Steven Humes

Bass

News Archive

On Short Notice, Steven Humes joined Opera Roma as Vodník in Rusalka in November.

His 2014-15 Season Also Includes Konig Karl in Fierrabras at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, Commendatore in Don Giovanni in Boston, Honneger’s Jean d’Arc in Monte Carlo, Toulouse, Paris and New York City.

31 August 2014 — Everyone’s all about that bass! The positive reviews keep pouring in of Steven Humes’ interpretations of Fafner, Daland, Commendatore, Hunding, et al. In the recent revival of the RING in Geneva, his “solid bass” was hailed as “henceforth THE Fafner” of major productions. While words to describe his craft include stentorian, powerful, deep, sterling bass with moving and impeccably clear diction, he also continues to garner the highest praise of “best cast” and the one singer who “dominates the distribution” of roles.

One of the highlights of Steven’s 2014-2015 season is his role as bass soloist in Honneger’s Jean d’Arc. With Academy Award winning Marion Cotillard as Joan of Arc, this semi-staged concert series conducted by Alan Gilbert and Kazuki Yamada will be performed in Monte Carlo, Paris, Toulouse and New York’s Avery Fisher Hall.


A busy singer this season, Steven will join Thielemann in Dresden for the revival of Arabella. In Brussels, Steven also will have a role premiere of Konig Karl in Schubert’s Fierrabras conducted by Ádám Fischer.

On this side of the pond, Steven returns to his Alma Mater hometown of Boston (New England Conservatory AND Boston University) for Commendatore in Don Giovanni with Boston Lyric Opera. Steven recently wowed audiences in Paris with his "imposing basso profondo" in recent performances of Don Giovanni that "for once was formidably sung", and was praised for having a "nice voice compared against the blunderbusses so often cast in the role." Le Monde
-SW


Steven Humes' 2013-14 Season Offers Ring Cycles in Geneva, Monte Carlo; Flying Dutchman in St. Gallen; Concerts in Bonn; Arabella with Thielemann in Salzburg.

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9 July 2013 — Since the great success of Steven Humes as König Heinrich in Lohengrin last season in Beijing, the "stentorian bass" Opera News has seen many new doors open in the Wagner arena. This Fall marks his house debut in St. Gallen with a return to the role of Daland, celebrating a return of Der fliegende Holländer to St. Gallen after a 40 year absence, this time under the baton of Modestas Pitrėnas. Last season Steven was the "perfect Wagnerian interpreter" at Torino's Teatro Regio with his Daland that was dubbed "solid bass". "His perfect diction of the German language, its impeccable projection, made us appreciate each syllable of his singing." Resmusica.

Steven enjoyed many outstanding reviews for this past season's performances of Das Rheingold (Munich, Geneva), Siegfried (Munich) and Die Walküre (Palma de Mallorca). After being "magnificently cast" as Fafner in Geneva's Das Rheingold he returns as the dragon in Geneva's Ring Cycle with Siegfried this Fall. The entire Ring Cycle will play again in May 2014.

Perfect for Commendatore, Steven wowed audiences in Paris with his "imposing basso profondo" in recent performances of Don Giovanni that "for once was formidably sung", and was praised for having a "nice voice compared against the blunderbusses so often cast in the role." Le Monde

Easter 2014, Steven will be joining the highly acclaimed Beethoven Orchester of Bonn, Germany as the bass soloist for Bach's Matthäus-Passion. -SW




Photo: NCPA, Beijing

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Steven Humes' 2012-13 Season Offers Ring Cycles in Munich and Geneva; König Heinrich in Beijing; Concerts in Torino and Palma de Mallorca; Wagner, Wagner and More Wagner.

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9 November 2012 — After kicking off his 2012-13 season as Daland in Wagner's Der fliegende Holländer at Torino's Teatro Regio, Steven Humes was hailed as a "perfect Wagnerian interpreter" by Opera critic Jacques Schmitt who also wrote: "With a solid bass voice, he gives his character the image of a man tempered and rude. His perfect diction of the German language, it's projection impeccable, makes us appreciate each syllable of his singing." - Resmusica, 17 Oct. 2012 In the same venue, also with maestro Gianandrea Noseda, Steven's role debut as Père Laurence in a concert performance of Berlioz' Roméo et Juliette proved the singer up to the challenges of French repertoire as he discharged "powerful maneuvering between recitative and singing" said french critic M. Occhietti. - Art and Opera Review, 29 Oct. 2012 (Remember, Steven was also recently praised as having "perfect Handelian diction" in Toronto's Semele. Truly a Man for all Seasons- or repertoire.)

In November Steven travels to China to perform another role premier as König Heinrich in Wagner's Lohengrin at Beijing's NCPA. Steven then returns to Hamburg for Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte followed shortly by his first interpretation of Fafner in both Das Rheingold and Siegfried in the Bayerische Staatsoper's RING. Steven's second RING of the season will be again as Fafner in a collaboration with Dieter Dorn in his much anticipated Das Rheingold in Geneva. Siegfried will follow in 2013-14.

Spring sees Steven In Paris (♪ ♫) returning to the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées as Commendatore in Mozart's Don Giovanni and performing his first Hunding as the Teatre Principal de Palma celebrates in concert form Wagner's Walküre in Palma de Mallorca. As a local favorite in Munich, this July Steven returns once again to the world famous Bayerische Staatoper Festspiel for repeat performances of Das Rheingold and Siegfried.

With two complete RING cycle performances in January, one again in July, separate Walküre, Holländer and Lohengrin performances with a Rheingold from yet another RING cycle to be completed next year, you can't actually say that Steven Humes has done FIVE RING cycles this season... but you can say that this (with a side of Mozart and a dash of Berlioz) is a hell of a lot of Wagner to put on anyone's plate. -SW