Brian Chu - Baritone

Email: chu@rowan.edu

Acclaimed by the Washington Post for his "sterling performances", baritone Brian Ming Chu has established himself onstage and in recital as a dynamic interpreter of music from the Baroque to the 21st century. Hailed for his "rich and resonant voice" an impressive performer of wide range, agility, and expressive storytelling ability" [Monterey Herald], he has been a featured soloist with The King's Noyse, Washington's Cathedral Choral Society, Orchestra of the 17th Century, Princeton's Dryden Ensemble, Piffaro, Hesperus, the Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia, and Brandywine Baroque. Mr. Chu has appeared at the Caramoor and Carmel Bach Festivals, and has sung roles under the baton of repertoire specialists William Christie, Will Crutchfield and Peter Schreier. His interpretations encompass the oratorio repertory, with repeat appearances in the title role of Mendelssohn's Elijah (with Rowan's Concert Choir in 2007), the Bach Passions and solo cantatas, Haydn's Creation, the Brahms, Faur? and Mozart Requiems, Monteverdi's 1610 Vespers, and performances of Handel's Messiah on three continents. Recent orchestral credits include Orff's Carmina Burana and Vaughan Williams' Dona nobis pacem, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Mahler's Knaben Wunderhorn and Wayfarer songs, and the orchestral songs of Jean Sibelius. Mr. Chu has also been the resident baritone soloist for the Bach Festival of Philadelphia's monthly cantata series. Mr. Chu has performed numerous roles with opera companies in Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Baltimore, including signature appearances as Marcello in La Boh?me, Leporello in Don Giovanni, Morales in Carmen and the title role in Rossini's The Barber of Seville. As a resident studio artist with the Baltimore Opera Company he has sung roles in Lakm?, Salome, La scala di seta, Madama Butterfly and Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. A gifted recitalist and advocate for new music, Mr. Chu has appeared in concert at Carnegie's Weill Hall and Merkin Hall in New York, the Zoellner Arts Center (PA), the Phillips Collection in DC, as well as at the Myrna Loy Center in Helena. He has premiered music of emergent American composers such as Aaron Jay Kernis, Lori Laitman, Douglas Ovens and William Bolcom. His chamber music engagements in recent seasons include Vaughan Williams' Five Mystical Songs, Ravel's Chansons mad?casses, and a staged production of Wolf's Italienisches Liederbuch in Dallas. Past recital engagements have taken him on tour to Rome, Buenos Aires, Istanbul, and as a US Embassy Cultural Artist performing opera in West Africa.