Nicholas Masters

Audrey Jones Beck Endowed Fellow

Bass (United States)

HGO Appearances: Studio artist (2011 – 12)

About the Artist: Masters portrays Don Basilio in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville and Doctor Grenville in Verdi’s La traviata this season. He is a recent graduate of the Academy of Vocal Arts where he created the role of the Governor in the world premiere of Margaret Garwood’s The Scarlet Letter, performed Leporello and Commendatore in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and portrayed Count Waldner in Richard Strauss’ Arabella. Also at AVA, he performed in operas including Puccini’s La bohème, Richard Strauss’ Capriccio, Verdi’s Falstaff, Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor and Anna Bolena, and Bellini’s Norma. As a Filene Young Artist at Wolf Trap Opera, he performed the role of Bottom in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (in which he also made his Banff Center debut), Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria, Puccini’s La bohème, and in recital with Steven Blier. As a guest artist on the Wolf Trap Foundation’s Discovery Series, he performed in John Musto’s Bastianello and William Bolcom’s Lucrezia. Last summer, Masters sang Bill Bobstay in Arthur Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore and Walter in Rossini’s Guillaume Tell at the Caramoor Festival. As a member of the Young American Artist Program at Glimmerglass Opera, he covered a role in the world premiere of The Greater Good by Stephen Hartke. With the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, Masters sang in Puccini’s La rondine and Shostakovich’s Moskva Cheremushki. While pursuing his master’s degree at Yale University, he sang roles in Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle, Ravel’s L’heure espagnole, Johann Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, and William Walton’s The Bear. He recently made his Italian debut with the Alba Music Festival in Verdi’s Requiem. He is a two-time recipient of a Career Development Grant from the Shouse Education Fund from the Wolf Trap Foundation. He was a National Grand Finalist in the 2011 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, second prize winner in the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition, and finalist and recipient of encouragement awards from the 2011 Opera Index and George London Foundation Awards.