|
The American tenor, Tony Boutté, was born in Port Arthur, Texas and grew up in Morgan City, Louisiana. He graduated from Lousiana Tech University with a bachelor's degree in Voice and Tuba. He went on to receive a Master's Degree and Performance Certificate from Eastman School of Music, studying with Jan DeGaetani and Marcia Baldwin. Tony then spent the better part of two years in England studying at the Britten-Pears School for Advanced Musical Studies, working with Sir Peter Pears on most of the tenor's repertoire by Benjamin Britten. While there Tony was selected to perform the world premier of Everyone Sang, a recently found orchestral song by B. Britten. Recently, Tony completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at University of Maryland, studying with François Loup. He is currently on the voice faculty of Towson University of Baltimore, MD.
Tony Boutté made his professional operatic debut as Orfeo in the groundbreaking Monteverdi Cycle produced by Skylight Opera of Milwaukee. Since then he has appeared in a wide range of roles in opera and oratorio of the Baroque and Classical periods. His opera roles include Ottavio in Don Giovanni conducted by Stuart Bedford, Acis in George Frideric Handel’s Acis & Galatea with soprano Elizabeth Futral, and Gandhi in the Philip Glass opera Satyagraha, produced by Festspielhaus St. Pölten (Austria). He also sang in Rameau's Pygmalion with Concert Royal. His oratorio performances include G.F. Handel's Messiah with Santa Fe Pro Musica, the Evangelist in J.S. Bach's St. John Passion (BWV 245) in Rochester, New York, J.S. Bach's G minor Mass (BWV 232) with the Washington Bach Consort, and J.S. Bach's Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248) with Dayton Bach Society. As an oratorio and concert singer, Tony has performed with top-notch ensembles, including Les Arts Florissants, Tafelmusik, Les Talens Lyriques, Opera Lafayette, Washington Bach Consort, New York Collegium, Les Violons du Roy, Boston Baroque, Orchestra of St. Luke's, Portland Baroque Orchestra, and Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra as well as the Santa Fe Opera. He also performs regularly with the ensemble Saints & Sinners, which he co-founded with Colin St. Martin (baroque flute), and Geoffrey Burgess (oboe).
Tony Boutté also enjoys a growing career as an interpreter of new music, performing in six world premieres in late 1990's. In recent years, he has performed in numerous premiers, including Michael Gordon’s Chaos, Betsy Jolas’ Motet III, Bang on a Can’s Carbon Copy Building, In the Penal Colony by Philip Glass, and Douglas Cuomo’s Arjuna’s Dilemma (to be given its first staged performances at Brooklyn Academy of Music's Next Wave Festival 2008. His festival appearances include Salzburg, Aspen, Bard, Schleswig-Holstien, Settembre Festival (Turino), Aldeburgh Festival, Versailles Autumn Festival and Tage Alte Muzik Regensburg. Tony made his Carnegie Hall debut in December 2006 singing G.F. Handel’s Messiah with Masterwork Chorus. Upcoming projects include roles with the critically acclaimed American Opera Theater and concert appearances of J.S. Bach, W.A. Mozart and G.F. Handel around the country.
Tony Boutté has recorded a wide range of material, from J.S. Bach's St. John Passion (BWV 245) with the Smithsonian Chamber Players and operas by Lully (Armide) and Sacchini (Oedipe à Colone) to world premier recordings of Carbon Copy Building and Arjuna’s Dilemma. He has also recorded the soundtrack for the PBS documentary Out of the Past. Tony also regularly performs and records with Brandywine Baroque on the Plectra label. |
