Professional Biography
click here to read Carl’s Personal BiographyTenor Carl Tanner sang his first Otello in early 2010. Of this triumphant debut he was described as "a richly timbred tenor with a clear and astounding ringing force in the top register. His clarion opening act Esultate was bright and vigorous. The love duet with Desdemona, Gia della notte densa, was charged with warmth and passion. The dark closing scene's Niun mi tema showed Tanner at his most affecting". And in his Radames with the Minnesota Orchestra last summer after his debut in Barcelona as Calaf, he"brought intensity to his singing, heroic top register, that seems to have become stronger since his last appearance here...a true 'tenore di forza'". He also recently performed his first Des Grieux for the opera in Las Palmas. He had been back in Dresden as Calaf and then Radames last year. Earlier in 2009 he debuted at the Paris Opera as Pinkerton. He began 2008-09 with his return to Dresden in a new production of Il Trovatore and performed Calaf again in Hamburg and Radames with the Deutsche Oper, Berlin. Last season he was Calaf in Hamburg, Don Jose with Zubin Mehta in Firenze and just prior, Enzo in the Deutsche Oper, Berlin revival of Gioconda. Earlier in 2008 he sang Enzo Grimaldo at the Teatro Real, Madrid. He returned to New York City Opera as Canio for a new Pagliacci where he “gave the performance of a lifetime in the unforgettable final scene.” 2007 saw the release of his long-awaited Holiday CD “Hear the Angel Voices”, accompanied by concerts in the United States. He was also in Dresden as Calaf and Radames and just prior performed in Brussels and the Concertgebouw as Samson (w/Borodina) and was in Hamburg as Don Jose.In 2006 he was back in Tokyo for Turandot under Zubin Mehta. Other recent appearances included: the Bregenz Festival in Trovatore (now a DVD), a gala concert performance of Pagliacci at La Monnaie Brussels, “ terrific as Cavaradossi” in performances of Tosca with the Minnesota Orchestra, Radames in Aida for Opera Pacific and Calaf in Dresden. Earlier in 2006 he debuted with the Hamburgische Staatsoper singing both Cavalleria and Pagliacci, and at the teatro comunale in Firenze as Calaf in Turandot, conducted by Zubin Mehta. He performed the title role of Andrea Chenier in a new production in Tokyo, and was “stunning in his powerful performance” as Washington Opera’s Samson, all in 2005. Just prior he performed Fanciulla at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. He performed at the Richard Tucker Gala at Avery Fisher Hall and ‘O Holy Night’ at the Christmas Tree lighting at the White House. Earlier in 2004 he sang the tenor lead in La Fanciulla del West in Carnegie Hall which was preceded by Trovatore for Washington Opera. Fall 2003 saw him opening the Flemish Opera’s season in a new Luisa Miller and debuting with the New National Theater in Tokyo in Tosca. Summer 2003 had his Carmen with the Rome Opera at Caracalla and his debut with the Metropolitan Opera in Central Park before 100,000 people as Calaf “in magnificent vocal form”! He performed the title role in Puccini’s Edgar with the Orchestre de Radio France in Paris with a “seductive and imposing timbre, firm line and easy emission”. He was the lead tenor in Strauss’ Ägyptische Helena with the American Symphony orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall (recorded by Telarc).
Additional highlights of recent seasons include Don Jose for his La Scala debut, as well as in Napoli, the San Francisco and Dallas Opera; Cavaradossi in his Covent Garden debut, Chairman Mao in Nixon in China with the London Symphony Orchestra (M0 Nagano) and Das Lied von der Erde with the Teatro Regio di Torino.
On the concert stage Mr. Tanner has performed in various orchestral/oratorio repertoire with numerous symphony orchestras including: the St. Louis Symphony (Hans Vonk), Atlanta Symphony (Carmen under Yoel Levi), Spoleto USA [Janacék's Cantata for Tenor and Lili Boulanger's Faust & Helena], Kasugai Symphony (Japan) in the Beethoven Ninth.
Upcoming engagements: This summer features Carl Tanner singing concert performances of Puccini: first with the Minnesota orchestra in Tosca and then with the Edinburg Festival in La Fanciulla del West. Next season features a return to Dresden as Manrico in the fall and as Otello in the spring; a return to Hamburg as Radames, and to the Metropolitan Opera in Fanciulla. Upcoming in a future season is Mr. Tanner's first Hermann in Tchaikovsky's Pique Dame .