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Tenor Bernard Holcomb has “already made a name for himself in the world of opera” with his “delicate and flexible” voice (OperaWire) and the “appealing sweetness and clarity [of] his tone” (The New York Times). Katy Walsh of Chicago Theater Beat said it best: “Although everyone [at Lyric Opera of Chicago] can sing, Holcomb reminds us why we come to the Lyric.”
Last season, Mr. Holcomb returned to The Metropolitan Opera for both X: The Life and Times of Malcom X and Fire Shut Up in My Bones, and he joined On Site Opera to sing the Curator in Song of the Nightingale and the Narrator in their Bach pastiche Coffee Cantata. He sang Alfredo in La Traviata with Eugene Opera, workshopped the title role in The Pigeon Keeper with Santa Fe Opera, performed as Beadle Bamford in Pacific Symphony’s Sweeney Todd produced by UIA Presents, and joined Central City Opera to perform as Henry Davis in Street Scene. He also made his network television début on the 25th season of Law and Order: SVU. This season, he returns to the Met to sing the Fourth Jew in Salome and to Eugene Opera to sing the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto. He also joins Opera Parallele in the title role of The Pigeon Keeper.
Recently, Mr. Holcomb made his Metropolitan Opera début in Terence Blanchard and Michael Cristofer’s Champion, his house début at Opera Omaha in X: the Life and Times of Malcolm X, and he joined Central City Opera as Iago in Rossini’s Otello. In addition, Holcomb performed with On Site Opera as Harlekin in Der Kaiser von Atlantis and took part in the workshop for The Pigeon Keeper, a new commission from Santa Fe Opera. In concert, he sang Elijah with Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, Adolphus Hailstork’s A Knee on the Neck with New York Choral Society, a holiday concert with the Cincinnati Pops under the baton of Mo. John Morris Russel, Jacksonville Symphony’s concert Lush Life: Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, as well as Damien Geter’s An African American Requiem with Fort Worth Opera, after having appeared in its world premiere in the 21-22 season.
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​Previously, Mr. Holcomb joined Opera Carolina for Douglas Tappin’s opera I Dream and made his début with Portland Opera, reprising the role of Kevin Richardson in Central Park Five following the world premiere with Long Beach Opera. He also returned to the Dallas Symphony as a soloist in Lush Life: Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, Detroit Opera for their production of X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, and Lakes Area Music Festival as the Tanzmeister in Ariadne auf Naxos. In concert, Mr. Holcomb performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with St. John the Divine, Bach’s Magnificat and Mozart’s Mass in C Minor with Musica Sacra, and Damien Geter’s An African American Requiem in its world premiere with both the Resonance Ensemble and the Oregon Symphony. He also toured Europe with the Harlem Gospel Choir and joined the New York Choral Society for their concert Love in Action. Holcomb also reprised his performance of Dancing in the Street: The Music of Motown for the Dallas Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, and Greensboro Symphony.
Recent milestones include Captain Leadbetter in the world premiere of Emerson Eads and Dave Hunsaker’s Princess Sophia with Project Orpheus, his long-awaited Carnegie Hall début, his title role début in Rossini’s Otello, and his début at the Dresden Semperoper in Porgy and Bess. Other recent engagements include Rigoletto with Seattle Opera, Porgy and Bess in Italy with New York Harlem Productions, the role of Lechmere in Owen Wingrave with Little Opera Theater of NY, a soloist in Gershwin’s Blue Monday with On Site Opera, a soloist in Lush Life: Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn with Austin Symphony and The Florida Orchestra, and the role of Sportin’ Life in Porgy and Bess with Harrisburg Symphony. Mr. Holcomb performed with Sphinx Connect, as a soloist in Christian De Gré Cárdenas’ Twisted Operettas at Joe's Pub, Poul Ruders’ The Thirteenth Child with Santa Fe Opera at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, BMP: Next Generation with Beth Morrison Projects, Chicago Opera Theater as Tristan in Frank Martin's Le vin herbé, and he was featured as a soloist with Renée Fleming and Sir Patrick Stewart in Second City’s Guide to the Opera.
New York theater credits include Thomas (lead) in Whiskey Pants: The Mayor of Williamsburg Off-Broadway and Tom Collins in Rent. He also performed as Sportin’ Life in the international tour of Porgy and Bess and in productions of Company and Sweeney Todd.
An alumnus of the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, Bernard performed such roles as Ernesto in Don Pasquale and Rodolfo in La bohème. During his Lyric tenure, Mr. Holcomb appeared in main stage performances of Elektra, Simon Boccanegra, Don Pasquale, and Les contes d’Hoffmann, and he covered major roles in Werther, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and Rigoletto. As part of the Young Artist program at Sarasota Opera, Bernard appeared in main stage performances of Pagliacci, The Crucible, L’amico Fritz, and I Lombardi. At the end of the program, he was awarded with the Anne O’Donnell Award, given to an outstanding apprentice.
Other notable engagements include Paolino in Cimarosa’s Il matrimonio segreto and Alfredo in La Traviata with Pine Mountain Music Festival; the Crabman in Porgy and Bess, which led to an international tour through Russia, Poland, Greece, Latvia, Estonia, and Germany; and Gastone in La Traviata with Detroit Opera. Bernard also appeared on several themed song recitals as part of a collaboration between Lyric Opera of Chicago and Chicago’s WFMT 98.7.
Mr. Holcomb has displayed tremendous musicianship and poise on concert and recital stages. These credits include a concert performance of La bohème with Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Holiday Pops Concerts with the New Hampshire Symphony Orchestra, a concert performance of Die Zauberflöte with The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Augustus Hill’s Exegesis with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Macon Symphony Orchestra and the Illinois Philharmonic, and Mozart’s Requiem with the DeKalb Festival Chorus.
A winner of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition (Michigan District), the Detroit native currently residing in NYC has earned a Master of Music degree from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music.
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"...endearing presence on stage..." – Theater Jones
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Dancing in the Street: The Music of Motown – "Bernard Holcomb is an affectionate and conscious steward of the material. He’s an endearing presence on stage, with a control that must stem from his operatic background. With a bright rounded lyric baritone, he finesses James Brown’s "It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World" [...] and provides the evening’s emotional highlight with a lovely interpretation of “Song for You,” as performed by Donny Hathaway."
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"...warm tenor voice imbued [...] quiet dignity and down-to-earth humanity." – LA Times
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The Love Potion – "The solid cast was led by Bernard Holcomb, whose warm tenor voice imbued the tormented Tristan with quiet dignity and down-to-earth humanity."
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"...appealing sweetness and clarity to his tone..." – New York Times
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Otello – “…there was an appealing sweetness and clarity to his tone…In the course of the evening his voice gained vibrancy and intensity, matching his character’s descent into manipulated madness.”
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"...open, vibrant instrument..." – Cadenza
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Owen Wingrave – "...as Lechmere, tenor Bernard Holcomb is given a lot to do with his open, vibrant instrument."
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"...the pleasure he draws from his art is always bracing." – New City Stage
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The Emperor of Atlantis & The Clever One – "Joy bounces off tenor Bernard Holcomb like a skylight beacon accidentally aimed at an individual instead of a cloud, and even when playing a sad moment, the pleasure he draws from his art is always bracing."