Brian Kontes is a first place winner of the 2007 George London Foundation Competition and made his Seattle Opera debut as Leporello in Don Giovanni in the 2006-2007 season. In the 2007-2008 season, Mr. Kontes joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera for Die Zauberflöte and War and Peace, and appeared with the Opera Orchestra of New York as Alessio in La Sonnambula.
In the 2008-2009 season, he will rejoin the Metropolitan Opera roster for assignments in Madama Butterfly and La Gioconda, give a recital with Heidi Grant Murphy under the auspices of the George London Foundation, sing Rossini’s Stabat Mater in Carnegie Hall with the New York Chorale Society, and appear as Cecco del Vecchio in Wagner's Rienzi with Opera Orchestra of New York.
Other recent engagements include the Bonze and Prince Yamadori in Nashville Opera's Madama Butterfly, Colline in Piedmont Opera Theater’s La bohème, covering the role of Marco in Opera Orchestra of New York’s L’Arlesiana, and a return to Carnegie Hall to sing Mozart's Mass in C .
Career highlights include three roles in PDQ Bach's Abduction of Figaro with the Oregon Mozart Players in Eugene, Oregon, Palemon in Thais at Kentucky Opera and Opera Theater of Saint Louis, and Dr. Grenvil in La traviata with Opera Colorado.
Mr. Kontes performed a 2005 New Year's Eve Concert of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City under the baton of Maestro Glem Cortese. Other concert performances include Don Fernando in Fidelio with the Charlotte Symphony with conductor Christof Perick, and Bach’s Magnificat and Haydn's Paukenmesse at Carnegie Hall. Mr. Kontes made his professional debut in 1998 as Elder McLean in Carlisle Floyd's Susannah at the Opera Theater of Pittsburgh. While attending the Curtis Institute of Music, he sang with both the Opera Company of Philadelphia and the Opera Theater of Philadelphia. Mr. Kontes has also appeared in several summer seasons with the Opera Theater of Saint Louis, first as an ensemble member and then as a guest artist.
Brian Kontes began his vocal training on a merit scholarship at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City. He later graduated from the renowned Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.
