BIOGRAPHY

Baritone David Kravitz is increasingly in demand on operatic and concert stages. Critics have hailed his "large, multi-layered" and "sumptuously flexible" voice, his "power and eloquence," his "deeply considered acting," and his "deep understanding of the text." In 2010-2011, Mr. Kravitz makes his New York City Opera debut in Strauss's Intermezzo, and his European debut at l'Opéra de Monte-Carlo in the world premiere of Tod Machover's Death and the Powers which subsequently travels to Chicago Opera Theater and the American Repertory Theater. He also returns to Opera Boston for Hindemith's rarely-heard opera Cardillac, and sings Nick Shadow in Emmanuel Music's production of The Rake's Progress. Highlights from 2009-2010 include a return to Opera Theatre of St. Louis for the world premiere of The Golden Ticket, and Germont in La traviata with the Pioneer Valley Symphony. Mr. Kravitz's 2008-2009 opera season featured company debuts with Glimmerglass Opera (La traviata and The Consul) and American Lyric Theater in New York City, as well as return engagements with Opera Boston (Der Freischütz and The Bartered Bride). Previous seasons have included appearances with James Levine and the Boston Symphony Orchestra (Les Troyens and Moses und Aron), and Opera Theatre of St. Louis, where critics hailed his "perfect comic timing" and "commanding" performance as Ko-Ko in The Mikado. Other recent opera roles include the title role in Wozzeck, Leporello and the title role in Don Giovanni, Ping in Turandot, Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, and Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte.

Mr. Kravitz garnered rave reviews for his "resolute power and total connection" in Bach's St. Matthew Passion with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Bernard Haitink. He made his Philadelphia Orchestra debut in December 2008, singing the bass arias in Handel's Messiah under Julian Wachner; he sings the same work in 2010 with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Concert engagements in 2009-2010 included Raphael in Haydn's Die Schöpfung with Emmanuel Music under John Harbison, Cimarosa's Il maestro di cappella with Boston Baroque under Martin Pearlman (a "tour de force," declared the Boston Globe), Messiah with the Charlotte Symphony, and return engagements with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under James Levine and Sir Colin Davis. Other recent concert performances include Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen and Kindertotenlieder; Faust in Schumann's Szenen aus Goethes Faust; Elijah in Mendelssohn's Elijah; Apollo in Handel's Apollo e Dafne, and numerous works of J.S. Bach.

Mr. Kravitz's commitment to new music has led to his presentation of world or regional premieres of numerous contemporary works. Critics hailed his 2009 performance of the leading role of Leontes in John Harbison's Winter's Tale with Boston Modern Orchestra Project as "brilliantly sung" and "a personal triumph." Also in 2008-09, Mr. Kravitz presented the world premieres of Thomas Whitman's A Scandal in Bohemia with Orchestra 2001; James Yannatos's Lear Symphony with the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra; Julian Wachner's My dark eyed one with Back Bay Chorale; and short operas by Andy Vores and Theo Loevendie with Boston Musica Viva. New music engagements in 2009-2010, in addition to The Golden Ticket, include music of Andy Vores and Scott Wheeler with Boston Modern Orchestra Project under Gil Rose.

Mr. Kravitz's recordings of Andy Vores' 50-minute song cycle Goback Goback and of Harbison's Winter's Tale, both with Boston Modern Orchestra Project, are scheduled for release in 2010 on the BMOP/sound label. His other recordings include Bach's Cantata BWV 20 and St. John Passion with Emmanuel Music (Koch International Classics), and Harbison's Four Psalms and Peter Child's Estrella with Cantata Singers (New World).

Before devoting himself full-time to a career in music, Mr. Kravitz had a distinguished career in the law that included clerkships with U.S. Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Stephen Breyer. He later served as Deputy Legal Counsel to the Governor of Massachusetts.