Mark Nicolson is an American tenor opera singer residing in New York City. Mark Nicolson was born in Galesburg, Illinois and grew up in

Peoria, Illinois Peoria ( ) is the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, United States, and the largest city on the Illinois River. As of the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census, the city had a population of 113,150. It is the principal city of the Peoria ...

, where he attended Bradley University. He subsequently studied at University of North Texas College of Music and Indiana University, where he studied with bel-canto soprano,

Virginia Zeani Virginia Zeani (born Virginia Zehan; 21 October 1925), Commendatore OMRI is a Romanian-born opera singer who sang leading soprano roles in the opera houses of Europe and North America. As a singer, she was known for her dramatic intensity and ...

and bass, Nicola Rossi-Lemeni. He later studied with tenor legends

Franco Corelli Franco Corelli (8 April 1921 – 29 October 2003) was an Italian tenor who had a major international opera career between 1951 and 1976. Associated in particular with the spinto and dramatic tenor roles of the Italian repertory, he was cel ...

and James King. In New York, he won the Liederkranz Competition, received a Citation of Excellence from the

Birgit Nilsson Prize The Birgit Nilsson Prize is the largest prize in classical music, awarded approximately every three years to an active artist or institution who has contributed an important chapter to music history. Towards the end of her unparalleled, long an ...

Competition, won five study grants from the New York Wagner Society, and received a fellowship from

Jerome Hines Jerome A. Hines (November 8, 1921 – February 4, 2003) was an American operatic bass who performed at the Metropolitan Opera from 1946 to 1987. Standing 6'6", his stage presence and stentorian voice made him ideal for such roles as Sarastro in ' ...

Opera-Music Theatre Institute. He is on the voice faculty of New Jersey City University.

Roles

Mark Nicolson's roles included: * European debut as Tamino '' The Magic Flute'': Dublin Grand Opera. * American debut as Don Ottavio ''

Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; Vienna (1788) title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanis ...

'': Virginia Opera * Cavaradossi in '' Tosca'': Atlanta Opera, Palacio de Belles Artes (Mexico City), Opera Quebec. * Faust in '' Faust'': New Orleans Opera, Central City Opera, Mercury Theatre (New Zealand), Hong Kong Opera. * Des Grieux in ''

Manon ''Manon'' () is an ''opéra comique'' in five acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille, based on the 1731 novel '' L'histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut'' by the Abbé Prévost. It was first ...

'': Seoul, Korea * Male Chorus in '' The Rape of Lucretia'' (Britten): Wolf Trap Opera * Tamino '' The Magic Flute'': Hong Kong Opera. * Pirro in ''

Ermione ''Ermione'' (1819) is a tragic opera (azione tragica) in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola, based on the play ''Andromaque'' by Jean Racine. Performance history 19th century ''Ermione'' was first pe ...

'' (Rossini, American stage premiere): Opera Omaha * Gernando in ''

Armida Armida is the fictional character of a Saracen sorceress, created by the Italian late Renaissance poet Torquato Tasso. Description In Tasso's epic ''Jerusalem Delivered'' ( it, Gerusalemme liberata, link=no), Rinaldo is a fierce and determ ...

'' (Rossini) Minnesota Opera * Pinkerton in ''

Madama Butterfly ''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It is based on the short story "Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Luther ...

'': Opera North (Leeds, England), Mississippi Opera. * Alfredo in ''

La Traviata ''La traviata'' (; ''The Fallen Woman'') is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on ''La Dame aux camélias'' (1852), a play by Alexandre Dumas ''fils'' adapted from his own 18 ...

'': Opera Omaha * Lennie in '' Of Mice and Men'' Carlisle Floyd : Opera Grand Rapids * Radames in '' Aida'':

Opera Illinois Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libret ...

* Bacchus in '' Ariadne auf Naxos'': New Orleans Opera

Orchestral

* Verdi Requiem with the Philharmonia Orchestra, Chichester Festival * Mahler 8th Symphony with the Connecticut Symphony

Television

* ''Late Show with David Letterman'' 2003

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicolson, Mark Musicians from Peoria, Illinois American operatic tenors Bradley University alumni Jacobs School of Music alumni University of North Texas College of Music alumni Living people Year of birth missing (living people) New Jersey City University faculty Classical musicians from Illinois Singers from Illinois