Biographie
Winner of the 2007 Richard Tucker Award, Brandon Jovanovich is recognized by the world’s leading opera companies for his passionate stage portrayals of leading roles in French, Italian, German, and Slavic opera. Recognized throughout the United States for his Pinkerton, The New York Times lauded “The sure voiced Brandon Jovanovich was an excellent Pinkerton, bringing a blithe insouciance to his role as the arrogant American.”
Brandon Jovanovich highlights his 2013 – 2014 season as the Prince in Sir David McVicar’s new production of Rusalka at Lyric Opera of Chicago, opposite Ana María Martínez. Mr. Jovanovich will also bring his acclaimed Don Jose to LA Opera’s production of Carmen, conducted by Plácido Domingo, and to Houston Grand Opera in a new production also opposite Martínez. In a return to Zürich Opera he sings Florestan in a new production by Andreas Homoki of Fidelio conducted by Fabio Luisi. Concert appearances include the title role in a concert production of Lohengrin at Festival international de Lanaudière conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
The 2012 - 2013 season saw Mr. Jovanovich return to San Francisco Opera in the title role of Lohengrin conducted by Nicola Luisotti. His season continued at LA Opera with his acclaimed Pinkerton in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, followed by the Chevalier des Grieux in Manon Lescaut at La Monnaie in Brussels. He finished the season as Sergej in a new production of Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mzensk with Opernhaus Zürich. In addition to his full list of operatic engagements, Mr. Jovanovich’s concert work included appearances with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Millennium Park series.
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. Last season Chicago audiences heard his Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos with Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Wall Street Journal applauded his “broad, solid sound” in the title role of Don Carlos at Houston Grand Opera.
Mr. Jovanovich made 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 later released as a live recording on Glyndebourne’s independent label. In Les Contes d’Hoffmann at La Scala, Mr. Jovanovich was acclaimed in Corriere della Sera as “a revelation…perfect diction, healthy singing and elegance of line, timbre of a true tenor…a Phoenix.”
Career highlights include Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos with Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Boston Lyric Opera; Don Jose in Carmen with Deutsche Oper Berlin, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Bayerische Staatsoper,and The Metropolitan Opera; Don Carlos in the title role at Houston Grand Opera and Cavaradossi in Tosca with Oper Köln, Seattle Opera, l’Opéra National de Bordeaux, and de Vlaamse Opera. Mr. Jovanovich’s Pinkerton has been seen at Santa Fe, Dallas Opera, New York City Opera, LA Opera, and San Francisco Opera (which was broadcast in high-definition in movie theatres across the United States.).
Ever in demand, Mr. Jovanovich has appeared on the stages of the world’s finest opera houses including The Metropolitan Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, La Scala, Glyndebourne Festival, Dallas Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Oper Köln, The Canadian Opera Company, Houston Grand Opera, and Santa Fe Opera. His concert appearances include world class orchestras such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the baton of Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, as well as with the Gürzenich Orchester Köln.
A native of Billings, Montana, Brandon Jovanovich received his training at Northern Arizona University and at Manhattan School of Music. He 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 in 1998, and was a member of the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice program in 1996/97 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.