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The American counter-tenor, Andrew J. Rader, obtained his Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance from Middle Tennessee State University (2004-2007); his Master of Music degree in Early Music - Voice from Indiana University Bloomington (2008-2011); and his Performer Diploma in Voice from Indiana University Bloomington (2012-2013). During his studies he was Staff Singer at Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral (2009-March 2013). In 2009, he was the first place winner of the Grace Moore Memorial Scholarship Competition, Young Artist Division, and in 2011, he was the Third Place winner in the Gianni Bergamo Classic Music Award Countertenor Competition, held in Lugano, Switzerland. In 2014, he was the Third Place winner in the Orpheus National Vocal Competition, Young Artist Division. He was a finalist in the Oratorio Society of New York 2015 solo competition, and was looking forward to the concert on April 11, 2015 at Carnegie. Competition successes have included also Second Prize in the 2015 Nicholas Loren Vocal Competition, Second Prize in the 2015 Handel Aria Competition of the Madison Early Music Festival.
Andrew Rader is a freelance singer since January 2007, performing on three continents, both as a soloist, and in chamber music. He has made Indianapolis his home after graduate school at Indiana University. He has performed as a soloist and with Magnificat Baroque (since March 2011), LIBER: Ensemble for Early Music, and ¡Sacabuche! Ensemble throughout the USA, South America, and Europe. He is currently a regular member of The Rose Ensemble in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. In addition to these chamber music activites, he has been involved in numerous solo and choral performances with Music City (formerly Belle Meade) Baroque of Nashville, Tennessee, Bourbon Baroque of Lexington, Kentucky, and Indianapolis Baroque. Sharing the stage with ARTEK (Director: Gwendolyn Toth), Marion Verbruggen Trio, AVE, Music’s Re-creation and Archetti, he has performed at the Boston, Chicago, Madison, Bloomington and Berkeley Early Music Festivals during recent seasons.
Andrew Rader is a founding member and Co-Director of Vox Reflexa, a chamber vocal ensemble formed in 2009 which is geared toward bridging the gap between antiquity and present day through chant melodies and texts. Within this ensemble, he is also the Director of the Vox Reflexa Consort, the portion of the ensemble crafted specifically for the performance of early works.
His stage experience includes Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (as Oberon) and Indiana University Opera Theater’s production of George Frideric Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto, for which he sang the title role under the baton of Maestro Gary Thor Wedow and the stage direction of Tom Diamond. Recently, he was the counter-tenor cover for all counter-tenor roles in John Adams’ new Passion-Oratorio The Gospel According to the Other Mary, which premiered in March 2013 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel and directed by Peter Sellers. Last season (2016-2017), he sang Eustazio in Opera Mission’s production of G.F. Handel’s Rinaldo in New York City.
Other solo engagements have included performances of J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion (BWV 245) and Magnificat (BWV 243), Mass in G minor (BWV 236) along with numerous of his cantatas, including BWV 170 in April 2016; Orff’s Carmina Burana, Purcell’s Come, Ye Sons of Art, Carl Smith’s Fire and Ice: Michelangelo the Writer, G.F. Handel’s Messiah, Antonio Vivaldi’s Gloria, Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, Heinrich Schütz’ Weihnachshistorie, Vecchi’s L’Amfiparnaso, G.F. Handel’s Dixit Dominus, and recently, Dominick DiOrio’s Stabat mater dolorosa. In his performance of Carissimi’s Historia di Job, San Francisco Classical Voice said, “his voice was as strong as his character’s faith.”
Not only at ease in Baroque and Modern music, Andrew Rader specializes in a varied repertoire, including jazz, bel canto, and stealing a few choice trouser roles from women. Whether in concert, stage, or chamber repertoire, he has been consistently praised for his clear, strong tone and effective use of text. When not on the stage, he splits his time between coaching fellow singers and spoiling his overweight cat, Hildie. |
