About Me
Thomas Studebaker has established himself as a powerful Heldentenor, having appeared with many of the world鈥檚 leading orchestras and opera companies since 1995.
Highlights of Mr. Studebaker鈥檚 orchestral engagements include Beethoven鈥檚 Symphony No. 9 with both the London Philharmonic Orchestra and New York Philharmonic with conductor Kurt Masur, the WDR Orchestra in Cologne under Semyon Bychkov, the New York Philharmonic with Lorin Maazel, the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam with Edo de Waart, as well as with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony, and the Israel Philharmonic. He has sung Waldemar in Sch枚nberg鈥檚 Gurrelieder with the Nagoya Philharmonic, the Tokyo Symphony and the American Symphony Orchestra at the Bard Festival, Beethoven鈥檚 Missa Solemnis with the London Philharmonic and Kurt Masur, and Max Bruch鈥檚 Moses with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra.
Mr. Studebaker made his debut as Siegmund in Die Walk眉re at New Orleans Opera and has since repeated the role at Lyric Opera of Chicago and at the famed Teatro Col贸n in Buenos Aires under the direction of Charles Dutoit. He has sung Narraboth in Salome for the Santa Fe Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Seattle Opera, and L鈥橭p茅ra de Montreal, sang the title role in Act II of Parsifal with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Jes煤s L贸pez Cobos, was Froh in Das Rheingold in Seattle, Max in Der Freisch眉tz with the Opera Orchestra of New York at Carnegie Hall, sang Erik in Der fliegende Holl盲nder with the Pittsburgh Opera and Opera Australia, and in concert with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony, was Tichon in K谩t鈥檃 Kabanov谩 for L鈥橭p茅ra de Montreal and the Florida Grand Opera, the Drum Major in Wozzeck at the Teatro Municipal in Santiago, and has sung Melot in Tristan und Isolde with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Esa-Pekka Salonen, the New York Philharmonic with Kurt Masur, L鈥橭rchestre Symphonique de Montr茅al with Kent Nagano, and the Metropolitan Opera with conductor James Levine.
He joined soprano Christine Brewer in a duo recital in New York City as part of the prestigious George London Foundation recital series, and Deborah Voigt for the first act of Wagner鈥檚 Die Walk眉re as part of a Boston Lyric Opera Gala Concert.
Thomas Studebaker joined the Metropolitan Opera Young Artist Development Program in the 1996-97 season, and has performed several roles with that company, including Heinrich der Schreiber in Tannh盲user, Melot in Tristan und Isolde, Count of Lerma in Don Carlo, Ruiz in Il Trovatore, First Noble in Lohengrin, the First Armed Man in Die Zauberfl枚te, and Moser in Die Meistersinger von N眉rnberg. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut in September 1997 as the Officer in Ariadne auf Naxos.
Originally a baritone, Mr. Studebaker made his debut as tenor in the Opera Theatre of St. Louis 20th Anniversary Gala in the spring of 1995. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and Illinois State University, Mr. Studebaker was chosen by the Opera Theatre of St. Louis as the recipient of a grant from the Richard Gaddes Fund for Young Singers, and was awarded a Robert M. Jacobson Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Music Foundation in 1996. During the spring of 1998, Mr. Studebaker also received the Kirsten Flagstad Memorial Award from the George London Foundation, and a Career Grant from the Richard Tucker Music Foundation.