Steven Harrison is recognized across six continents as a singing-actor of the highest caliber, possessing an expansive repertoire. The tenor’s ease with various musical styles has brought him great success in roles ranging from Florestan in Fidelio (Deutsche-Oper-am-Rhein) to Andrea Chénier (several Italian productions) and Werther (in Germany and South Africa). Critics have praised Harrison’s “stupendous phrasing”, “perfect diction” and “great mastery” of each portrayal, and that he “dares himself to the point of ecstasy” with his “wide range of vocal colors and high level of expressive intensity.”

The US born tenor made his European debut in 2000 at Brussels’ Royal Opéra de la Monnaie with Antonio Pappano in Luigi Dallapiccola’s Il Prigioniero. Since that time he has had a full calendar on the European continent and was reunited this past Spring with Maestro Pappano in Rome at L’Accademia di Santa Cecilia singing the Beethoven Ninth Symphony.

The 2009 – 2010 season marked Steven Harrison’s role debut as “Il Duca” in Rigoletto, as well as his first appearances in Australia. Critical praise ranged from “privilege to hear his beautiful instrument” to “subtlety, richness and power.” New Year’s Eve was celebrated with Taiwan’s National Symphony in Beethoven’s 9th conducted by Gunther Härbig. Returning to Poland following last year’s success as Samson, Harrison recreated the title role of “Chopin” in a rarely performed opera by Giacomo Orefice. The notable success will be revived in Spring 2010 and recorded for CD release. The tenor also returns to the New York City Opera as Pinkerton in “Madama Butterfly” for several performances and reopens Oslo’s historic Domkirken singing Berlioz’ “Te Deum.”

The 2008-2009 season includes 11 performances of Florestan (Fidelio) at the Rheinopera, South Africa’s National Premiere as Werther for Capetown Opera, a new production of the title role in Samson et Dalila in Poland, and Harrison’s 4th series of Enée in Les Troyens in Düsseldorf. The tenor was recently featured in a Puccini Galawith the Prague Symphony Orchestra, and personally requested to singSzymanowski’s Symphony #3 for Solo Tenor (Song of the Night) by Maestro Jonathon Darlington; with whom he collaborated in Cavalleria Rusticana last year at Vancouver Opera.

The 2007-2008 season featured Harrison as Enée with the Deutsche Oper am Rhein inLes Troyens and Samson in Prague in Samson et Dalila with the National Theatre. The season continued with a debut at the Vancouver Opera as Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana, the World Premiere of Giorgio Battistelli’s The Fashion in Düsseldorf, creating the role of Micky, and culminated with a unique and avant-garde staging ofVerdi’s Requiem for the Staatstheater Kassel.

In 2006-2007 Harrison debuted at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires singing Rodolfo inLa Bohème. He repeated that role in his debut with Baltimore Opera. The tenor was featured in Catalani’s La Wally with the Deutsche-Oper-am-Rhein. Additional appearances with the DOR that season included a new premiere as Gounod’s Faust, as well as a reengagement singing Enée in Berlioz’ dramatic masterpiece, Les Troyens. Additionally, he was reengaged at the DOR for performances singing Don José in Carmen and Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana. In December 2006, tenor Steven Harrison debuted in Prague with the National Theater in his role debut as Samson in Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila. In April 2007, tenor Steven Harrison debuted in Moscow with the Russian National Orchestra singing the Beethoven 9th Symphony with Maestro Mikhail Pletnev.

Summer 2005 marked the tenor’s debut in Italy, as well as his role debut as Andrea Chénier for the Macerata Opera Festival. Immediately following these performances, Harrison made his debut in France singing Puccini’s Messa di Gloria at the St. Malo Festival and Florence, Italy (I Solisti del Maggio Musicale).

The Deutsche-Oper-am-Rhein featured the tenor in three eminent premieres as Pollione in Norma, Don José in Carmen and Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana. He also made his Oper Leipzig debut in the fall of 2004 as Rodolfo in La Bohème. In addition to a busy schedule in Germany, the 2004-05 season featured Harrison as Riccardo in a new production of Un Ballo in Maschera at Florida Grand Opera in Miami. He was also heard in Taipei, Taiwan as Pollione in Norma in several performances with the National Symphony. Harrison returned there after his success singing Rodolfo in La Bohème and Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly.

The 2003-04 season marked the tenor’s continuing affiliation with Theater Krefeld/Mönchengladbach as Don José in Carmen, Alfredo in La Traviata and a highly praised debut as Werther. The season ended on a high note with Harrison’s Düsseldorfer Symphoniker debut, singing Janacek’s Glagolitic Mass. He was called upon to learn the challenging tenor solos with only three days preparation time. Sung in Church Slavonic, Harrison “reached the Parnassian summit of expressivity with a torch for all to see.”

Mr. Harrison has been heard in the United States at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall in New York City as the tenor soloist in the Verdi Requiem, as well as the New York City Opera as Rodolfo in La Bohème and the Italian Singer in Der Rosenkavalier. He appeared with the Washington Opera as Riccardo in Un Ballo in Maschera and as Judge Danforth in The Crucible. The tenor debuted with Eve Queler and the Opera Orchestra of New York at Carnegie Hall in Verdi’s Ernani, and returned as Arrigo in La Battaglia di Legnano.

Mr. Harrison’s previously performed repertoire includes Radames in Aida, Cavaradossi in Tosca, Sam Polk in Susannah, Narraboth in Salome, The Male Chorus in Britten’sThe Rape of Lucretia, Steuermann in The Flying Dutchman, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Faust in Boito’s Mefistofele and Gounod’s Faust, Canio in Pagliacci, and Walther/ the Old Woman in Judith Weir’s The Story of Blond Eckbert.

Harrison holds a degree in Piano Performance from SUNY Stony Brook and is a fine oboist, as well.