Eric Downs. Hailed by the Boston Globe for his “velvety-smooth, dark-hued, stylish” voice, bass-baritone Eric Downs is garnering great acclaim on both the opera and concert stage. He began last season singing Leporello in a critically acclaimed production of Don Giovanni with NYC’s Venture Opera. Later in the season he appeared again with Venture as Zuniga/Carmen. During the 2014-15 season he made his concert debut with Greensboro Symphony in a broadcast performance of Haydn’s The Creation. He then made two return appearances, first with Townsend Opera singing Angelotti/Tosca and then Jigger Craigin/Carousel with Opera on the Avalon. This season he returns to Townsend Opera to sing Doc Gibbs in Ned Rorem’s Our Town.
Other recent season highlights include the role of Krušina/The Bartered Bride with Boston Midsummer Opera, Bottom/A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Opera on the Avalon, a guest appearance as Javert/Les Misérables with Pepperdine University, where he was Artist in Residence, Basilio/Il barbiere di Siviglia and Mustafà/L’italiana in Algeri with Boston Midsummer Opera.
Internationally, Downs has appeared at the Beethoven Easter Festival in Warsaw, Poland in Donizetti’s Maria Padilla and with the Orchestra Verdi in Milan singing featured roles in such works as Gianni Schicchi, Kiss Me Kate, Trouble in Tahiti, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream among others.
He is also an active soloist with recent concert appearances in Haydn’s Paukenmesse at Carnegie Hall, Handel’s Messiah at the Washington National Cathedral, and a Victor Herbert Gala with the Little Orchestra Society of New York at Lincoln Center.
Currently residing in New York City, Eric Downs received his Master of Music degree and Artist Diploma from the Yale School of Music.