Nmon Ford
Encyclopedia
A featured soloist on the 2010 Grammy Award-winning Transmigrations (Telarc) and the three-time 2006 Grammy Award-winning (including "Best Classical Recording") Songs of Innocence and of Experience (Naxos), Panamanian-American baritone Nmon Ford enjoyed many successful major debuts this season, most recently with Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire in Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen conducted by John Axelrod. Earlier this year he appeared at Teatro Comunale di Bologna in the title role of Pier Luigi Pizzi's production of Don Giovanni, followed by Escamillo (Carmen) at the Szeged Open-Air Festival in Hungary. He made his first appearances at the Sferisterio Festival in Macerata, Italy in the title role of a new production of Attila and as Holofernes in a new production of Juditha Triumphans, preceded by the title role in Don Giovanni at Teatro delle Muse in Ancona and Escamillo (Carmen) at Palm Beach Opera. He made his Italian debut in Ancona in the title role of a new production of The Emperor Jones directed by Henning Brockhaus and conducted by Bruno Bartoletti (for which he received the Franco Corelli Award for the outstanding debut of the season), his company debut with Cincinnati Opera as Riolobo in Francesca Zambello's production of Florencia en el Amazonas, and his role debut as The Traveler in a new production of Death in Venice at Hamburg State Opera. he debuted the role of Di Luna (Il trovatore) with Virginia Opera and Thoas (Iphigénie en Tauride) with Hamburg State Opera, and bowed as Mendelssohn's Elijah at Washington National Cathedral, with the Cathedral Choral Society.
In recent seasons he sang both Scarpia (Tosca) and the title role in a new production of Billy Budd with Hamburg Opera, and with the Atlanta Symphony conducted by Robert Spano, he recorded Jennifer Higdon's Dooryard Bloom (written for Mr. Ford) and Vaughan Williams' Serenade to Music for Telarc. He made his Ravinia Festival debut with James Conlon conducting the Chicago Symphony in Shostakovich's Symphony #13 (Babi Yar), which he also performed with Maestro Conlon and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Disney Concert Hall. Additional engagements include Orff's Carmina Burana with the Pittsburgh Symphony conducted by Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, and being responsible for the role of Amfortas (Parsifal) with Los Angeles Opera, in a production by Robert Wilson starring Plácido Domingo and conducted by Kent Nagano. He received critical acclaim at Spoleto Festival USA in the title role of Mozart's Don Giovanni, in a production by Günter Krämer conducted by Emmanuel Villaume. Having begun his musical training in piano at age three, Mr. Ford has since appeared with Hamburg Opera, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, San Francisco Opera, Teatro delle Muse Ancona, Teatro Sociale di Rovigo, Los Angeles Opera, Sferisterio Opera Festival, Cincinnati Opera, Spoleto Festival USA, Utah Opera, Portland Opera, Opera Memphis, and Virginia Opera in roles such as Iago (Otello), Kurwenal (Tristan und Isolde), Scarpia (Tosca), Amfortas (Parsifal), Di Luna (Il trovatore), Amonasro (Aïda), Germont (La traviata), Escamillo (Carmen), Don Giovanni (Don Giovanni), and the High Priest (Samson et Dalila). Other roles include Posa (Don Carlo), Jochanaan (Salome), and Telramund (Lohengrin).
Mr. Ford has worked with conductors James Conlon, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Leonard Slatkin, Bruno Bartoletti, Kent Nagano, Emmanuel Villaume, Raphael Frühbeck de Burgos, John Adams, and Marin Alsop. His concert appearances include the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the National Symphony, and the Orchestra of St. Luke's, and he has given recitals throughout the Americas and Europe. He made his New York recital debut with the Marilyn Horne Foundation's "On Wings of Song" Series at the Kosciuszko Foundation; under the Foundation's auspices he has fulfilled artist's residencies with the New Jersey Symphony, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and the Huntsville Chamber Music Guild in Alabama.
In addition to his Grammy-winning Naxos and Telarc releases, Mr. Ford has recorded for Universal/Decca (Vai DaCapo - Songs of Delight), Koch International (Villa-Lobos' Symphony #10, "Amerindia"), and Three Things Records (The Sweetest Brilliance--Songs of Bolcom and Weinstein). His award recognitions include First Place in the Wagner Division of the Liederkranz Foundation of New York Competition, as well as prizes from the Gerda Lissner Foundation and the George London Foundation. He earned his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from the University of Southern California where he graduated cum laude--and was named Outstanding Vocal Arts Graduate--for both degrees.
and Master's degree
s from the University of Southern California
where he graduated cum laude, and was named Outstanding Vocal Arts Graduate, for both degrees.
In recent seasons he sang both Scarpia (Tosca) and the title role in a new production of Billy Budd with Hamburg Opera, and with the Atlanta Symphony conducted by Robert Spano, he recorded Jennifer Higdon's Dooryard Bloom (written for Mr. Ford) and Vaughan Williams' Serenade to Music for Telarc. He made his Ravinia Festival debut with James Conlon conducting the Chicago Symphony in Shostakovich's Symphony #13 (Babi Yar), which he also performed with Maestro Conlon and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Disney Concert Hall. Additional engagements include Orff's Carmina Burana with the Pittsburgh Symphony conducted by Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, and being responsible for the role of Amfortas (Parsifal) with Los Angeles Opera, in a production by Robert Wilson starring Plácido Domingo and conducted by Kent Nagano. He received critical acclaim at Spoleto Festival USA in the title role of Mozart's Don Giovanni, in a production by Günter Krämer conducted by Emmanuel Villaume. Having begun his musical training in piano at age three, Mr. Ford has since appeared with Hamburg Opera, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, San Francisco Opera, Teatro delle Muse Ancona, Teatro Sociale di Rovigo, Los Angeles Opera, Sferisterio Opera Festival, Cincinnati Opera, Spoleto Festival USA, Utah Opera, Portland Opera, Opera Memphis, and Virginia Opera in roles such as Iago (Otello), Kurwenal (Tristan und Isolde), Scarpia (Tosca), Amfortas (Parsifal), Di Luna (Il trovatore), Amonasro (Aïda), Germont (La traviata), Escamillo (Carmen), Don Giovanni (Don Giovanni), and the High Priest (Samson et Dalila). Other roles include Posa (Don Carlo), Jochanaan (Salome), and Telramund (Lohengrin).
Mr. Ford has worked with conductors James Conlon, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Leonard Slatkin, Bruno Bartoletti, Kent Nagano, Emmanuel Villaume, Raphael Frühbeck de Burgos, John Adams, and Marin Alsop. His concert appearances include the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, the Atlanta Symphony, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the National Symphony, and the Orchestra of St. Luke's, and he has given recitals throughout the Americas and Europe. He made his New York recital debut with the Marilyn Horne Foundation's "On Wings of Song" Series at the Kosciuszko Foundation; under the Foundation's auspices he has fulfilled artist's residencies with the New Jersey Symphony, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and the Huntsville Chamber Music Guild in Alabama.
In addition to his Grammy-winning Naxos and Telarc releases, Mr. Ford has recorded for Universal/Decca (Vai DaCapo - Songs of Delight), Koch International (Villa-Lobos' Symphony #10, "Amerindia"), and Three Things Records (The Sweetest Brilliance--Songs of Bolcom and Weinstein). His award recognitions include First Place in the Wagner Division of the Liederkranz Foundation of New York Competition, as well as prizes from the Gerda Lissner Foundation and the George London Foundation. He earned his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from the University of Southern California where he graduated cum laude--and was named Outstanding Vocal Arts Graduate--for both degrees.
Education
He earned his Bachelor'sBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
and Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
s from the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
where he graduated cum laude, and was named Outstanding Vocal Arts Graduate, for both degrees.
Appearances and roles
His roles have included:- IagoIagoIago is a fictional character in Shakespeare's Othello . The character's source is traced to Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinthio's tale "Un Capitano Moro" in Gli Hecatommithi . There, the character is simply "the ensign". Iago is a soldier and Othello's ancient . He is the husband of Emilia,...
(OtelloOtelloOtello is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeare's play Othello. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, and was first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on February 5, 1887....
) - Kurwenal (Tristan und IsoldeTristan und IsoldeTristan und Isolde is an opera, or music drama, in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the romance by Gottfried von Straßburg. It was composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bülow conducting...
) - Scarpia (ToscaToscaTosca is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900...
) - Amfortas (ParsifalParsifalParsifal is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner. It is loosely based on Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival, the 13th century epic poem of the Arthurian knight Parzival and his quest for the Holy Grail, and on Chrétien de Troyes' Perceval, the Story of the Grail.Wagner first conceived the work...
) - Amonasro (AïdaAidaAida sometimes spelled Aïda, is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette...
) - GermontGermontGermont is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France....
(La TraviataLa traviataLa traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La dame aux Camélias , a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The title La traviata means literally The Fallen Woman, or perhaps more figuratively, The Woman...
) - Escamillo (CarmenCarmenCarmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
) - Don Giovanni (Don GiovanniDon GiovanniDon Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the Teatro di Praga on October 29, 1787...
) - High Priest (Samson et Dalila)
- PosaPošaPoša is a village and municipality in Vranov nad Topľou District in the Prešov Region of eastern Slovakia.-Geography:The municipality lies at an altitude of 125 metres and covers an area of 8.447 km². It has a population of about 844 people.-External...
(Don Carlo) - Jochanaan (SalomeSalome (opera)Salome is an opera in one act by Richard Strauss to a German libretto by the composer, based on Hedwig Lachmann’s German translation of the French play Salomé by Oscar Wilde. Strauss dedicated the opera to his friend Sir Edgar Speyer....
) - Telramund (LohengrinLohengrin (opera)Lohengrin is a romantic opera in three acts composed and written by Richard Wagner, first performed in 1850. The story of the eponymous character is taken from medieval German romance, notably the Parzival of Wolfram von Eschenbach and its sequel, Lohengrin, written by a different author, itself...
). - Brutus Jones (The Emperor JonesThe Emperor Jones (opera)The Emperor Jones is an opera in two acts with a prologue and interlude composed by Louis Gruenberg to an English language libretto adapted by Kathleen De Jaffa and the composer from Eugene O'Neill's 1920 play, The Emperor Jones. It premiered on January 7, 1933 at the Metropolitan Opera in New...
)
"Songs of Innocence and of Experience"
- (Winner of three 2005 Grammy awards)
- Music by William BolcomWilliam BolcomWilliam Elden Bolcom is an American composer and pianist. He has received the Pulitzer Prize, the National Medal of Arts, two Grammy Awards, the Detroit Music Award and was named 2007 Composer of the Year by Musical America. Bolcom taught composition at the University of Michigan from 1973–2008...
- Text by William BlakeWilliam BlakeWilliam Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
- Conducted by Leonard Slatkin
- University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
School of Music Symphony Orchestra - University Musical Society
- Naxos RecordsNaxos RecordsNaxos Records is a record label specializing in classical music. Through a number of imprints, Naxos also releases genres including Chinese music, jazz, world music, and early rock & roll. The company was founded in 1987 by Klaus Heymann, a German-born resident of Hong Kong.Naxos is the largest...
Symphony #10, "Amerindia"
- Music by Heitor Villa-LobosHeitor Villa-LobosHeitor Villa-Lobos was a Brazilian composer, described as "the single most significant creative figure in 20th-century Brazilian art music". Villa-Lobos has become the best-known and most significant Latin American composer to date. He wrote numerous orchestral, chamber, instrumental and vocal works...
- Conducted by Gisèle Ben-DorGisele Ben-DorGisele Ben-Dor is an American Israeli orchestra conductor of Uruguayan origin.-International Orchestra Conductor:Gisele Ben-Dor was born in Uruguay and immigrated to Israel in 1973. She graduated from the Rubin Academy of Music, Tel Aviv University and the Yale School of Music, also studying with...
- Santa Barbara Symphony
- Various Choirs
- Koch International Classics Records
"The Sweetest Brilliance - Songs of Bolcom and Weinstein"
- Music by William BolcomWilliam BolcomWilliam Elden Bolcom is an American composer and pianist. He has received the Pulitzer Prize, the National Medal of Arts, two Grammy Awards, the Detroit Music Award and was named 2007 Composer of the Year by Musical America. Bolcom taught composition at the University of Michigan from 1973–2008...
- Poems by Arnold WeinsteinArnold WeinsteinArnold Weinstein was an American poet, playwright and librettist, who referred to himself as a "theatre poet"....
- Victoria Kirsch, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
- Three Things Records