The American conductor, tenor, harpsichordist, organist and music pedagogoue, Bruce Scott Fithian, made his Carnegie Recital Hall debut singing the song cycles of Michael Viens and has established himself as tenor soloist at Alice Tully Hall with Concert Royal and the New York Baroque Dance Company, Dallas Bach Society, Boston’s Handel and Haydn Society, Boston Cecilia Society, International Boston Early Music Festival in Mozart's Idomeneo with Roger Norrington at Jordan Hall, Boston, J.S. Bach's St. Matthew Passion (BWV 244), St. Luke Passion (BWV 246), George Frideric Handel's Jephthe, Solomon, Mozart Requiem with Boston’s Cantata Singers, Boston Camerata (performances of Roman de Fauvel: Utrecht, Netherlands (Muziekcentrum Vredenburg); Paris (Cité de la musique, Théâtre de la Ville); New York City (Cloisters); Shakers music: Chicago (University of Chicago); Ottawa, Canada (Ford Hall), the Aston Magna concerts at Bard College, New York and Great Barrington, Massachusetts, Baltimore Art Museum, Purcell and Alessandro Scarlatti concert, Musica Rara, and the Denton Bach Society in Bach Cantatas. He has given recitals and concerts in New York, Georgia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Texas and Los Angeles.
In Europe Bruce Fithian sang at the Théâtre National de L'Opéra de Paris: Monteverdi's Orfeo, le Nouvelle Orchestre Philharmonique under Pierre Boulez, Centre Polyphonique de Paris (Sir David Willcocks), Festival de la Chaise-Dieu: Rameau's Dardanus, Opéra de Nice: Rameau's Les indes galantes (Valère & Adario) with La Grande Ecurie et la Chambre du Roy, Théâtre National de Châtelet: Rameau's Les indes galantes, L'Atelier Lyrique de l'Opéra du Nord: world première of Aboulker's Leçons aux étudiants américains, Théâtre de L'Opéra Comique de Paris: Milhaud's Les malheurs d'Orphée,Théâtre National de Chaillot: Giovanni Battista Pergolesi's San Guglielmo, and Théâtre de la Ville: Purcell's Dido and Aeneas (sailor). He was featured as soloist with Les Arts Florissants/William Christie, Ensemble of Philippe Herreweghe, Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, Lieder Quartett: Ensemble Orchestral de Paris' Liebeslieder and Neue Liebeslieder in Bremen, Radio France, Union Européène de Radio L'Ensemble A Sei Voci: Medieval and Renaissance concert, La Sainte Chapelle, Paris and French and Italien television. He performed as an oratorio and concert artist in Germany, Israel, Portugal, Spain (Teatro Reale), Italy (Accademia di Santa Cecilia di Roma, Villa Medici, Florence), and England (London Opera Centre).
As tenor soloist with the Boston Camerata, Bruce Fithian made seven recordings with that ensemble for Erato, Nonesuch and Harmonia Mundi. His recordings include “Music Dear Solace to my Thoughts Francis Pilkington: Songs from the First Booke of Ayres and Lute Solos” with Bruce Scott Fithian, tenor; Olav Chris Henriksen, lute (Centaur); “Les Motés d'Arras - The Songs of Arras” with the New Orleans Musica da Camera (Centaur); “Sundown Voyager” - Songs Cycles by Michael Viens (MMC Recordings), and with the Boston Camerata: “Angels” - Voices from Eternity, “Kurt Weill: Johnny Johnson, Sing We Noel” - Christmas Music from England & Early America (Elektra/Nonesuch); “Pierre Certon: Chansons & Messe "Sus le pon d'avignon"” (Harmonia Mundi), “Musique Judaeo-Baroque”: Works of Salamone Rossi, Louis Saladin & Carlo Grossi (HMA); “Dido and Aeneas” (Harmonia Mundi), and “Josquin des Prez: Missa Pange Lingua et Motets” (Harmonia Mundi). His recordings of “Musiques au Temps de Philippe Auguste” (Erato) won the Grand Prix Audiovisuel de l'Europe. He has often appeared on national broadcasts of the French national radio and his television work includes performances for the French national television.
Bruce Fithian is currently Professor of Music at the School of Music, University of Southern Maine and organist/choirmaster at St. Mary the Virgin Episcopal Church, Falmouth, Maine. In America he has also been associated with the Aston Magna Festival at Rutger's University, New Jersey, both as artist and artist faculty member. As a composer he has written an opera, orchestral works and especially vocal music. His song cycle, "My Splendors are Menagerie" was reviewed in the Journal of Singing. |