New York City's Premier Concert Opera Company
Steven LaBrie, Alfonso
Steven LaBrie, a native of Dallas, Texas, is beginning to attract attention for his beautiful timbre, expressive singing and dramatic presence. Mr. LaBrie was recently named among the five leading lyric baritones to watch by Opera News.
For the 2017-2018 season, Mr. LaBrie will be making his debut as Escamillo in the Sarasota Opera production of Bizet's Carmen as well as his anticipated debut with the Florida Grand Opera as Ríolobo in their production of Catán's Florencia en el Amazonas. Additionally, he will be returning to perform with the San Antonio Symphony in Mendelssohn's oratorio Elijah and will be featured in a recital of French music for the Brooklyn Art Song Society and a Night at the Opera concert with the Sacramento Philharmonic.
Mr. LaBrie's 2016-2017 season, featured performances of Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Hong Kong, Marcello for the Opera Omaha production of La bohème and the Count in Le nozze di Figaro for North Carolina Opera. Additionally, he made his debuts with the San Antonio Symphony performing the baritone solos in Orff's Carmina Burana and with the National Arts Centre Orchestra of Ottawa in the baritone solos of Stravinsky's Pulcinella. He was also featured in a Richard Tucker Foundation Rising Stars of the Opera concert in Beaver Creek, Colorado and with the Tulsa Symphony in the Brahms' Requiem.
In the 2015-2016 season, Mr. LaBrie made his debut at Lyric Opera Baltimore as Figaro in their production of Il barbiere di Siviglia. He also was featured with soprano Erin Wall in recital for the George London Foundation Recital Series and made his Carnegie Hall debut as the soloist in Matthias Pintscher's songs from Solomon's garden with the American Composers Orchestra. Additionally, he was the baritone soloist in Ginastera's Estancia with the New York City Ballet both in New York City and on tour in Paris.
Prior to that, Mr. LaBrie reprised the role of Schaunard for both his return to The Dallas Opera and his debut with the Washington National Opera. He also performed Schubert's Die schöne Müllerin at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Jacob's Pillow Festival with Jessica Lang Dance in Ms. Lang's evocative ballet The Wanderer. Additionally, he returned to The Kennedy Center to sing the baritone solos in Carmina Burana with The Catholic University of America Symphony Orchestra and Choruses in a concert celebrating the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music's 50th anniversary.
Mr. LaBrie has received numerous awards and honors including a 2016 Top Prize award and a 2013 Encouragement Grant from the George London Music Foundation in 2016, Second Place from the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition as well as the Judges Award with the Opera Index Competition. In 2010, he was an encouragement award winner in Washington, DC for the Metropolitan Opera National Council. He was also awarded First Place in The Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition and Second Place in the Palm Beach Opera Competition in 2008, where he performed in the grand winner's concert accompanied by the Palm Beach Opera Orchestra. That same year, he was awarded Second Place at the Parkinson Competition and was a recipient of the Sergio Franchi Scholarship. In 2006, Mr. LaBrie was a Third Place winner of The Dallas Opera Vocal Competition, where he was also awarded The Mozart Award for best aria interpretation. Additionally, he has been awarded the Grand Prize at the Florida Grand Opera Young Patronesses of the Opera Competition, Fourth Prize at both the Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation Competition and the Giulio Gari Foundation Competition and recently the 2015 Gilda Morelli Prize for Best Vocal and Dramatic Interpretation of an Aria at the Concurso Nacional de Canto Carlo Morelli in Mexico City, which was expecially chosen by tenor Francisco Araiza.