Brandon Jovanovich

Tenor

Praised by The Wall Street Journal for his “ardent, heroic tenor and strong acting,” Brandon Jovanovich is sought after by the world’s finest opera companies for his passionate stage portrayals of leading roles in French, Italian, German, and Slavic opera.

In the 2015-2016 season, Mr. Jovanovich returns to Opernhaus Zürich for his role debuts as the Tambourmajor in a new production of Berg’s Wozzeck directed by Andreas Homoki and conducted by Fabio Luisi, and as Hermann in Robert Carsen’s production of Tchaikovsky’s Pique Dame conducted by Michail Jurowski. Mr. Jovanovich also makes his role debut as Walther von Stolzing in Sir David McVicar’s production of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg at San Francisco Opera under the baton of Sir Mark Elder, and his company debut in the same role with Opéra National de Paris under the baton of Philippe Jordan. He will return to the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich as the Chevalier des Grieux in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut by Hans Neuenfels, conducted by Asher Fisch, and as Don José in Bizet’s Carmen under the baton of Dan Ettinger. Mr. Jovanovich concludes his season with his company debut at Opera Australia as Don José in a new production of Carmen.

Mr. Jovanovich’s 2014-2015 season featured performances at San Francisco Opera as Sam in Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah in a new production by Michael Cavanagh, the Metropolitan Opera as Sergei in Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk under the baton of James Conlon and as Don José in Carmen conducted by Pablo Heras-Casado, Lyric Opera of Chicago as Walter in Chicago’s highly-anticipated production of Mieczyslaw Weinberg’s The Passenger, and Opernhaus Zürich as Florestan in Beethoven’s Fidelio at under the baton of Fabio Luisi. His orchestral engagements included Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony, both under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas, concert performances of Fidelio with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony, Janáček’s Glagolitic Mass with Jiří Bělohlávek and the Czech Philharmonic at Vienna’s Musikverein, and Act I of Puccini’s Tosca opposite Sondra Radvanovsky and Bryn Terfel with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the Tanglewood Festival.

Highlights of Mr. Jovanovich’s recent seasons include the Prince in Sir David McVicar’s new production of Rusalka at Lyric Opera of Chicago; Don José in Carmen at LA Opera conducted by Plácido Domingo, The Dallas Opera conducted by Emmanuel Villaume, Opernhaus Zürich conducted by Vasily Petrenko, and in a new production at Houston Grand Opera; the title role of Lohengrin at San Francisco Opera conducted by Nicola Luisotti; Florestan in a new production of Fidelio by Andreas Homoki at Opernhaus Zürich, conducted by Fabio Luisi, and at the Verbier Festival under the baton of Marc Minkowski; Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly at LA Opera; the Chevalier des Grieux in Manon Lescaut at La Monnaie in Brussels; and Sergei in a new production of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk with Opernhaus Zürich. Recent concert work includes appearances with the Gürzenich-Orchester Köln under the baton of Markus Stenz, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Millennium Park series, and the title role in a concert production of Lohengrin at Festival International de Lanaudière conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.  

Mr. Jovanovich made role debuts in Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen as Froh (Rheingold) and Siegmund (Die Walküre) with the San Francisco Opera in 2011 in the highly acclaimed production by Francesca Zambello, under the baton of Donald Runnicles, and his U.K. debut at the Glyndebourne Festival as Don José in David McVicar’s production of Carmen, conducted by Stéphane Denève. He later returned to Glyndebourne to sing the Prince in Dvořák’s Rusalka which was released as a live recording on Glyndebourne’s independent label.

Other career highlights include Les Contes d’Hoffmann at Teatro alla Scala; Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos with the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Boston Lyric Opera; Don José in Carmen with Deutsche Oper Berlin, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Bayerische Staatsoper, and the Metropolitan Opera; the title role in Don Carlos with Houston Grand Opera; the title role in Peter Grimes at Teatro di San Carlo in Naples; and Cavaradossi in Tosca with the Canadian Opera Company, Oper Köln, Seattle Opera, l’Opéra National de Bordeaux, de Vlaamse Opera, and the Bregenz Festival, which was featured in the James Bond film Quantum of Solace. Mr. Jovanovich’s Pinkerton has been seen at Santa Fe Opera, The Dallas Opera, New York City Opera, LA Opera, and San Francisco Opera, where it was broadcast in high-definition in movie theatres across the United States.

A native of Billings, MT, Brandon Jovanovich received his training at Northern Arizona University and Manhattan School of Music. He was the recipient of the 2007 Richard Tucker Award and was twice a New York City district winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He was a founding member of the Seattle Young Artists program and was a member of the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice program, where he was given the Anna Mackay Case Award. He won the Crawley Award from the Young Patronesses of the Opera/Florida Grand Opera Voice Competition and in 2004 he was given the prestigious ARIA Award.