Brian KONTES

Noted by Opera News for his “dark bass and strong dramatic energy,” Brian Kontes continues to perform throughout the United States and abroad. Mr. Kontes began the 2025–2026 season singing the role of Doctor Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia at Sarasota Opera. He then joined the Grand Junction Symphony in Colorado for their double bill performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 and Florence Price's Song of Hope. Afterward, he made his company debut at Florentine Opera as the Commendatore in Don Giovanni. He then returned to Sarasota Opera in early 2026 for his first Benoit in La Bohème as well as reprising the role of Elder McLean in Carlisle Floyd's Susannah. Most recently, he was a featured soloist with the Dearborn Symphony for their season-ending performance of Verdi's Requiem. Later in 2026, he will reprise the role of Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia at Kentucky Opera. While there, he will also perform Verdi's Requiem. Previous recent seasons included singing the Sacristan in Tosca at Pittsburgh Opera as well as Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia.

Performing with the Metropolitan Opera for 20 years, Mr. Kontes also returned to the company this season to cover the Bonze in Madama Butterfly. Additionally, he appeared with the Metropolitan Opera in productions of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and Die Zauberflöte. He was then a featured soloist with the Valdosta Symphony for their performance of Brahms's Ein deutsches Requiem. In recent past seasons, he also sang the Commendatore in Don Giovanni at Pittsburgh Opera and joined the Pittsburgh Symphony as the bass soloist for Bruckner's Te Deum. He also returned to the Metropolitan Opera for their production of Manon Lescaut.

In other recent years, Mr. Kontes received high praise for both his singing and acting from audiences and reviewers alike. Those seasons included his debut at Central City Opera as Lieutenant Ratcliffe in Billy Budd and the Bonze in Madama Butterfly; Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte at Sarasota Opera; the Bonze in Madama Butterfly at Pittsburgh Opera; M. Javelinot in Dialogues des Carmélites at the Metropolitan Opera; and Le Spectre in Hamlet for Washington Concert Opera.

Career highlights at the Metropolitan Opera have included the HD productions of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg under the baton of James Levine, Der Rosenkavalier under Sebastian Weigle, and The Nose under Valery Gergiev.

Other notable career highlights include performing Timur in Turandot at San Diego Opera, Hogboy in Brokeback Mountain at New York City Opera, Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro at Pittsburgh Opera, Leporello in Don Giovanni at Seattle Opera, Banquo in Macbeth at Opéra National de Lorraine, Palémon in Thaïs at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and Kentucky Opera, the Commendatore in Don Giovanni at New York City Opera, Colline in La Bohème with Opera Hong Kong, Happy in La fanciulla del West at Opera Omaha, Dr. Grenvil in La traviata at Opera Colorado, Zuniga in Carmen at New Orleans Opera, the Bonze in Madama Butterfly for Nashville Opera, and Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia and the Sprecher in Die Zauberflöte with Ash Lawn Opera. He has also performed numerous operas in concert with the Opera Orchestra of New York.

Brian Kontes is also a distinguished concert artist. He has sung on numerous occasions at Carnegie Hall in New York City as well as at venues throughout the United States. Highlights include Mozart's Requiem, Haydn's Paukenmesse, Fauré's Requiem, Mozart's Coronation Mass, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, Bach's Magnificat, and Rossini's Stabat Mater with various orchestras and conductors at Carnegie Hall. He has also appeared as a guest soloist with the Charlotte Symphony on numerous occasions, including Beethoven's Mass in C under Cristof Perick. More recently, he has been a soloist with Boston Baroque as Don Fernando in Beethoven's Fidelio, the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park in Dvořák's Stabat Mater, and The New Choral Society of New York in Verdi's Requiem. Brian Kontes was a First Place Winner of the George London Competition and is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music.