American tenor Ben Bliss is a 2016 recipient of the Martin E. Segal award at Lincoln Center, awarded by the Metropolitan Opera. He was also the recipient of the Mozart and Plácido Domingo awards at the 2015 Francisco Viñas International Competition in Barcelona, receiving 2nd place overall, first prize in the 2014 Gerda Lissner and Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation competitions, as well as a Sara Tucker and Sullivan Foundation grant. Mr. Bliss is also the 2013 Operalia Don Plácido Domingo Sr. Zarzuela prizewinner.
In the 2017-2018 season, Mr. Bliss will sing the role of Ferrando in Così fan tutte at the Metropolitan Opera, Seattle Opera, and Oper Frankfurt. He will also make his house debut at Opera Philadelphia as Tamino in The Magic Flute, and sing the role of Cassio in Otello with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he will return to Santa Fe Opera to make his role debut as Robert Wilson in Dr. Atomic in a production directed by Peter Sellars. Concert appearances will include singing Handel's Messiah with the New York Philharmonic in December.
Ben Bliss’ 2016-2017 season included a US recital tour with pianist Lachlan Glen, with stops at Carnegie Hall, the Folly Theater in Kansas City as part of the Harriman-Jewell series, Theater of the Arts at the University of District of Columbia as part of the Vocal Arts DC Emerging Artists series, Hahn Hall at Music Academy of the West as part of the University of California, Santa Barbara Arts & Lectures series, and in Cincinnati with Matinée Musicale. Operatic appearances for Mr. Bliss included a return to the Metropolitan Opera, first as Tamino in The Magic Flute and then as
Highlights of Mr. Bliss’ recent seasons include a return to the Metropolitan Opera as Belmonte in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, conducted by James Levine, where the The Opera Critic heralded him as, “marvelous” and a “true Mozart tenor.” He also made his European debut in the same role with Glyndebourne Festival on tour. Returning as a principal artist to Los Angeles Opera, the artist appeared as Tamino under the baton of James Conlon, as well as to Des Moines Metro Opera as Belmonte. On the concert stage, Mr. Bliss debuted with the New York Philharmonic singing Tony in Bernstein’s West Side Story Concert Suite No. 1 with Alan Gilbert,
Steuermann in Der Fliegende Höllander, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Other opera appearances included Belmonte in Die Entführung aus dem Serail with Atlanta Opera, Tom Rakewell in The Rake’s Progress for a role and house debut with Boston Lyric Opera and Camille, Count de Rosillon in Die lustige Witwe in concert for his house and role debut with the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona.
Haydn’s Creation and Cassio in Otello at the Cincinnati May Festival with James Conlon, and in holiday concerts with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Lexington Philharmonic. Mr. Bliss has also performed in Carnegie Hall’s Neighborhood Recital series with pianist Lachlan Glen, and with the New York Choral Society in Handel’s Israel in Egypt at Carnegie Hall. He made his company and role debut at Santa Fe Opera as Flamand in a new production of Capriccio directed
by Tim Albery.
While in the Lindemann Program, Mr. Bliss made his Metropolitan Opera stage debut as Vogelgesang in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, conducted by James Levine. In May 2014, he was tapped to fill in as Ferrando in the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s production of Così fan tutte under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel. As a member of LA Opera’s Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program, Mr. Bliss appeared as Benvolio in Roméo et Juliette, Barbarigo in I Due Foscari, and the Male Chorus in Britten's The Rape of Lucretia with the Colburn Orchestra under James Conlon. He has been the tenor soloist for Bach’s Magnificat with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the La Jolla Symphony and made his Los Angeles Philharmonic debut singing Bach under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel.
