Last season Mr. Kontes received high praises for his singing and acting by audiences and reviewers alike. His season included his debut at Central City Opera as Lt. Ratcliffe in Billy Budd and The Bonze in Madama Butterfly, Sarastro in Die Zauberflote at Sarasota Opera, The Bonze in Madama Butterfly at Pittsburgh Opera, and M. Javilenot in Dialogues des Carmelites at the Metropolitan Opera.
Career highlights at the Metropolitan Opera have included HD productions of Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg under the baton of Maestro James Levine, Der Rosenkavalier under the baton of Maestro Sebastian Wiegle, and The Nose, led by Maestro Valery Gergiev.
Other notable career highlights in opera have included performing the roles of Timur in Turandot at San Diego Opera, Hogboy in Brokeback Mountain at New York City Opera, Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro at Pittsburgh Opera, Leporello in Don Giovanni at Seattle Opera, Banquo in Macbeth at Opera National de Lorraine, Palemon in Thais at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and Kentucky Opera, The Commendatore in Don Giovanni at New York City Opera, Colline in La Boheme with Opera Hong Kong, Happy in La Fanciulla del West at Opera Omaha, Dr. Grenvil in La Traviata at Opera Colorado, Zuniga in Carmen at New Orleans Opera, The Bonze in Madame Butterfly for Nashville Opera and Don Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Sprecher in Die Zauberflote with Ash Lawn Opera. He has also sung many operas in concert with the Opera Orchestra of New York.
Brian Kontes is also a noteworthy concert artist. He has sung on numerous occasions at Carnegie Hall in New York City as well as venues throughout the United States. Career highlights have included Mozartʼs Requiem, Haydnʼs Paukenmesse, Faureʼs Requiem, Mozartʼs Coronation Mass, Beethovenʼs 9th Symphony, Bachʼs Magnificat and Rossiniʼs Stabat Mater with various orchestras and conductors in Carnegie Hall. He has also been a guest soloist with the Charlottesville Symphony on numerous occasions, including Beethovenʼs Mass in C, under the baton of Maestro Cristof Perick. Recently, he has been a soloist with Boston Baroque as Don Fernando in Beethoven’s Fidelio, the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park for their concert of Dvorakʼs Stabat Mater and was also a guest soloist with The New Choral Society of New York for performances of the Verdi Requiem.
