Lyric tenor JASON KARN (Spoletta) has impressed critics and audiences alike with his vibrant bright tone and dramatic characterizations. In his first season with the Pittsburgh Opera Center he covered the Duke in Rigoletto, sang Scaramuccio in Ariadne auf Naxos, and sang Spoletta in Tosca. Next season he will return to sing Tamino in The Magic Flute and the Novice in Billy Budd. He performed Alfredo in Opera Carolina's January 2006 production of La traviata.

In August 2005, he completed the summer program with San Francisco Opera's prestigious Merola Program, where he performed Tom Rakewell to rave reviews in Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress. Karn was selected as an Apprentice Artist for the 2004 Chautauqua Opera Festival. He also performed in two concerts with the Chautauqua Festival Orchestra, conducted by Julius Rudel and Timothy Muffitt.

In 2003, he debuted with Opera Carolina in the North Carolina premiere of Cold Sassy Tree. Karn has since returned multiple times, singing Remendado in Carmen, Malcolm in Macbeth, and the First Armored Guard in Die Zauberflöte, in which he also covered Tamino.

Karn has performed the role of Tamino for Granite State and Natchez Operas, and Lt. Joseph Cable in Opera Boston's South Pacific on the USS Cassin Young in the Boston Naval Yard. Karn holds degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

06/06