bass Timothy Bruno, photo by Arielle Doneson
Biography
Lauded by the Wall Street Journal for his “flexible bass,” Timothy Bruno joins the roster of the Lyric Opera of Chicago for its production of The Rake’s Progress in the 2020-21 season. Last season he made debuts with Palm Beach Opera as Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Austin Opera as Monterone in Rigoletto—while also being responsible for Sparafucile, and Kentucky Opera as Zuniga in Carmen. His returns to The Glimmerglass Festival for the Commendatore in Don Giovanni and as Gernot and Groma in Wagner’s rarely-performed Die Feen and Washington Concert Opera for Pietro in Simon Boccanegra were cancelled by COVID-19.
He recently returned to Washington National Opera as Dottore Grenvil in La traviata and French General in Puts’ Silent Night, and to create the role of Daddy in the world premiere of Taking Up Serpents as part of the American Opera Initiative, as as the cover for Méphistophélès in Faust. While with the company previously as a Cafritz Young Artist, he sang Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Commendatore in Don Giovanni, the King in Portman’s The Little Prince, Antonio and Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro, Hortensius in La fille du régiment, Warden Benton in Dead Man Walking, and the Friar in Don Carlo. He also created the role of the Sodbuster in the world premiere of Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek’s Proving Up, sang General Cobb and James Fowler in Glass’ Appomattox, as well as appeared in the world-premieres of Mohammed Fairouz’s The Dictator’s Wife and Luna Pearl Woolf’s Better Gods.
Other recent performances for the bass include Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia and the French General in Silent Night at The Glimmerglass Festival; Colline in La bohème, First Apprentice in Wozzeck, Mandarin in Turandot and Bosun in Billy Budd—whilst covering John Claggart—with Des Moines Metro Opera; Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail with New Orleans Opera; Colline in La bohème and Louis XVI in Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles at Wolf Trap Opera; Méphistophélès in Faust and Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor with Winter Opera Saint Louis; Wotan in Dove’s reduction of Die Walküre with Union Avenue Opera Theater; and Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail and Der Wanderer in Act One of Siegfried with Queen City Chamber Opera. Additionally he has joined Washington Concert Opera for the Priore di Spedalieri in La straniera the Viscount di Suze in Maria di Rohan, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra as Abimélech in Samson et Dalila, and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra as the Commendatore in Don Giovanni. He also sang Beleso in the world premiere of Liszt’s lost opera, Sardanapalo, at the Library of Congress.
Mr. Bruno is a former Apprentice Artist in Central City Opera’s Bonfils-Stanton Training Program, where he performed the role of Dr. Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro. As an Apprentice Artist at Opera Saratoga, sang Berthold in Offenbach’s Le 66. He performed Curio in Giulio Cesare and Antonio in Le nozze di Figaro as a Resident Artist with Michigan Opera Theatre and made his professional debut in 2011 as a Young Artist with Cincinnati Opera, at which he performed Count Ceprano in Rigoletto and Second Armed Guard in Die Zauberflöte. He has also appeared with Toledo Opera, Opera Columbus, Annapolis Opera, and El Paso Opera, among others.
In demand as a concert artist, Mr. Bruno sang Schubert’s Mass in G and Mozart’s Requiem and Coronation Mass at the Washington National Cathedral; Verdi’s Requiem with the Fairfax Symphony, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Montgomery Philharmonic, Handel’s Messiah with the Memphis Symphony, Bluffton Bach Festival, and at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center; Haydn’s Creation with the Ann Arbor Cantata Singers; and Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Vermillion Symphonic Choir. He has also appeared with the Toledo Symphony, Dayton Bach Society, Knox Music Series, Saint Michaels in the Hills, and Lucerne Symphony Orchestra.
He the 2018 recipient of a Career Development Grant from The William Matheus Sullivan Foundation is a recipient of prizes from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Opera Birmingham Competition, Annapolis Opera Competition, Partners for the Arts, Harold Haugh Light Opera Competition, and Singer’s Club of Cleveland. He earned his Master of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music and holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Bowling Green State University.
