Ben Wager is a 2009 graduate of the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, where his roles included: Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Enrico in Anna Bolena, the title role in Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte and Padre Guardiano in La forza del destino.
For the 2009-2010 season, Mr. Wager will join the ensemble of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, where he will perform a number of roles, including Zuniga in Carmen, Angelotti in Tosca, and Sarastro in an abridged version of Die Zauberflöte. Additional engagements for 09-10 include Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Mozarteum of Salzburg under Ivor Bolton and Rossini’s Stabat Mater with the Oregon Symphony, and his debut at Los Angeles Opera as Julian Pinelli in Schreker’s Die Gezeichneten.
Future seasons will find him in his debuts at Opera Cleveland as Nourabad in Les pêcheurs de perles and at Dallas Opera for Masetto in Don Giovanni, as well as a return to Minnesota Opera for a world premiere by Ricky Ian Gordon.
During the 2008-2009 season, he concluded his residency at AVA with Enrico in Anna Bolena, Il Vescovo in La fiamma, and Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, joined Minnesota Opera to sing the bass roles in the North American premiere of Jonathan Dove's Adventures of Pinocchio, and made his debut at Opera Company of Philadelphia as Collatinus in The Rape of Lucretia.
Mr. Wager spent the summer of 2008 as a member of the prestigious Merola Opera Program at San Francisco Opera, where he sang the role of Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni. In February 2008, Mr. Wager sang Monterone in Rigoletto with Opera New Jersey, followed by Masetto in Don Giovanni for his debut at Chicago Opera Theatre, under the baton of Jane Glover.
In 2007, Mr. Wager bowed as Der Sprecher in Die Zauberflöte with Opera New Jersey and Kaspar in Der Freischütz with AVA Opera Theatre. The 2006 season found Mr. Wager performing at AVA Opera Theatre as Gremin and Zaretsky in Eugene Onegin, Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and Sparafucile and Monterone in Rigoletto. Mr. Wager enjoys a strong relationship with Opera Delaware, where he has sung Monterone in Rigoletto, Spinelloccio and Il Notaro in Gianni Schicchi, Un Mandarino in Turandot and Second Armored Man in Die Zauberflöte.
In concert, Mr. Wager has performed Handel’s Messiah with Tindley Temple UMC, as well as Rossini’s Stabat Mater and Mozart’s Mass in C Minor at the Academy of Vocal Arts.
Ben Wager studies with world-renowned voice teacher Bill Schuman.
