Daniel Belcher

Baritone

Baritone Daniel Belcher, described as having “considerable acting talents” (Deseret News) and heralded for giving “powerful, convincing” portrayals by Opera News Online, took home a Grammy Award in 2011 for his recording of the leading role of Jaufré Rudel in Kaija Saariaho's L'Amour de Loin by Harmonia Mundi in the Best Opera Recording category.

Engagements on the operatic stage during the 2012 - 13 season include Taddeo in L’Italiana in Algeri with Houston Grand Opera, Papageno in Die Zauberflote with Utah Opera, Mercutio in Romeo et Juliette with Colorado Opera, Figaro in Il Nozze di Figaro with Florentine Opera and Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Central City Opera.  On the concert stage he joins Lyric Opera of Baltimore for a Bel Canto concert and De Camera of Houston for a world premiere by Kaija Saariaho.

During the 2011-12 season, Mr. Belcher portrayed Mercutio in Romeo et Juliette with La Asociacion Bilbaina de Amigos de La Opera in Bilbao, Spain, Chou En-Lai in Nixon in China with Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and Dandini in La Cenerentola with Madison Opera: “If there was a surprise show stealer, it was Daniel Belcher in the role of Dandini...Belcher displayed some spot-on comic contributions as well as some physical gifts.” (Madison Magazine)  He ended the season at De Nederlandse Opera portraying Robert F. Kennedy in the World Premiere of Robin de Raaff’s Waiting for Miss Monroe.  

Engagements during the 2010–11 season included the World Premiere of Luigi Cherubini’s Koukourgi, as well as performances with Florentine Opera as Taddeo in L’Italiana in Algeri,   and Central City Opera in role debuts of Gianni Schicchi and the Husband in Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tirésias.  He joined Opera Colorado as Dandini in La Cenerentola where it was reported “The cast is outstanding, especially Belcher. His comical Dandini is completely at ease, thoroughly enjoying switching roles with the Prince” by the Denver Performing Arts Examiner.

During the 2009–10 season, Mr. Belcher appeared as 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.  He was absolutely wonderful in this role, bringing his considerable acting talents to good use in this production.”

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. 

Mr. Belcher has portrayed 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 60^th 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. 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 by the 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. 

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.

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, and made his Carnegie Hall debut as a soloist in Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem with New York Choral Society.

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.