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Craig Verm

About this Artist

Craig Verm is rapidly gaining recognition for his “resonant, expressive baritone voice” (Denver Post) and riveting dramatic portrayals.  In the 2013-14 season, he makes his debut at Seiji Ozawa’s Ongaku-juku Festival as the Count in Le nozze di Figaro and returns to Pittsburgh Opera for both Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, the Los Angeles Philharmonic for Glass’ the CIVIL WarS, and Gotham Chamber Opera for the lead baritone role in the world premiere of Lembit Beecher’s I Have No Stories to Tell You and Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda.  In addition, he joins Nashville Opera in a return to Zurga in Les pêcheur de perles.  In future seasons, he makes his debut with Dallas Opera creating the role of Doug Hanson in the world premiere of Talbot’s Everest and also returns to companies that include Opera Philadelphia, Nashville Opera, and Florentine Opera.  Last season, he made his Lyric Opera of Chicago debut as Albert in Werther and returned to the Teatro Municipal de Santiago for his first performances of the title role of Billy Budd, Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse as Sid in Albert Herring, and Florentine Opera for the Count in Le nozze di Figaro.  He joined Des Moines Metro Opera for Ned Keene in Peter Grimes as well as a return to Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette and Opera Philadelphia for Schaunard in La bohème.  On the concert stage, he sang William Schuman’s cantata, Casey at the Bat with the Reno Philharmonic and presented a solo recital at West Liberty University.

Mr. Verm enjoys a strong relationship with Pittsburgh Opera, where he has sung the lead baritone role of Tom Joad in Gordon’s The Grapes of Wrath, Zurga in Les pêcheur de perles, Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette, Ping in Turandot, Junius in The Rape of Lucretia, the Novice’s Friend in Billy Budd, Angelotti in Tosca as well as Guglielmo in student performances of Così fan tutte.  Other recent performances include Ramiro in L’heure espagnole with the Nationale Reisopera in the Netherlands; Escamillo in Carmen at the Teatro Municipal de Santiago; Marcello in La bohème, Minskman in Dove’s Flight, and Ping in Turandot with Austin Lyric Opera; Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas, and Adonis in Venus and Adonis with Florentine Opera; Sharpless in Madama Butterfly at Lyrique-en-Mer/Festival de Belle-Île; Joseph Pitt in Peter Eötvös’ Angels in America with Fort Worth Opera; the Miller in Montsalvatge’s El gato con botas with Gotham Chamber Opera; Astolfo in the world premiere of Lewis Spratlan’s Life is a Dream and Hermann in Les contes d’Hofmann with Santa Fe Opera; the Count in Le nozze di Figaro and Falke in Die Fledermaus with the Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh; and Guglielmo in Così fan tutte and the Forester in The Cunning Little Vixen with Aspen Opera Theater.  He has also previously joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic for Angelotti in Tosca, Marullo in Rigoletto, and the Mandarin in Turandot.

Equally adept within the realm of oratorio, his other concert appearances encompass performances of Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols with the Pittsburgh Symphony; Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra; Gounod’s Messe Solennelle de Sainte Cécile with Les Escales Musicales d’Evian; Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Alexandria Symphony, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass with the Boston Youth Symphony; Handel’s Messiah with the Rhode Island Philharmonic; Bach’s Mass in B minor at Portugal’s Aviero Music Festival; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 as a guest artist at Brown University; as well as Faure’s Requiem with the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony, and Schubert’s Mass in G and Rutter’s Mass of the Children with the Pittsburgh Concert Chorale.  He has also sung Haydn’s Creation with the Robert Page Festival Singers at the Virginia Arts Festival as well as on tour in Vienna and Budapest, Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfarer with the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, as well as performances of Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem.  He has also presented a previous solo recital under the auspices of the Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse.

He received his Master of Music from the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music where his performances included title role in Carlisle Floyd’s Markheim.  He was graduated cum laude from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.  He was also a 2006 national semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and is also a former member of the young artist programs of Santa Fe Opera and Cincinnati Opera.