, Sir Charles Mackerras, Zubin Mehta, Donald Runnicles, Michael Tilson Thomas, Antonio Pappano and Fabio Luisi. Hailed by The New York Times as “impressive…a remarkable singer,” his captivating persona onstage has been likewise praised, as noted by Opera Magazine “…Mark Delavan … commands attention even when he stands still.”

 

Mark Delavan’s 2010-11 season includes several of the most vocally and dramatically demanding baritone roles in opera and features two role debuts. He sings Iago, one of his signature roles, “His multidimensional Iago is a luciferian black magician who can put on a genuinely amiable face.” (Orange County Register) in Verdi’s Otello with the Opera Company of Philadelphia in October and with the Deutsche Oper Berlin from January through April 2011. During these same months he also appears as Jupiter in the Deutsche Oper Berlin’s premiere production of Strauss’ Die Liebe der Danae. He returns to the Lyric Opera of Chicago in November and December to sing his role debut as Renato in the company’s new production of Verdi’s A Masked Ball. (With the addition of this role to his repertoire, Mr. Delavan has achieved his personal goal of singing the 14 Verdi roles he most admires.) Mr. Delavan ends the season singing not one, but all three Wotan roles – Das Rheingold, Die Walküre and Siegfried (in his role debut), in the San Francisco Opera’s 2008-2011 Ring Cycle in June 2011. Of his portrayal of Wagner’s king of the gods, the San Francisco Examiner has acclaimed “A great new Wotan has arrived. Mark Delavan is both majestic and heartbreakingly human. His acting, diction and warm, broad voice impress throughout. … Delavan joins the historic line of Wotans to remember.”

 

2010 performances included the role of Jack Rance in Denmark’s Den Jyske Opera (Danish National Opera) production of Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West; Jochanaan in the Gran Teatre Del Liceu’s production of Strauss’s Salome in Spain; the title role in Pittsburgh Opera’s production of Verdi’s Falstaff; Amonasro in the Atlanta Opera’s production of Verdi’s Aida; three productions with the Deutsche Oper Berlin: as Scarpia in Puccini’s Tosca, as Wotan in Wagner’s Das Rheingold and in Die Walküre (in his role debut); a concert version of Strauss’ Salome with the Prague National Theater Opera Orchestra and with San Francisco Opera in Wagner’s Die Walküre. (Mr. Delavan made his role debut as Wotan in the San Francisco Opera’s June 2008 production of Das Rheingold, which launched the company’s new Ring Cycle.)

 

Among his operatic credits Mark Delavan counts numerous opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Berliner Staatsoper, Bayerische Staatsoper, Lyric Opera of Chicago, New York City Opera, Santa Fe Opera and Washington National Opera, to name a few. He has performed at such venues as Carnegie Hall and Royal Albert Hall, and his festival credits include the BBC Proms, Edinburgh Festival (UK), Britten Festival (Italy), Spoleto Festival, U.S.A., the Metropolitan Opera’s Concerts in the Park, and the Saito Kinen Festival (Japan), among others.

 

At the Metropolitan Opera, Mr. Delavan has earned public and critical acclaim for his company debut as Amonasro in Aida. He has also sung the title roles of Simon Boccanegra and Nabucco, and has appeared as Tomsky in Pique Dame, Scarpia in Tosca, Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana, Carlo in La Forza del Destino and as Gerard in a major revival of Andrea Chenier.

 

The press has praised Mark Delavan’s performances as Amfortas in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s new production of Parsifal, and his creation of the role of Snooks Brenner in the world premiere of William Bolcom’s A Wedding, directed by Robert Altman and conducted by Dennis Russell Davies. With Lyric Opera of Chicago, Mr. Delavan has most recently appeared as Alfio/Tonio in Cavalleria Rusticana/I pagliacci, and as as Germont in La traviata. He has also appeared in new productions by Robert Carsen of Gluck’s Iphigenie en Tauride (Louis Langr&eacut;e conducting) and by David McVicar of Verdi’s Il trovatore (Bruno Bartoletti conducting).

 

In 2007-08 Mr. Delavan made his debut to great acclaim with the Los Angeles Opera in the role of Iago in Otello. The Daily Variety praised, “In his long-overdue company debut in his signature role of Iago, American baritone Mark Delavan serves as dramatic focus, from his first, dark, poison-tipped tones onward and downward.” He returned in 2008-09 for performances as Michele in Puccini’s Il Trittico: Il tabarro.

 

A popular performer with the New York City Opera, Mr. Delavan has sung in numerous productions with the company, including the title roles in Der Fliegende Holländer, Rigoletto, Macbeth, and Falstaff, as well as starring in the title role of Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd to great critical acclaim. Mr. Delavan’s NYCO credits also include the roles of the four villains in Les Contes d’Hoffman, Scarpia in Tosca (telecast live on PBS for ‘Live From Lincoln Center’), Ezio in Attila, Escamillo in Carmen, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, the Duke of Nottingham in Roberto Devereux and in new productions of The Ballad of Baby Doe (Horace Tabor), Il Trittico (Michele and Gianni Schicchi) and Salome (John the Baptist).

 

Mr. Delavan made his United Kingdom debut with the 2003 Edinburgh Festival in the title role of Verdi’s Macbeth and his European stage debut in 2004 in two new productions with the Bavarian State Opera in Germany, performing the title role of Rigoletto and the role of Don Carlo in La Forza del Destino. In the 2005-06 season, Mr. Delavan made his Royal Opera House, Covent Garden debut as Jack Rance in a major revival of La Fanciulla del West and in 2006-07, debuted at the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin as Jochanaan in Salome. In summer 2007, he debuted at the Saito Kinen Festival as Tomsky in Pique Dame, conducted by Seiji Ozawa.

 

Born in Princeton, New Jersey, Mr. Delavan earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Oral Roberts University. He was a national finalist of the Metropolitan Opera auditions and an Adler Fellow with the San Francisco Opera. When not performing, Mr. Delavan resides outside of New York City with his wife and children.

 

For more information, please visit Mr. Delavan’s websites: www.markdelavan.com and www.delavanedge.com.

 

 

Please contact CAMI regarding Mr. Delavan's performance availability.

Downloadable version of Mr. Delavan's biography here.