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About

 COLIN

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In The

PRESS

"Colin Levin in the title role was the most natural actor...vocally strong from top to bottom."

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Colin's

BIOGRAPHY

American Baritone Colin Levin continues to explore a diverse array of vocal literature in both North American and Europe, ranging from the very physical character roles of opera to the ambitious vocal writing of the concert repertoire. He specializes in the performance of Nordic vocal literature, with a focus on Icelandic repertory. Recent seasons have additionally witnessed him performing the lyric baritone roles of Mozart, Rossini, Puccini, and Britten while also participating in the creation of new works.

 

The 2024-2025 season includes a return to Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall as the Baritone soloist in Mozart Coronation Mass with the New York City Chamber Orchestra and Masterwork Festival Chorus presented by Manhattan Concert Productions; creating the lead role of Elisha Kent Kane in the professional premier of Michael Dellaira’s (US) Opera Arctic Explorations as a co-production between the Cell Theater, New Amsterdam Singers, and members of the Harlem Chambers Players in New York City; and Nordic art music recitals with Evan Fein with the Summartónar Festival throughout the Faroe Islands featuring the song cycle Things That Are Rare by Griffin Candey (US)/Richie Hofmann written for Levin, the Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study in Seattle, WA, and a return to Victor Borge Hall at Scandinavia House in New York City, including North American art song premiers by Sunleif Rasmussen (FO). In the Fall, Levin performs in Glasgow and Edinburgh, Scotland with Nordic Music Days in the work New Words/New Instruments/New Duos composed for Levin including collaborating with composers Stuart MacRae (GB-SCT), Tine Surel Lange (NO), Nino Håkansson (SE), Stefan Sand Groves (DK), and Clare Johnston (GB-SCT). Levin additionally will be a Nordic diction coach for performances of Ibsen/Grieg's Peer Gynt and Sibelius' The Origin of Fire with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

 

Levin frequently performs with composer/pianist Evan Fein in Nordic art music recitals. Appearances include those with the Við Djúpið Festival in Ísafjörður, Iceland, featuring the premier of Halldór Smárason’s song cycle Fjallkonuljóð written for Levin, the 15:15 Tónleikasyrpan in Reykjavík, Iceland, Tónlistarmiðstöð Austurlands in Eskifjörður, Iceland, the Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study in both Austin, TX and Puerto Rico, and at Victor Borge Hall at Scandinavia House in New York City. Levin additionally has appeared in Nordic art music recitals at the Centre for Scandinavian Studies Copenhagen-Lund-Hankuk in Lund, Sweden, and the Nordisk Sångfestival in Trollhättan, Sweden.

 

Levin has an extensive history of collaborating with composers. Significant premiers include Manfred Lewin in the East Coast professional premiere of Jake Heggie's theatrical song cycle with chorus For a Look or a Touch at Jordan Hall with the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus which he prepared with Mr. Heggie; George Washington in the World Premier of the Opera Chilltown Boogie by Alon Nechushtan (ISRL)/Jenny Cresswell with Con Vivo Music, the cover of the lead role Charles Darwin in the World Premier of the Opera Southern Crossings by Zaid Jabri (SY/PL)/Yvette Christiansen at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater in New York City, the cover of the lead role Victor in Buried Alive by Jeff Myers (US)/Quincy Long and The Producer in Embedded by Patrick Soluri (US)/Deborah Brevoort both with Fargo-Moorhead Opera; and the Purchase of Manhattan by Joseph Bruchac/Brent Michael Davids with Center for Contemporary Opera. He has premiered art songs written for him by Griffin Candey (US), Ben Lunn (GB-SCT), Halldór Smárason (IS), in addition to North American art song premiers by Eli Tausen á Lava (FO) and Fredrik Österling (SE).

 

Levin made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2018 as the Baritone soloist in Mark Hayes’ Gloria conducted by the composer presented by Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY), and subsequently returned to Stern Auditorium as the Baritone soloist in both the Faure Requiem with DCINY and in Giovanni Battista Martini's Domine ad adjuvandum me festina with the New England Symphonic Ensemble presented by MidAmerica Productions. He has appeared frequently with the Boston University Tanglewood Chorus at Ozawa Hall as the Baritone soloist in Carmina Burana, Mozart Requiem, and Chichester Psalms. He additionally has appeared as a soloist with the Chatham Chorale, Rhode Island Civic Chorale and Orchestra, State Symphonic Orchestra of Michoacán, Hillyer Festival Orchestra, Salem Philharmonic, Ensemble for the Romantic Century, and the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra in works including J.S. Bach Weihnachtsoratorium, Mozart Mass in C Minor, Saint-Saëns Oratorio de Noël, Beethoven Mass in C Major, Ein Deutsches Requiem, Donizetti Misere, Vaughan-William Five Mystical Songs and Dona Nobis Pacem, Finzi In Terra Pax, Mozart Coronation Mass, Schubert Mass in G MajorMessiah, and Dover Beach.

 

Operatic performances include Papageno in The Magic Flute with Opera on the James, both Pierre Birabeau/Red Shadow in Sigmund Romberg’s The Desert Song and Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Winter Opera St. Louis, Schaunard in La Bohème with both Opera Roanoke and Opera Connecticut, Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus with Fargo-Moorhead Opera, Taddeo in L’italiana in Algeri with Opera Company of Middlebury, Silvio in Pagliacci with the Martha Cardona Opera, and the lead role of Thomas Brown in Sullivan's The Zoo, Merriman in Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s The Importance of Being Earnest, and Silas Simkins in Edward German’s Merrie England (Covid-19 Cancellation) all with Odyssey Opera, in addition to previously covering the title role in Hindemith’s Cardillac with Opera Boston. He has additionally appeared in principal roles and covers with Opera Fayetteville, Gotham Chamber Opera, Marble City Opera, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

 

Levin participated in Young Artist Programs with the Caramoor Festival, Opera on the James, Fargo-Moorhead Opera, St. Petersburg Opera, Opera New Jersey, and the Castleton Festival, with whom he traveled to the Royal Opera House Muscat Oman. Levin holds degrees from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the University of Illinois: Urbana-Champaign, and Rutgers University; he additionally studied the Icelandic language at Háskólasetur Vestfjarða/University of the Westfjords. He appears as Merriman under Maestro Gil Rose on the 2020 world premiere recording of Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s The Importance of Being Earnest on the BMOP Label, and is an American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) Fellow.

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Coming up

NEXT

Abstract Structure

Upcoming Spring 2024

March

Professional Premier

Elisha Kent Kane

Arctic Explorations (Michael Dellaira)

Co-production between the Cell Theater, New Amsterdam Singers, and members of the Harlem Chambers Players

New York, NY

April

Baritone Soloist 

Coronation Mass (Mozart)

New York City Chamber Orchestra

and Masterwork Festival Chorus

Manhattan Concert Productions

Carnegie Hall

New York, NY

May

Nordic Art Song Recitals

with Pianist Evan Fein

Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Studies

Seattle, WA

Victor Borge Hall at Scandinavia House

New York, NY

Abstract Structure

Get in

TOUCH

Colin is represented by Wade Artist Management. For all booking inquiries, please contact WAM, which can be reached by clicking the button below. 

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