In 23 years as a dramatic tenor, Oregon-born Quade Winter has sung the masterpieces of Strauss, Janáček, Verdi, Donizetti, Wagner, Mozart, Bach,
Händel, Beethoven and many others. He has sung over 40 roles in the USA, Germany, Austria, Canada, Italy, New Zealand,
the Dominican Republic, Scotland, France, Yugoslavia, Mexico, and Switzerland, appearing at La Scala, Carnegie Hall,
the Vienna Musikverein, and with the opera companies of San Francisco, Graz, Scottish
Opera, Seattle, Boston, Wellington, Toronto, and Minnesota, among others. His repertoire included Strauss's Salome
(over 20 productions), Puccini's Turandot, and Leoncavallo's Pagliacci (in Italian, German, and English).
As a composer, his operas Thespis and The carp have received their world premieres in 1996 and 1999 with the Ohio Light
Opera under the direction of James Stuart and Steven Daigle. Since 1997 he held the post of Composer in Residence for the OLO,
reconstructing the scores of Victor Herbert's Eileen, Sweethearts, and The red mill from the composer's manuscript
scores. These performance were published on CD.
A compilation of promotional texts
Mr. Winter's engagements included Erik in Der fliegende Holländer for Sacramento Opera, Herod in Salome for Knoxville
Opera, Ägisth in Elektra for Hawaii Opera Theatre, Herod for Opera de Bellas Artes in Mexico City and Opera de las Americas in
the Dominican Republic, and a San Francisco recital; further Laca in Její pastorkyňa (Jenůfa) for Canadian Opera
Company and Portland Opera, Herod for Opera Grand Rapids, Opera Columbus, and Arizona Opera, Ägisth for Canadian Opera Company,
Siegmund in a concert version of Die Walküre, act I, for Colorado Springs Symphony, Canio in Pagliacci for Sacramento Opera, and
Manrico in Il trovatore for Piedmont Opera. In Ottawa and New Orleans, he made his respective debuts as Herod.
His Oceanic debut took place as Calaf in Turandot for Wellington Opera, New Zealand, followed by his Carnegie Hall debut
as soloist in Verdi's Requiem. He also sang Calaf for New York City Opera, Canio for
National Grand Opera, Don José in Mobile Opera's Carmen, in NYCO's The magic flute, and Cavaradossi in New York City Opera's
National Company's Tosca, as well as, respectively, Turiddu and Canio in the double bill of Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci for the
MacAllister Awards and Opera Festival.
Notable concert appearances included the title role in the American premieres of Janáček's The excursions of
Mr. Brouček and Pfitzner's Palestrina with the Berkeley Symphony, as well as a soloist in the West Coast premiere of Messiaen's La
transfiguration de notre Seigneur Jésus Christ, all under the baton of Maestro Kent Nagano. Herod in Salome has served as a
key role for the talents of Mr. Winter throughout his career. Besides his performances with the opera companies of Utah, Virginia,
Minnesota, Columbus and Arizona, he has also sung it in Heidelberg, Würzburg, and with the Seattle Opera.
In 1982 he made his European debut singing German in Queen of spades in Graz. In the same season he made his debut at La Scala
in the title role of Cherubini's Anacreon and toured former Yugoslavia in the title role of Parsifal with the Graz opera. As the principal
dramatic tenor with the Stadttheater Würzburg in West Germany, his appearances included the title role in Don Carlo, Lenskij in Eugene Onegin,
Herod, Canio and the title role in Hindemith's Cardillac.
Quade Winter made his operatic debut in San Francisco singing Max in Der Freischütz. He also sang Erik in The flying dutchman with Boston Lyric Opera, with Scottish Opera in his debut as Mark in The
midsummer marriage, Don José in Graz, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor for Connecticut Opera, and Ismaele in Nabucco at the San
Francisco Opera.
Critical acclaim
As Calaf in Turandot:
"His voice is robust and suitably noble in the big arias. Yes – 'Nessun dorma' was great!"
– CAPITAL TIMES, Wellington, NZ
"Quade Winter is one the those American singers who sound naturally Italianate. He made much of 'Nessun dorma', and he was superb in
his duet work with Liù and Turandot."
– THE DOMINION, Wellington, NZ
"Quade Winter was in full command of his role and his tenor was heroic in size."
– OPERA
As Herod in Salome:
"Quade Winter is the essence of realism in the role of Herod. A limpid,
dramatic tenor, he oozes oiliness, exudes perversity, emits a tired kind of debauchery, and exhibits all of the nuances of fear, of
anguish, at the terror."
– LE DROIT, Ottawa, Canada
"Quade Winter's Herod is a perfect role model for sexual voyeurs and syphilitic opportunists."
– THE OTTAWA SUN
"Chilling was Quade Winter as Herod, who used his powerful, strident tenor voice to portray the man who pays dearly for promising
anything to Salome."
– NORFOLK DAILY PRESS
"In Salome, Quade Winter made a stunning impression as Herod. His tenor soared even as he convinced you by his eyes alone that he was
a loony capable of murdering his stepdaughter on a psychotic whim."
– SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
"In both acting and voice, Quade Winter, a member of the ensemble, was equally convincing as her opponent Herod. Vocally powerful or
cajoling, threatening, commanding, lecherous, his voice could adjust to the dramatic situation with no apparent effort. One felt the
great commitment that came from the stage. Beautiful high notes, with metal though without harshness, a baritonal shine in the top and
medium range, and a well supported lower range made for a harmonious vocal picture. Mr. Winter also gave great pleasure in his
enunciation, and his text was clear and distinctly understood."
– OPER UND KONZERT
"Tenor Quade Winter is an ideal Herod, a singing actor who explores every nuance of this weak bully of a tetrarch. He is great as he
tries to dissuade her from her gory quest."
– DESERET NEWS
"Quade Winter's throaty tenor lent itself well to his portrayal of the weak-kneed Herod."
– SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
"Tenor Quade Winter extracted all the neurotic ambivalence from Herod."
– OPERA NEWS
As Siegmund in Die Walküre:
"Winter has a bright, energetic voice and excellent diction."
– GAZETTE TELEGRAPH, Colorado Springs
As Laca in Její pastorkyňa:
"The debuting American tenor Quade Winter made a gruff bear of a Laca, who applied his physical bulk and bright tenor equally
convincingly to the task of characterization."
– TORONTO STAR
As Canio in Pagliacci and Turiddu in Cavalleria rusticana:
"It is impossible to imagine a successful 'Pagliacci' without a ringing rendition of Canio's anguished cry of 'Ridi, Pagliaccio', and
tenor Quade Winter earned an ovation with it."
– SACRAMENTO BEE
"He is a fine actor by operatic standards and a singer possessed of a strong voice, capable of great passion."
– INDIANAPOLIS NEWS
"Finally we have Canio, sung by Quade Winter, a true dramatic tenor. His voice filled the house, and his aria 'Vesti la giubba'...
stopped the show."
– ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS
As Cavaradossi in Tosca:
"The entire performance was thoroughly professional, and to my ear, bested only by Quade Winter's superbly emotive and powerful
Cavaradossi."
– BIRMINGHAM NEWS
As Sergej in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk:
"Quade Winter, taking over the role of Sergej on short notice, had a strong high-lying tenor to overcome the fierce orchestral
competition, plus charm enough to make Katerina's infatuation credible."
– OPERA NEWS
As the Italian Singer in Der Rosenkavalier:
"A highlight of the evening was the honeyed Italianate tone of Quade Winter as the Tenor in act I, a rich find indeed!"
– OPERA CANADA
As Orlando in Orlando Paladino:
"Quade Winter had the heroic music, and the tenor to do it, with ringing qualities, and a surprising lightness for those passages
expressing Orlando's vulnerability. Winter's voice and control have become increasingly impressive, his musicianship and confidence
strong. He is moving steadily towards the major chance that surely lies ahead for him. Orlando's weeping and emotional carryings on
got deft acting from Winter as well."
– Robert Commanday, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
Operatic repertoire
Beethoven FIDELIO Florestan
Berg WOZZECK Drum major
Bizet CARMEN Don José
Britten ALBERT HERRING Mr. Upfold
Chaikovskij EVGENIJ ONEGIN Lenskij
PIKOVAJA DAMA German
Cherubini ANACREON Anacreon
Hindemith CARDILLAC Apprentice
Janáček VÝLETY PÁNĚ BROUČKOVY Brouček
JEJÍ PASTORKYŇA Laca
Leoncavallo PAGLIACCI Canio
Mascagni CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA Turiddu
Pfizner PALESTRINA Palestrina
Puccini TOSCA Cavaradossi
TURANDOT Calaf
Shostakovich LADY MACBETH MTSENSKOGO UEZDA Sergej
Strauss, R. DER ROSENKAVALIER Italian singer
DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN Kaiser
ELEKTRA Ägisth
SALOME Herod
Tippet THE MIDSUMMER MARRIAGE Mark
Verdi AIDA Radames
DON CARLO Don Carlo
SIMON BOCCANEGRA Gabriele
LUISA MILLER Rodolfo
NABUCCO Ismaele
OTELLO Otello
STIFFELIO Stiffelio
Wagner PARSIFAL Parsifal
DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER Erik
DAS LIEBESVERBOT Claudio
TANNHÄUSER Tannhäuser
DIE WALKÜRE Siegmund
Weber DER FREISCHÜTZ Max
Weill AUFSTIEG UND FALL DER STADT Fatty
MAHAGONNY
Orchestral repertoire
Beethoven NINTH SYMPHONY
MASS IN C
CHRIST ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES
Berlioz LELIO
REQUIEM
Handel JUDAS MACCABAEUS
ISRAEL IN EGYPT
Mahler DAS KLAGENDE LIED
DAS LIED VON DER ERDE
Markevitch LE PARADIS PERDU
Messiaen TRANSFIGURATION DE JÉSUS CHRIST
Rossini STABAT MATER
Verdi REQUIEM
