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Brian Mulligan starts the new year with his role and company debut as Barak in Richard Strauss’ Die Frau ohne Schatten at Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse. Nicolas Joël’s production, which premiered at the company in 2006, beautifully lends itself to the complex story about love, transformation, and the pursuit of a human soul. With a rich and intricate musical score, the opera showcases Strauss’s brilliance in orchestrating a narrative that delves into mystical realms and profound human experiences.

The stellar cast also includes Issachah Savage as the Emperor, Elisabeth Teige as the Empress, Ricarda Merbeth as Barak’s Wife, Sophie Koch as the Nurse, Aleksei Isaev as The One-eyed Man, Dominic Barberi as The One-armed Man, Damien Bigourdan as The Hunchback, Thomas Dolié as The Spirit Messenger, Julie Goussot as The Voice of a Falcon / The Guardian of the Threshold, Pierre-Emmanuel Roubet as The Apparition of a Youth, Rose Naggar-Tremblay as The Voice from Above, and Katharina Semmelbeck as a servant. Frank Beermann conducts.

Performances are on January 25, 28, 31, and February 4.

Photo: Dario Acosta

Beginning his 2023-24 season, Brian Mulligan returns to San Francisco Opera as Friedrich von Telramund in Richard Wagner’s Lohengrin. Based on an infamous medieval tale about a mysterious rescuer who comes in a swan-drawn boat in defense of a damsel, David Alden’s staging of the magical opera has been set inside an oppressive war-torn city, making the opera eerily relevant to current times.

Mr. Mulligan will share the stage with Simon O’Neill as Lohengrin, Julie Adams as Elsa von Brabant, Kristinn Sigmundsson as King Heinrich, Judit Kutasi as Ortrud, Thomas Lehman as The King’s Herald. Music Director Eun Sun Kim conducts, marking the beginning of her journey through the works of Richard Wagner.

Performances are scheduled for October 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 2023 and November 1. There will be a live stream of the October 21st performance through the SFOpera website.

Photo: Dario Acosta

Brian Mulligan returns to the San Francisco Opera to celebrate the house’s historic centennial season. On June 16, celebrate the 100-year history of San Francisco Opera with a once-in-a-century concert featuring a cavalcade of beloved San Francisco Opera stars and the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus led by conductors Eun Sun Kim, Sir Donald Runnicles, and Patrick Summers.

Joining Mulligan is a top notch group of singers, including soprano Karita Mattila, soprano Ailyn Pérez, soprano Patricia Racette, soprano Nina Stemme, soprano Heidi Stober, soprano Adela Zaharia, mezzo soprano Susan Graham, mezzo soprano Daniela Mack, tenor Lawrence Brownlee, tenor Michael Fabiano, tenor Brandon Jovanovich, tenor Russell Thomas, baritone Lucas Meachem, and bass-baritone Christian Van Horn. The concert is followed by a sumptuous and elegant dinner with the artists. Proceeds benefit the Company’s second-century commitment to artistic excellence and innovation.

Photos: Dario Acosta

Brian Mulligan joins the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Der Rosenkavalier as Faninal this spring, marking his role debut in Richard Strauss’ Viennese comedy. Mulligan will be joining a stellar cast including Lise Davidsen as Marschallin, Erin Morley as Sophie, Samantha Hankey as Octavian, Günther Groissböck as Baron Ochs, René Barbera/Kang Wang (Apr. 7) as Italian Singer and Katharine Goeldner as Annina. Under the baton of Australian conductor Simone Young, this opulent production by Robert Carsen is not-to-be-missed this season.

Performances are on March 27, 31, April 4, 7, 11, 15, and 20.

Photos: Dario Acosta

Brian Mulligan returns to The Metropolitan Opera as Herald in a new production of Lohengrin, an opera that hasn’t been seen at The Met for 17 years. In a sequel to his acclaimed production of Parsifal, celebrated French-Canadian director François Girard once again demonstrates his striking visual style and dramatic insight in this atmospheric staging of Wagner’s powerful score.

The brilliantly assembled cast of operatic superstars will also include Piotr Beczala in the title role, Christine Goerke as Ortrud, Tamara Wilson and Elena Stikhina (March 28, April 1) as Elsa, Evgeny Nikitin as Telramund and Günther Groissböck as Heinrich.

The Met’s Music Director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conducts the majority of the run while Patrick Furrer leads the opera on March 10 and April 1.

Performances occur on Feb 26, March 2, 5, 10, 14, 18, 21, 25, 28, April 1. The show on March 18 will be live-streamed in HD to cinemas worldwide for the viewing pleasure of opera lovers around the globe. Additionally, the March 2 and 18 performances will be broadcast live on Metropolitan Opera Radio on SiriusXM Channel 355.

 

BRIAN MULLIGAN + TIMOTHY LONG

Release Date: November 11, 2022

Brian Mulligan’s latest release Alburbum includes world premiere recordings of songs by three acclaimed American composers: Songs From the Plays (2001), by Mason Bates with poetry from Kenneth Koch, As Long As We Live (2010), by Missy Mazzoli with text from Walt Whitman, and Walden (2018), by Gregory Spears with text from Henry David Thoreau. Brian Mulligan is joined by long time collaborator and pianist Timothy Long, their previous work together was described by Gramophone as “a succession of poignant gem-like moments, exquisite distillations of love…”.

Order the album

I believe that some of the greatest music the world has ever heard has yet to be composed. So, when I have a visceral response to music from composers who are alive, I do all I can to encourage them to continue creating. I have been so inspired by the works of Mason Bates, Missy Mazzoli and Gregory Spears, and it is my absolute joy to introduce the world to this collection of their gorgeous, emotive, meaningful songs. – Brian Mulligan

On October 27, 30, November 2 and 5, Brian Mulligan makes his company debut with Teatro di San Carlo as Kurwenal in Richard Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde. This production by Lluìs Pasqual will also star Stuart Skelton as Tristan, Nina Stemme as Isolde, René Pape as King Marke of Cornwall, and Okka von der Damerau as Brangäne. Constantin Trink also makes his debut as the conductor of this epic romance.

Photos: Dario Acosta

On May 24, 28, 31, June 3, 6, 9 and 12, Brian Mulligan will return to the Opéra National de Paris as Amfortas in Wagner’s Parsifal, following his successful house debut as Créon in Enescu’s Œdipe which took place this past fall. This critically acclaimed production by award-winning director Richard Jones places the spiritual drama in the residence of a contemporary sect, bringing the story to the twenty-first century.

Under the baton of Simone Young, the thrilling cast will also feature Reinhard Hagen as Titurel, Kwangchul Youn as Gurnemanz, Falk Struckmann as Klingsor, Marina Prudenskaya as Kundry and Simon O’Neill as Parsifal.

Performances take place at Opéra Bastille.

Photos: Dario Acosta

This month, Brian Mulligan will make his much-anticipated house debut with Irish National Opera where he will reprise the tyrannical Don Pizarro in Beethoven’s Fidelio. He has garnered much acclaim for his portrayal of the role with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette proclaiming “Baritone Brian Mulligan in particular distinguished himself as the villainous Don Pizarro, delivering powerful melodies with malevolent passion.” 

This exciting new production by award-winning theatre director Annabelle Comyn will also feature a fantastic roster of artists, including Sinéad Campbell-Wallace as Leonore, Robert Murray as Florestan, Daniel Sumegi as Rocco, Dean Powers at Jaquino, David Howes as Don Fernando and Kelli-Ann Masterson as Marzelline with Fergus Sheil leading from the podium. The performances will take place on November 7, 9, 10, 12, 13 at the Gaiety Theatre.

Photo: Dario Acosta

Brian Mulligan stars as Créon in Œdipe at the Opéra Bastille from September 20 to October 14. He’s joined by Christopher Maltman in the title role, Clive Bayley as Tirésias, Adrian Timpau as Thésée, Yann Beuron as Laïos, Ekaterina Gubanova as Jocaste, Clémentine Margaine as the Sphinge, Anna-Sophie Neher as Antigone and Anne Sofie von Otter as Mérope. Ingo Metzmacher conducts the production by Wajdi Mouawad.