One of America’s foremost baritones, RICHARD ZELLER is internationally acclaimed for both his concert and opera roles. He is known for his sonorous dramatic voice, a compelling stage presence and outstanding musicianship.Richard Zeller’s opera engagements have included 12 seasons at the Metropolitan Opera; in 2002-2003 he appeared at the Met in three new productions; as Ernesto in Bellini’s Il Pirata with Renée Fleming; in the lead role of Eddie in William Bolcom’s opera, A View from the Bridge, based on Arthur Miller’s play; and as Chorebe in Berlioz’s Les Troyens, conducted by Maestro James Levine. His other performances and assignments at the Met have included the title role in Verdi’s Macbeth, the title role in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Marcello in Puccini’s La Bohème, Barak in R. Strauss’ Die Frau ohne Schatten, Enricoin Lucia di Lammermoor, Don Carlo in Verdi’s Ernani, Rangoni and Schelkalov in Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov in two different productions, Thoas in Gluck’s Iphigenie en Tauride, Kothner in Wagners’s Die Meistersinger, Sprecher in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, as well as performances of smaller roles in other operas including Giordano’s Andrea Chénier, Charles Gounod’s Faust, and Verdi’s Rigoletto.
Richard Zeller was featured in Scottish Opera’s widely heralded, award-winning production of Macbeth directed by Luc Bondy at its Edinburgh Festival premiere in 1999-2000 and revival at the Vienna Festival. Other highlights of past seasons include performances in Chicago Lyric Opera’s Boris Godunov and Andrea Chénier, Gluck’s Alceste at the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin and Gluck’s Iphigenie en Tauride in Madrid. He has also sung the title role of Rigoletto in many venues including New York City Opera. Zeller also appeared as Athanaël in Massenet’s Thaïs with the English National Opera at the Barbican in London and in the title role in Verdi’s Macbeth with Opera de Bordeaux, Opera de Vichy and Portland Opera. Zeller has sung the role of Germont in Verdi’s La Traviata with Hamburgische Staatsoper, San Diego Opera, Scottish Opera, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Portland Opera, and in many other opera and concert venues with orchestras in Europe and the USA. His frequently performed Verdi baritone roles include Falstaff, Rigoletto, Macbeth, Conte Di Luna, Amonasro, Rodrigo, Don Carlo, Renato, and Simon Boccanegra. He has appeared with many regional opera companies in the USA including the Chicago Lyric Opera, New York City Opera, Philadelphia, Minnesota, Cincinnati, San Diego, Portland, New Orleans, and New Jersey Opera companies.
Richard Zeller is highly regarded in the concert field and has sung with virtually all the major orchestras in the USA, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Oregon Symphony, and San Diego Symphony, to name a few.