Baritone Christòpheren Nomura has emerged at the forefront of the new generation of American singers. Since making his New York City debut, he has performed throughout the world, hailed as one of classical music's "rising stars" by the Wall Street Journal.
In the realm of opera, Mr. Nomura is a noted Mozartean, known for his portrayals of Don Giovanni, Papageno in The Magic Flute, the Count in Le nozze di Figaro and Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte. He has sung Don Giovanni with the New Hampshire Music Festival and New York Chamber Symphony; Papageno for his debut with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City; Cosi fan tutte for his Hawaii Opera debut and the count in Figaro for his Opera Carolina debut. He has likewise had a strong association with Puccini's Madama Butterfly. He was Prince Yamadori in the SONY film of Butterfly co-directed by Martin Scorsese and Frédéric Mitterand, conducted by James Conlon. He sang Yamadori for his Boston Symphony debut under Seiji Ozawa and the Imperial Commissioner for his debut with Dallas Opera. He sang both of these roles for his Cincinnati Opera debut. He sang Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia for his debut with the Skylight Opera of Milwaukee, returning as Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor. He sang Malatesta in Don Pasquale for his Seattle Opera debut in 2003 and his first Dandini in Rossini's La Cenerentola for his debut with Lake George Opera.
Christòpheren Nomura has appeared with many of the prominent North American orchestras, in wide-ranging repertoire. He has appeared with the Boston Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Vancouver Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Charlotte Symphony , Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Utah Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and the Boston Pops performing under internationally renowned conductors such as Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa, James Conlon, Sergiu Comissiona, Christof Perick, Roger Norrington, Christopher Hogwood, Ton Koopman, Bruno Weil, Andrew Parrott, and Nicholas McGegan. In 2006 he sang for the Pacific Symphony Orchestra’s inaugural concerts in the new Segerstrom Concert Hall, in the title role for the premiere of Philip Glass’ The Passion of Rama Krishna, conducted by Carl St. Clair. That season also brought debuts with the Baltimore Symphony under Louis Langrée and the North Carolina Symphony under Grant Llewellyn. In 2008-9 he premiered Alva Henderson’s From Greater Light with the Pacific Symphonny and made his debut with the Oregon Bach Festival singing Haydn’s Creation under Helmuth Rilling. Among the highlights of 2009-10 were an appearance with Mo. Rilling in Los Angeles, performances with Music of Baroque in Chicago, the Cincinnati Symphony and two programs with the Cedar Rapids Symphony. Highlights of the 2010-11 season are his debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra, his debut at the Cartagena International Festival singing the Bach B Minor Mass with Dawn Upshaw, a repeat of Glass’ The Passion of Rama Krishna with the Pacific Symphony and his return to the Oregon Bach Festival.
A noted Bach specialist, Christòpheren Nomura has been a frequent performer with the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, the Carmel Bach Festival, Music of the Baroque, Baldwin-Wallace Bach Festival, Handel & Haydn Society, Boston Early Music Festival, Boston Baroque and the Berkshire Choral Festival. He has performed with Apollo's Fire, Tafelmusik and the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. His collaborations with such ensembles as the S'Kampa, Boromeo, Brentano and St. Lawrence String Quartets and pianists Martin Katz, Dalton Baldwin, Charles Wadsworth, Jean-Yves Thibaudet and William Bolcom have brought him to the leading American Chamber Music Festivals in Santa Fe, Marlboro, Tanglewood, La Jolla, Spoleto, Music @ Menlo and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
Known for his deep commitment to the art of the recital, he has given more than 250 recitals throughout North America, Europe, Asia, South America and Africa. He has appeared at Lincoln Center, the “Making Music” series at Carnegie Hall, the Bank of America Celebrity Series in Boston, the Rising Stars Series at Ravinia, the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and the Vancouver Recital Society, frequently combining performances with in-depth residencies to introduce new audiences to classical vocal music. He was Artist-In-Residence with San Francisco Performances for four seasons – 2001-2005 – and returned for their 30thAnniversary season in 2009.
Among other notable performances, he was invited to sing Bernstein's Mass at the Vatican for the "Jubilee Year," in 2000 performing before an audience of 15,000 in the Salla Nervi, simulcast to some 200,000 people in Vatican Square.
Christòpheren Nomura's discography includes recordings on the Sony, Dorian, Teldec, London, Denon, TDK and L'oiseau Lyre labels. His recording of the Monteverdi Vespers of 1610 on Telarc was nominated for a Grammy (Best Classical Ensemble Recording). He recorded Schubert's Die Schöne Müllerin for Well-Tempered Productions and Never Broken a solo recording of contemporary compositions released in 2004 by Center Stage Records. All Is Bright with Grant Llewellyn and the Handel and Haydn Society was released in December 2005, debuting on the Billboard classical charts at No. 8 and named Musicweb International's "Recording of the Month."
Mr. Nomura has been the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions including a four-year Fulbright Grant to study with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Hermann Prey and Gérard Souzay. He was winner of the Young Concert Artists International Auditions as well as the Naumburg, United States Information Agency Music Ambassadors and the Marilyn Horne Foundation competitions. He holds a Masters degree and Artists Diploma from the New England Conservatory of Music.
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"Baritone, Christopheren Nomura sang the part of Jesus [in Bach's St. Matthew Passion] as if wayward souls depended on it. If there's a blueprint for the portrayal of God's son in the leading hours to his crucifixion, Nomura's bold and courageous enactment ought to be it." --- Chicago Sun Times - April 2, 2008