Illinois born bass Eric Halfvarson sings regularly with the world’s most prestigious opera companies and symphony orchestras. His formidable interpretations of such varied and demanding roles as Baron Ochs in Der Rosenkavalier, Hagen in Goetterdaemmerung, Claggart in Billy Budd, Sarastro in Die Zauberflote, King Philip and the Inquisitor in Don Carlos, Heinrich in Lohengrin, Hunding in Die Walkuere and Mephistopheles in Faust have been seen with such companies as the Bastille in Paris, the Bayreuth Festival, The Royal Opera at Covent Garden, The Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Canadian Opera, La Fenice in Venice, Teatre Liceu in Barcelona, the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, the Vienna Staatsoper, the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, the Deutsche Oper and Staatsoper in Berlin, as well as the opera companies of San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Santa Fe, Washington DC, and Los Angeles. He has appeared in concert with The Chicago Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, The National Symphony, The Houston Symphony, The Halle Orchestra in Manchester, England, The Boston Symphony, The Minnesota Orchestra, the London Philharmonia Orchestra, at Amsterdam’s famed Concertgebouw and at The Edinburgh Festival as well as with orchestras in Paris, Seville and Valencia. Halfvarson has appeared as 147 different characters in 50 years on the professional stage.
Mr. Halfvarson can be seen and heard on video and CD:
Antony and Cleopatra, Barber, New World Records (Badea, cond.)
Royok, Shostakovich, Erato (Rostropovich)
Don Carlos, Verdi, EMI (Pappano)
Billy Budd, Britten, Erato (Nagano)
Billy Budd, Britten, Orfeo (Runnicles)
Goetterdaemmerung, Wagner, Unitel – DVD (Levine)
The Flying Dutchman, Wagner, Chandos (English) (Parry)
Boris Godunov, Mousorgsky, GranTeatre del Liceu (Weigle)
Die Walkuere, Wagner, Opus Arte (Bertrand de Billy)
Siegfried, Wagner, Opus Arte (Bertrand de Billy)
Rigoletto, Verdi, Opus Arte (Edward Downes)
Tristan und Isolde, Opus Arte (Bertrand de Billy)
Lohengrin, Met Opera (James Levine 40 Yrs. Celebration)
Don Carlo, Royal Opera House (Pappano)
I am also in a feature film bassed on “Don Giovanni”, called “JUAN,” yet to be released in this country.
Don Carlo, Salzburg Festival, UnitelClassica Cond: Pappano, Dir: Stein
Halfvarson, whose parents were both professional music and voice teachers and conductors, comes from several generations of teachers in his family. Halfvarson leads Master Classes and gives private coachings in cities all over the world:
Houston Grand Opera Studio
Metropolitan Opera Young Artists
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Young Artists
Chicago Lyric Opera Program
Cincinnati Opera Young Artists
Washington DC, Young Artists
National Opera of Spain, Madrid, Young Artists.
University of Illinois, Master Class and private coachings.
Indiana University, Master Classes
De Paul University, Chicago, Master Class
San Francisco Opera, Adler Fellows, and Private Teaching.
Tyrolean Opera Program, Benefit Master Class (in San Francisco)
Private Teaching, members of the Wiener Staatsoper Ensemble
Master Class for “NYOP” NYC, Hunter College
USC – LA 2009 fall semester
San Francisco Opera Merola Program
LA Opera Young Artist’s Program Master Classes
NATS – Master Class for LA chapter – Chapman University
Pianissimo Torredembarra – MasterClasses – Barcelona
SiParlaSiCanta – MasterClass and coaching – Urbania, Italia
Pianissimo Torredembarra – MasterClasses and Coaching – Torredembarra, SpainConservatori Liceu – Barcelona
See Performance Hist page for updates on teaching !!
