Gustav Andreassen - Colline

Bass

Portland Opera Debut

Norwegian-American bass Gustav Andreassen has performed with major opera companies and orchestras throughout North America and Europe, to great acclaim. For his recent portrayal of Sparafucile in Rigoletto, Opera News stated: "The extraordinary potent bass of Gustav Andreassen was all black tone - sonorous, distinctive, with fine musicianship and dramatic flair."

Gustav Andreassen's 2008/09 season currently includes the role of Leporello in Don Giovanni at Arizona Opera, Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail with Opéra Atelier (Toronto), sings as soloist in Verdi's Requiem with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, in Mozart's Requiem with the Atlanta Symphony, and in an appearance with the South Dakota Chamber Orchestra in a vocal showcase concert through Sounds of South Dakota. His recent busy summer included appearing in concert as Prince Gremin in Eugene Onegin with the National Symphony Orchestra, the roles of Mercury and Ghost of Hector in Berlioz's Les Troyens with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under James Levine at Tanglewood, and performances of Schonberg's Gurre-Lieder at the Aspen Music Festival.

Mr. Andreassen's prolific opera career has included successes at leading opera houses throughout the world. He is a frequent presence at Utah Opera, having performed Daland in Der fliegende Holländer, Truffaldino in Ariadne auf Naxos, and King in Aida; and has sung several roles at Arizona Opera, including Daland, Blitch in Susannah, and Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte. He has performed as Sourin in Pique Dame and as Prince Gremin with San Francisco Opera, Osmin with both Boston Lyric Opera and Glimmerglass Opera, Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Wolf Trap Opera, as well as Commendatore in Don Giovanni with Boston Baroque, Florida Grand Opera, and Cincinnati Opera, among others. Internationally Mr. Andreassen has appeared with Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Hamburgishe Staatsoper, De Vlaamse Opera, and in Lucca, Italy in such roles as Ferrando in Il trovatore, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, and King Philip II in Don Carlos.

An avid concert artist, Mr. Andreassen's extensive list of symphonic engagements include performances of Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under Robert Spano, Shostakovich's Symphony No. 13 with Seattle Symphony under Gerard Schwarz, Bach's Magnificat with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the world premiere of Liszt's St. Stanislaus at the Cincinnati May Festival under James Conlon, and both Messiah and Mozart's Requiem with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. He has also appeared as soloist in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 at the Chautauqua Institution, Beethoven's Mass in C and Choral Fantasy with Omaha Symphony Orchestra, Mozart's Mass in C Minor with Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Verdi's Requiem with Black Hills Symphony, Schubert's Mass in G with Arizona State Chorus, and Mozart's Vesparae Solemnes with Masterworks Chorale of Tucson.

In addition to winning the Heinz Rehfuss Singing-Actor Award at Orlando Opera, Mr. Andreassen received three prestigious awards while a graduate student at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music: the Italo Tajo Award, the Norman Treigle/New York City Opera Award, and the Corbett Award. While an undergraduate at the University of Arizona he was awarded first place in the Amelia Rieman Competition and placed second in the Western Region Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

A native of Oregon, Gustav Andreassen is married to mezzo-soprano Stacey Rishoi.

www.herbertbarrett.com/artist.php?id=gandreassen