Seth Carico
Hailed by Opera News as “powerful in both voice and bearing” and particularly noted for his commanding stage presence and expressive vocalism, bass-baritone Seth Carico is distinguishing himself internationally as an accomplished American singer. Opera Today praised “the dynamic presence of Carico, whose ringing baritone gave much pleasure.” He effortlessly capitalizes on his dramatic training, bringing a unique sensitivity to operatic characters at disparate ends of the theatrical spectrum. Carico’s 2020-2021 season included several important debuts, including Orest in Elektra with Stadttheater Klagenfurt, Fortnum Roscoe/Johnson Evesham in the world premiere of Dai Fujikura’s A Dream of Armageddon with New National Theatre Tokyo, and Tonio in Pagliacci with Aalto-Musiktheater Essen. This season, he returns to Deutsche Oper Berlin for Turnage’s Greek, makes his Dallas Opera debut as the Minskman in Flight, joins the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra Amsterdam as Astradamors in Le grand macabre and Snow Queen/Reindeer/Clock in The Snow Queen and makes his house and role debut as Don Giovanni with Dutch National Opera.
In recent seasons, Mr. Carico has built a robust repertoire with Deutsche Oper Berlin, where he was in the Ensemble from 2010-2019. With Deutsche Oper Berlin, he has performed Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Leporello in Don Giovanni, Sancho Pansa in Don Quichotte, The Doctor in Wozzeck, Kolenatý in The Makropulos Affair, Saint-Bris in Les Huguenots, The Traveler, et al. in Death in Venice, Oberthal in Le Prophete, Gunther in Götterdämmerung, Redburn in Billy Budd, the Police Commissioner in Lady Macbeth from Mtsensk, Klingsor in Parsifal, Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore, Sonora in La Fanciulla del West, Abimélech in Samson et Dalila, and Kassandra in Oresteia, a role for which he was nominated for the 2015 German National Theater Prize, “Der Faust,” for Best Male Singer. In addition, he has portrayed Junius in The Rape of Lucretia, Biterolf in Tannhäuser, Farfarello in L’amour des trois oranges, Panthée in Les Troyens, the villains in Offenbach/Champert’s Hoffmann, Andrew Cunanan in the world premiere of Brandt Brauer Frick’s electronic opera Gianni, and The Father in the world premiere of Aribert Reimann’s L’invisible.
Guest engagements internationally have included Joseph de Rocher in Dead Man Walking with Minnesota Opera, Scarpia in Tosca with Staatsoper Hannover, Nick Shadow in The Rake’s Progress with Theater Basel, Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro with Utah Opera and Tulsa Opera, Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore with Opera Saratoga, Panthée in Les Troyens with Staatsoper Hamburg, Antonio in Le nozze di Figaro with Oper Leipzig, The Sacristan in Tosca with Anhaltisches Theater Dessau, Roberto in I vespri siciliani and Marquis d’Obigny in La Traviata with Teatro Regio Torino, Leonidas in Lysistrata and Victor in the world premiere of Before Night Falls with Fort Worth Opera, The Doctor in the world premiere of Stephan Peiffer’s Vom Ende der Unschuld at Kampnagel in Hamburg, King Rene in Iolanta with Dicapo Opera, Harašta in The Cunning Little Vixen and George Jones in Street Scene with Chautauqua Opera, The King in The King and I and Leporello in Don Giovanni with Ash Lawn Opera, Doctor Grenville in La Traviata, Alessio in La sonnambula, and Marquis de Brisaille in the world premiere of David DiChiera’s Cyrano with Michigan Opera Theatre.
Concert appearances have included Bach’s Kantate Nr. 82, Mendelssohn’s Die erste Walpurgisnacht, Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Dvořák’s Stabat Mater, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Verdi’s Requiem, Handel’s The Messiah, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, Bach’s Coffee Cantata, and Mozart’s Requiem, with orchestras/festivals including the Cologne Early Music Festival, the Nashville Symphony, the Atlanta Ballet, the Chautauqua Symphony, the Richmond Symphony, and the Michigan Sinfonietta. Mr. Carico was invited to offer a recital at the University of Michigan of Dvořák’s Cypřiše, accompanied by renowned pianist and specialist in Czech music, Timothy Cheek.
In the summer of 2012, Seth joined the prestigious Merola Opera Program at San Francisco Opera Center, finishing years of successful apprenticeships with companies such as Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro Regio Torino, Fort Worth Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Nashville Opera, Lake George Opera, and Chautauqua Opera. Featured early roles include Olin Blitch in Susannah, Kecal in Prodaná Nevěsta, Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte, Seneca in L’incoronazione di Poppea, Colline in La bohème, and Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia. Seth won Fourth Prize in the Shreveport Opera Singer of the Year competition, the Grand Prize of the Orpheus National Vocal Competition, and an Encouragement Award from the Chautauqua Opera Guild.
