Daniel Belcher

Baritone

Baritone Daniel Belcher is described as having a voice “of beautiful melting sweetness…” (Süddeutsche Zeitung) and the theatrical talent “to create a first-rate portrayal that drew the listener more and more into the hopes and despair of his character.” (The Houston Chronicle)

Mr. Belcher joins the Stadttheater Klagenfurt during the 2010-11 season for the World Premiere of Luigi Cherubini’s Koukourgi, Florentine Opera as Taddeo in L’Italiana in Algeri, Opera Colorado as Dandini in La Cenerentola and Central City Opera in role debuts of Gianni Schicchi and the Husband in Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tirésias. Future seasons include engagements with Houston Grand Opera and a World Premiere for De Nederlandse Opera and the Holland Festival in Amsterdam, among others.

During the 2009-10 season, Mr. Belcher appeared as Captain Corcoran in HMS Pinafore with Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Portland Opera, and Taddeo in L’Italiana in Algeri with Utah Symphony & Opera where The Deseret News said “Stealing the show was baritone Daniel Belcher as the timid Taddeo, a suitor of Isabella who is passed off as her uncle.  He was absolutely wonderful in this role, bringing his considerable acting talents to good use in this production.”  In addition, he recently recorded the leading role of Jaufré Rudel in Kaija Saariaho’s L’Amour de Loin with Harmonia Mundi, conducted by Kent Nagano.  Opera News said “Belcher gives a powerful, convincing portrayal of Jaufré, capturing expertly the troubadour’s mercurial disposition.”  Among accolades in Europe, the recording received the Diapason d’Or award from Diapason in October 2009.

In the 2008-09 season, Mr. Belcher performed Marcello in La Bohème with Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Taddeo in L’Italiana in Algeri with Opera Company of Philadelphia, and Ned Keene in Peter Grimes for his debut with the Grand Théâtre de Genève.  In concert he performed with Kansas City Chamber Orchestra and made his Carnegie Hall debut as a soloist in Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem with New York Choral Society.

Recent notable engagements include a return to San Francisco Opera for performances of Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, his debut at the Stadttheater Klagenfurt, Austria as Orfeo in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, Dandini in Rossini’s La Cenerentola with Utah Opera and Opera Company of Philadelphia, Il Barbiere di Siviglia at both Lyric Opera of Kansas City and Milwaukee’s Florentine Opera, and a role debut as Britten’s Billy Budd with Houston Grand Opera, for which he received critical acclaim.

Past engagements also include Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia in Tokyo with Japan’s New National Theater, the Fauré Requiem for Seiji Ozawa’s Saito Kinen Festival to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Hiroshima, the title role of Handel’s Imeneo for Opera Ireland, and staged performances of Carmina Burana for the first St. Gallen Festspiele, marking his debut in Switzerland. He created the role of John Brooke in Adamo’s Little Women with the Houston Grand Opera Studio, which was recorded for a national PBS telecast for Great Performances and released on CD by Ondine.  He has since reprised the role with New York City Opera in New York and Japan, Fort Worth Opera, Kentucky Opera, and Central City Opera.  In addition, he portrayed Jaufré Rudel in L’Amour de Loin by Kaija Saariaho with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester in Berlin and the Théâtre de Châtelet in Paris, and the title role of Monteverdi’s Orfeo with Opera Atelier, a company with which he has also performed Mozart’s Figaro, Don Giovanni in Seoul, Korea and throughout Japan, and the role of Orestes in Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride.

His highly acclaimed Paris debut came at the Châtelet as Prior Walter in the World Premiere of Peter Eötvös’s opera Angels in America for which London’s The Guardian declared “Daniel Belcher’s Prior is the kind of powerhouse stuff that indicates a star in the making.”  For his performance he received Le Cercle International des Amis et Mécènes du Châtelet Award (International Circle of Friends and Patrons of Théâtre du Châtelet, CIAM).  Mr. Belcher’s UK debut was as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte at both the Garsington Festival and at the Barbican Mostly Mozart Festival.  He also performed Mercutio in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette at Houston Grand Opera. 

Mr. Belcher has a very close relationship with Houston Grand Opera and was a member of the HGO Studio as a young artist.  During that period, he appeared in a variety of works with the company including the World Premieres of Tod Machover’s Resurrection (recorded on the Ondine label) and Michael Daugherty’s Jackie O (released by Decca on the Argo label), Billy Budd, A Little Night Music, Carmen, Madama Butterfly, and Arabella. Additionally, he has performed the roles of Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Schaunard in La Bohème, and the title role in Monteverdi’s Orfeo. Papageno also served as his debut with the New York City Opera.

Mr. Belcher is one of the premiere interpreters of Rossini performing today,  and he is closely associated with the roles of Dandini in La Cenerentola and Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia. He has performed Dandini with San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and Opera Company of Philadelphia and Figaro with Arizona Opera, Lake George Opera, Opera Festival of New Jersey, and the Wolf Trap Opera. 

In addition to these Rossini performances, he sings a wide repertoire including the roles of Guglielmo in Così fan tutte with Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Harlekin in Ariadne auf Naxos with San Francisco Opera, Prince Paul in La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein with Opera Company of Philadelphia, Henry Cuffe in the American premiere of Britten’s Gloriana, Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus at Opera Columbus, Antonio in Reinhard Keiser’s Masaniello Furioso at the Stuttgart Opera, marking his European opera debut, and Gunther in Oscar Strauss’ operetta Sacré Siegfried at Opéra de Montpellier, which was the occasion of his French debut.

Active in concert work, Mr. Belcher has performed Carmina Burana with the Pacific Symphony in a program that also featured Copland’s Old American Songs, and Gounod’s St. Cecilia Mass and Vaughan Williams’ Hodie for performances in New York City. He was featured with the Houston Symphony Orchestra in concerts of Opera Favorites and made his National Symphony Orchestra in a concert titled “A Night in Vienna”. He returned to the NSO for an all-Bernstein concert.  He also debuted the Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Belcher is a recipient of a Robert Jacobson Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Foundation, a Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Shoshana Foundation for his work with Wolf Trap Opera and a winner of the Sullivan Foundation Award.  He received the Apprentice Grand Award from the Santa Fe Opera and the Young Artist Award and Outstanding Studio Artist Award from the Central City Opera.