November 25, 2024
Express
Critically acclaimed American singer Eric Cutler should never have been an opera singer.
He even brands himself, “the luckiest tenor alive!”
Set to perform the lead in Fidelio this week at Covent Garden, Eric, 48, would have been a “conservationist” in sleepy rural Iowa, had he not met Pablo Testolini, a Mexican exchange student, when he was still at high school.
“I was about 15 and in the 10th grade, when Pablo and I became friends.
“We were playing billards one night and in the basement, and he put on opera. I’ll never forget it. It was Luciano Pavarotti singing Tosca, the third act aria.
“I remember I looked at him and I said, ‘what is that?’ And he’s like, ‘it’s opera’. I’m like, ‘what?’ And from that moment on, I would tell him to put on another one. And so on.”
Pablo’s interest stemmed from his father, a tenor, but Eric kept his passion for opera a secret from his own family, and friends.
Said Eric: “I would go to the library in Des Moines, drive to the city and check out recordings, and would listen, and then to progress, I would get the score to the music. By the time I was a senior in high school, I was learning these arias.”
Added Eric: “You must understand, I grew up in a farming state, Iowa is like 92 per cent farmland.
“My grandparents were farmers, and I grew up in a very small town of about 3000 people.
“You know, there’s no opera house in Iowa!”
Finally, he came out as a budding opera singer to his mother after he showed her The Three Tenors in concert.
“I said to her, ‘this is what it is’. And she’s like, ‘really, can you make money? Can you make money doing that?’ I said, ‘I think so’.”
“For fun,” his voice coach entered Eric in the Metropolitan Opera auditions. “I won a place, I was 21.”
He still had much to learn.
Eric admitted: “I had never seen an opera before I was in one.
“I was wet behind the ears.”
Things have moved on and this year, he’s celebrating 25 years on stage, with performances around the world.
“This kid coming from lowa, I couldn’t have imagined that this would take me all over the world the way it has.”
Pablo lives on in the family. “We named our dog after him!
“I also probably wouldn’t have met my wife, who I met singing. I don’t know if my kids would be here.
“It was just a way of honouring this guy who came into my life and it changed it forever.”
September 18, 2024
This October, Eric Cutler makes his highly anticipated return to the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, taking on a signature role: Florestan in Beethoven’s Fidelio. Directed by Tobias Kratzer, this production explores themes of freedom, justice, and the transformative power of love, while questioning when political inaction crosses into complicity.
Mr. Cutler is joined by Jennifer Davis, who portrays the fearless Leonore (Fidelio), Peter Rose as Rocco, Christina Gansch as Marzelline, and Jochen Schmeckenbecher as Don Pizarro. Conductor Alexander Soddy leads the orchestra in this powerful and thought-provoking take on Beethoven’s only opera.
The performances are scheduled for October 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, and 26.
August 21, 2024
Eric Cutler launches his 2024/25 season as the featured tenor soloist in Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with the Staatskapelle Berlin, conducted by Susanna Mälkki. These highly anticipated concerts, performed across Germany and Switzerland, also features mezzo-soprano Wiebke Lehmkuhl. The performances begin at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin on September 2 and 4, with the program including the German premiere of Kaija Saariaho’s HUSH, a trumpet concerto featuring Verneri Pohjola.
The tour continues at the renowned Lucerne Festival on September 8, where Mälkki and the Staatskapelle Berlin will present Mahler’s Blumine alongside Das Lied von der Erde. The final performance will take place at the Kölner Philharmonie on September 9, reprising the original Berlin program.
July 6, 2024
Eric Cutler reprises the role of Erik in Der Fliegende Holländer at the renowned Bayreuth Festival on August 1, 8, and 11. The festival, established by Richard Wagner in 1876, is an annual celebration dedicated to his operatic masterpieces, attracting music enthusiasts from around the globe to the historic Bayreuth Festspielhaus.
Joining Mr. Cutler is an exceptional cast featuring Michael Volle as the Dutchman, Georg Zeppenfeld as Daland, Elisabeth Teige as Senta, Nadine Weissmann as Mary, and Matthew Newlin as the Steersman. Directed by Dmitri Tcherniakov, this production, which premiered in 2021, reimagines the Dutchman as a vengeful man returning to his hometown, haunted by childhood trauma. Oksana Lyniv leads from the podium.
The performance on August 1 will be broadcast live on BR-Klassik.
May 23, 2024
This June, Eric Cutler will reprise the role of Florestan opposite Jacquelyn Wagner as Leonore in Beethoven’s Fidelio at the Dutch National Opera. He has previously sung this role to great acclaim in Vienna, Hamburg, and Stuttgart.
A highlight of this year’s Holland Festival, Andriy Zholdak’s innovative new production employs visual symbolism to delve into the inner struggle between good and evil. The phenomenal cast also includes Mark Kurmanbayev as Don Fernando, James Creswell as Rocco, Nicholas Brownlee as Don Pizarro, Anna El-Khashem as Marzelline, Linard Vrielink as Jaquino, Stefan Kennedy as the First Prisoner, and Peter Arink as the Second Prisoner. Under the baton of Andrés Orozco-Estrada, the Dutch National Opera Chorus and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra will help bring Beethoven’s magnificent score to life.
Performances are scheduled for June 5, 9, 11, 17, 19 and 23.
April 19, 2024
On May 5 and 20, Eric Cutler will revisit the role of Siegmund in Wagner’s Die Walküre with the Zurich Opera, reprising his debut performances from the fall of 2022 in Andreas Homoki’s production.
The stellar cast includes Christof Fischesser as Hunding, Tomasz Konieczny as Wotan, Daniela Köhler as Sieglinde, Claudia Mahnke as Fricka, Camilla Nylund as Brünnhilde, and a talented ensemble featuring Sarah Cambidge, Ann-Kathrin Niemczyk, Barbara Senator, Anna Werle, Simone McIntosh, Siena Licht Miller, Michal Doron, and Noa Beinart in supporting roles. Maestro Giandrea Noseda will lead from the podium.
March 10, 2024
On March 23, 27, 30, and April 2, Eric Cutler will reprise the role of Der Kaiser in Die Frau ohne Schatten at Semperoper Dresden. In this vibrant reinterpretation, director David Bösch skillfully accentuates the distinct realms of the Barak family and the Emperor and Empress, while also amplifying the importance of the nurse’s character through visually captivating techniques.
Mr Cutler will share the stage with an incredible cast that includes Oleksandr Pushniak as Barak, Camilla Nylund as Die Kaiserin, Miina-Liisa Värelä as Barak’s Frau, Evelyn Herlitzius as Die Amme, and Andreas Bauer Kanabas as Der Geisterbote, among others. Christian Thielemann conducts.
October 11, 2023
This autumn, Eric Cutler takes on the title role of Les Contes d’Hoffmann at Semperoper Dresden. Renowned for his portrayal of Hoffmann, his interpretation of the enigmatic character has graced the stages of numerous prestigious opera houses worldwide. His exceptional audio-visual recording of the opera at Teatro Real, released on the Bel Air Classiques label, garnered acclaim from Gramophone Magazine, which lauded him as “all vocal ease, elegance and passion.”
Johannes Erath’s production has received high praise for its strong emphasis on theatrical elements, featuring set designs by Heike Scheele and Norman Heinrich, costume designs by Gesine Völlm, lighting designs by Fabio Antoci, and video projections by Alexander Scherpink. In addition to Cutler, the incredible cast features Štěpánka Pučálková as Niklausse/The Muse, Kathryn Lewek as Olympia, Hrachuhí Bassénz as Antonia, Magdalena Anna Hofmann as Giulietta, Egils Silins as Lindorf/Coppélius/Dr Miracle/Dapertutto, Aaron Pegram as Andrès/Cochenille/Pitichinaccio/Frantz, Tilmann Rönnebeck as Luther, Ilya Silchuk as Hermann, Simeon Esper as Nathanaël, Jürgen Müller as Spalanzani, Tilmann Rönnebeck as Crespel, Michal Doron as Antonia’s Mother, Ilya Silchuk as Schlémil, and Reinhold Schreyer-Morlock as Wilhelm. Frédéric Chaslin leads from the podium.
The performances are on October 31, November 4, 8, and 16.
September 12, 2023
Commencing his 23/24 season, Eric Cutler returns to the role of Erik in Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer at the prestigious Bayerische Staatsoper. Cutler, who delivered a remarkable performance as Erik at The Metropolitan Opera last season, garnered high praise from Bachtrack:
“As Erik, the hunter who wants to marry Senta, Eric Cutler endowed the role with uncommon pathos, his vibrant, highly polished tenor displaying gorgeous tone and elegantly expressive phrasing. His third act cavatina “Willst jenes tag du nicht mehr entsinnen”, in which he recalls their past happiness together and seeks assurance of her love, was heartbreaking”
This provocative production by Peter Konwitschny will also star Iain Paterson as the Dutchman, Ain Anger as Daland, Jennifer Holloway as Senta, Victoria Karkacheva as Mary, and Tansel Akzeybek as the Steersman. Lothar Koenigs leads from the podium.
Performances are scheduled for October 13, 16, 19, and 22.
June 1, 2023
“The clear thrust of Eric Cutler’s tenor gave the role of Erik, Senta’s abandoned lover, unusual poignancy.”
The New York Times
“Not to be overlooked was tenor Eric Cutler (in his first Met performance since 2013) as Erik, matching his cohorts vocally with truly elegant singing. Of the main characters, Erik gets two solo passages including “Mein Herz, voll Treue bis zum Sterben,” and “Willst jenes Tags du nicht dich mehr entsinnen.” Both are passionate appeals to Senta and Cutler delivered both with vocal intensity, albeit different in character. “Mein Herz” was forceful and imposing, his sound fresh and booming in this early aria. But he also managed sweet diminuendo on the F# fermatas, even adding in a gentle portamento down to the slurred D natural in the phrase that silkily launched the ensuing piano passage.”
Operawire
“Tenor Erik Cutler showed a lovely, high tone and graceful, expressive phrasing as Erik, the sailor who promises himself to Senta.”
New York Classical Review
“Vocally, the evening belonged to Eric Cutler, returning to the Met after a ten-year absence, during which the American tenor has retooled as a heldentenor. Cutler retains the flexibility and legato that served him well for years as a bel canto specialist, and his voice has gained in volume and dark coloring. He brought these qualities to the role of Erik, who finds himself abandoned by his betrothed Senta in her quest to save the Dutchman’s soul. A committed actor, he communicated an aching tenderness in his last-act aria imploring Senta to resume their relationship.”
Parterre
“This year, the finest overall singing again came from the Erik: Iowan tenor Eric Cutler, who in the decade since last at the Met has built up his light instrument into a reportedly excellent Lohengrin and Ariadne Bacchus. He sang Erik with rare command and security and acted with commitment…”
Wagner Notes
May 13, 2023
This spring, Eric Cutler takes on the role of Erik in the upcoming production of Der Fliegende Holländer at The Metropolitan Opera. Under the baton of conductor Thomas Guggeis, Cutler brings his exceptional artistry to this captivating production, with direction by the talented Francois Girard whose visionary approach seamlessly combines powerful storytelling, breathtaking visuals, and the iconic score of Wagner. Mr. Cutler shares the stage with esteemed colleagues including Elza van den Heever as Senta, Tomasz Konieczny as the Dutchman, Dmitry Belosselskiy as Daland, and Richard Trey Smagur as Steuermann.
The performances are scheduled for May 30, June 3, 7, and 10.
April 2, 2023
This month, Eric Cutler returns to Bayerische Staatsoper as Max in Dmitri Tcherniakov’s new production of Der Freischütz. Mr. Cutler shares the stage with Andrew Hamilton as Ottokar, Bálint Szabó as Kuno, Julia Kleiter as Agathe, Mirjam Mesak as Ännchen, Nicholas Brownlee as Kaspar/Samiel, Wilhelm Schwinghammer as the Hermit, and Milan Siljanov as Kilian. Lothar Koenigs conducts.
Performances are on April 16. 19, 22, and 25.
October 25, 2022
On November 9, 11, 14 and 17, Eric Cutler joins the Vienna State Opera for his company debut as Bacchus in Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos. Mr. Cutler sang his first performances of the role at Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in 2018, earning rave reviews and cementing him as one of today’s leading tenors in the Germanic repertoire.
“… Eric Cutler, once again proving himself a Straussian tenor of distinction. He sang his punishing music as if it were the easiest thing in the world. Where so many before have run out of gas, he had room to spare. He was also able to pull back and shade the tone ravishingly. The final few minutes saw Cutler opening up and soaring on high in the most memorable way.”(Operatraveller)
Presented initially to Viennese audiences in 2012, Sven-Eric Bechtolf’s staging brings an intimacy to the light-hearted work with minimalistic set design by Rolf Glittenberg and effective costuming by Marianne Glittenberg. This production will also feature Camilla Nylund as Ariadne, Christina Bock as Komponist, Caroline Wettergreen as Zerbinetta, Thomas Eberstein as Tanzmeister, and Michael Arivony as Harlekin, among others. Thomas Guggeis conducts.
September 2, 2022
Eric Cutler will begin his 2022-23 season with a highly anticipated role debut as Siegmund in Die Walküre with Zürich Opera. He has previously sung leading Wagnerian roles such as Erik in Der fliegende Holländer and the titular character of Lohengrin with several internationally renowned companies including the Bayreuth Festival, Houston Grand Opera, La Monnaie and Vienna State Opera.
This new production marks the second installment of Andreas Homoki’s Ring Cycle for Zürich which will be musically led by the renowned conductor, Gianandrea Noseda. Mr. Cutler will share the stage with Christof Fischesser as Hunding, Tomasz Konieczny as Wotan, Daniela Köhler as Sieglinde, Patricia Bardon as Fricka, Camilla Nylund as Brünnhilde, Sarah Cambidge as Helmwige, Julie Adams as Gerhilde, Justyna Bluj as Ortlinde, Anna Werle as Waltraute, Simone McIntosh as Siegrune, Susannah Haberfeld as Rosweisse, Freya Apffelstaedt as Grimgerde and Nana Dzidziguri as Schweiterleite.
Performances will take place on Sept 18, 21, 29, October 2, 5, 8 and 18.
September 1, 2022
Today, the 72 recordings that form the second round of the Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2022 are revealed in a free-to-view digital magazine. From this list of celebrated recordings, an album will be chosen as the winner in each of the 11 recording categories, and from that shortlist, a single album will be named ‘Recording of the Year’ on October 4.
August 30, 2022
“Dès lors, son duo avec l’Erik d’Eric Cutler sera d’une puissance terrassante : lui, tout aussi ardent, tempérament excessif, impatient, exigeant, jaloux, jouant d’une voix de ténor certes, mais charnue et dense, de telle sorte qu’on a le sentiment d’entendre là deux forces vitales s’affronter.”
Forum Opéra