Our next concert, Euphoria, is coming in just a couple of weeks! We are pleased to add another acclaimed soloist to our program...
American tenor Eric Rieger has enjoyed success performing opera throughout Europe, where he has sung under such conductors as John Elliot Gardner, Stefano Ranzani, and Franz Welser-Möst. His career has led him to the opera companies of Zürich, Luzern, Basel, Trier, Regensburg, Kaiserslautern, Bremerhaven, Osnabrück, Nordhausen, Konstanz, Novara, Treviso, as well as Zomeropera Alden Biesen in Belgium, Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Citizens Theatre in Scotland, and Everyman Palace Theatre in Ireland. Known for his interpretations of Rossini, Donizetti, and Mozart, Dr. Rieger has excelled in such roles as Almaviva (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Don Ramiro (La Cenerentola), Lindoro (L’Italiana in Algeri), Nemorino (L’Elisir d’Amore), Ernesto (Don Pasquale), Tonio (La Fille du Régiment), Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Belmonte (Die Entführung aus dem Serail), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), and Ferrando (Cosí fan tutte). His large repertoire spans from the Baroque (Alcina, Dardanus), to the 20th century (The Rake’s Progress, Albert Herring).
Equally at home on the concert platform, Dr. Rieger has been featured at the Claudio Monteverdi Festival (Italy), the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center, and Carnegie Hall. He has appeared with many notable orchestras including the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Basel Sinfonietta, Trier Philharmonic Orchestra, Luxembourg Chamber Orchestra, and St. John’s Orchestra in London. Frequent performances have included Handel’s Messiah, J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, St. John Passion, Magnificat and many Cantatas, Mozart’s Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Rossini’s Messe Solennelle, Orff’s Carmina Burana, and Britten’s Serenade, among others. A passionate recitalist, Dr. Rieger has performed with Lyric Fest in Philadelphia, Market Square Concerts in Harrisburg, St. John’s Smith Square in London, and many other venues across the U.S. and Europe. He is featured on the Naxos International recording James Whitbourn: Carolae with the Grammy nominated Westminster Williamson Voices and recently released his solo debut album Poet’s Journey: Song Cycles of Benjamin Britten on the Affetto record label.
In addition to his performance career, Dr. Rieger is in demand as a voice teacher, opera director, and lyric diction coach. He is Coordinator of Vocal Studies and Director of Opera at Western Washington University, having previously taught at Westminster Choir College, Texas Tech University, and Nazareth College. Additionally, he served for several years as Assistant Director and Diction Coach of the CoOPERAtive Program. His frequent masterclass engagements have included appearances at the University of Memphis, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Missouri State University, Texas Tech University, Colorado State University, Buffalo State College (SUNY), and Carnegie Mellon University. He has presented research nationally and regionally at conferences for the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). Dr. Rieger is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.