|
The American baritone (and former boy soprano) and stage director, Ted Huffman, joined the Choir of Men and Boys at Christ Church in Greenwich, Connecticut when he was 7 and was later elected Head Chorister. He made his operatic debut at age 12 singing the Tosca shepherd on the nationally-televised Live From Lincoln Center with Luciano Pavarotti, "Great Performers at Lincoln Center - Pavarotti Plus!" which aired on PBS February 28, 1990. Two nights later, he opened in the role of Kurt in New York City Opera's revival of The Sound Of Music, directed by James Hammerstein II. Ted was also cast in Tannhauser and Billy Budd at the Met. For two consecutive seasons, he performed the title role in the Lincoln Center production of Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors.
Ted Huffman attended Yale and lived in Greenwich, Connecticut. He studied voice with composer Anthony Piccolo and continued singing, studying with voice teacher Herbert Burtis as a baritone. He studied Humanities at Yale University and is a graduate of San Francisco’s Merola Opera Program.
Ted Huffman co-founded the Greenwich Music Festival and serves as the company’s Artistic Director. As a guest teacher and director, he has been engaged by such leading young artist development programs as Canadian Opera Company’s Studio, LA Opera’s Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program, Pittsburgh Opera Studio and the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program. His shows have been described as “the most visually striking and emotionally resonant opera productions in recent years…brilliant” (Time Out NY), “splendid,” “visually memorable” and “destination-worthy” (Opera News), and “excellent” “a compelling musical and theatrical experience” (The New York Times).
Recent credits as a stage director include Most of the Boys (World Premiere) for the Royal Opera House, Die Dreigroschenoper for Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and Royal Festival Hall, Der Kaiser von Atlantis for Central City Opera, Galileo, Galilei for Cincinnati Opera, Chin’s Alice in Wonderland for New York City Opera Education, A Hand of Bridge/The Telephone/Dring, dring for the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble, Hänsel und Gretel for Pittsburgh Opera and Apprentice Scenes for Santa Fe Opera. Ted received a “Best Opera Direction” nomination from Opernwelt in 2011 for his production of Henze’s El Cimarrón. His production of The Lighthouse, part of English Touring Opera’s autumn 2012 season, was shortlisted for an RPS Music Award and a UK Theatre Award.
During the 2013-14 season, Ted Huffman directs Les mamelles de Tirésias for La Monnaie and Festival Aix-en-Provence, Hydrogen Jukebox for Skylight Music Theater, Giasone for English Touring Opera, La Calisto for Cincinnati Opera and La Cenerentola for Yale Opera. Future invitations include projects for Glyndebourne, Theater an der Wien, Aldeburgh Festival, the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and San Francisco Opera’s Adler Fellows.
As a boy soprano, Ted Huffman's first recording "The Treble Boys" was released in 1991. He also made a guest appearance on Plácido Domingo's recording, "The Broadway I Love," in which he portrays a younger Plácido Domingo in "Try To Remember". He has sung at the Met in several roles, one of which was Fyodor in Boris Godunov in October 1990. He is a credited vocalist in the 1991 version of Mozart's Zauberflöte released on DVD in 2000. It features the Metropolitan Opera and Ted Huffman, Benjamin Schott and Per-Christian Brevig singing the parts of the three boys. |
