Tenor Carl Tanner recently performed Canio to public and critical acclaim in the San Carlo, Napoli's new production of Pagliacci, last performed there by Del Monaco more than 35 years ago. Just prior he had a great success as Luigi in Il Tabarro in his debut at the Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires. He brought his Otello to Europe in his return to the Semperoper in Dresden this past spring. He had recently returned to Hamburg for performances as Canio as well as Radames. Earlier in 2011 he performed Dick Johnson in Puccini's La Fanciulla del West for his house debut at the Metropolitan Opera to a standing ovation at his curtain call! Last fall he had performed Radames in Hamburg and in München (his debut),and just prior was Manrico again with the Semperoper Dresden. He also had a great success as Dick Johnson in a concert performance of La Fanciulla del West this past summer at the Edinburgh Festival. He sang his first Otello in early 2010. Of this triumphant debut he was described as "a richly timbred tenor with a clear and astounding ringing force in the top register. His clarion opening act Esultate was bright and vigorous. The love duet with Desdemona, Gia della notte densa, was charged with warmth and passion. The dark closing scene's Niun mi tema showed Tanner at his most affecting". He recently performed Tosca with the Minnesota orchestra where "he used his rich tone and big voice to sing the praises of Tosca's beauty". In his Radames with the Minnesota Orchestra last summer to close the summer season, after his debut in Barcelona as Calaf, he"brought intensity to his singing, heroic top register, that seems to have become stronger since his last appearance here...a true 'tenore di forza'". He also performed his first Des Grieux for the opera in Las Palmas last year. He had also been back in Dresden as Calaf and then Radames last year. Earlier in 2009 he debuted at the Paris Opera as Pinkerton. He began 2008-09 with his return to Dresden in a new production of Il Trovatore and performed Calaf again in Hamburg and Radames with the Deutsche Oper, Berlin. Last season he was Calaf in Hamburg, Don Jose with Zubin Mehta in Firenze and just prior, Enzo in the Deutsche Oper, Berlin revival of Gioconda. Earlier in 2008 he sang Enzo Grimaldo at the Teatro Real, Madrid. He returned to New York City Opera as Canio for a new Pagliacci where he “gave the performance of a lifetime in the unforgettable final scene.”
2007 saw the release of his long-awaited Holiday CD “Hear the Angel Voices”, accompanied by concerts in the United States. He was also in Dresden as Calaf and Radames and just prior performed in Brussels and the Concertgebouw as Samson (w/Borodina) and was in Hamburg as Don Jose.In 2006 he was back in Tokyo for Turandot under Zubin Mehta. Other recent appearances included: the Bregenz Festival in Trovatore (now a DVD), a gala concert performance of Pagliacci at La Monnaie Brussels, “ terrific as Cavaradossi” in performances of Tosca with the Minnesota Orchestra, Radames in Aida for Opera Pacific and Calaf in Dresden. Earlier in 2006 he debuted with the Hamburgische Staatsoper singing both Cavalleria and Pagliacci, and at the teatro comunale in Firenze as Calaf in Turandot, conducted by Zubin Mehta. He performed the title role of Andrea Chenier in a new production in Tokyo, and was “stunning in his powerful performance” as Washington Opera’s Samson, all in 2005. Just prior he performed Fanciulla at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. He performed at the Richard Tucker Gala at Avery Fisher Hall and ‘O Holy Night’ at the Christmas Tree lighting at the White House. Earlier in 2004 he sang the tenor lead in La Fanciulla del West in Carnegie Hall which was preceded by Trovatore for Washington Opera. Fall 2003 saw him opening the Flemish Opera’s season in a new Luisa Miller and debuting with the New National Theater in Tokyo in Tosca. Summer 2003 had his Carmen with the Rome Opera at Caracalla and his debut with the Metropolitan Opera in Central Park before 100,000 people as Calaf “in magnificent vocal form”! He performed the title role in Puccini’s Edgar with the Orchestre de Radio France in Paris with a “seductive and imposing timbre, firm line and easy emission”. He was the lead tenor in Strauss’ Ägyptische Helena with the American Symphony orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall (recorded by Telarc).
Additional highlights of recent seasons include Don Jose for his La Scala debut, as well as in Napoli, the San Francisco and Dallas Opera; Cavaradossi in his Covent Garden debut, Chairman Mao in Nixon in China with the London Symphony Orchestra (M0 Nagano) and Das Lied von der Erde with the Teatro Regio di Torino.
On the concert stage Mr. Tanner has performed in various orchestral/oratorio repertoire with numerous symphony orchestras including: the St. Louis Symphony (Hans Vonk), Atlanta Symphony (Carmen under Yoel Levi), Spoleto USA [Janacék's Cantata for Tenor and Lili Boulanger's Faust & Helena], Kasugai Symphony (Japan) in the Beethoven Ninth.
Upcoming engagements: After appearing in the Kennedy Center China Festival showcase in September, the fall will take him to the Mariinsky in St. Petersburg in the San Carlo, Napoli production of Pagliacci. Upcoming in 2012 is Mr. Tanner's first Hermann in Tchaikovsky's Pique Dame at Grange Park Festival in England as well as a continuation of Otello performances in Europe and the United States as well as Turandot and Aida in Hamburg and Berlin. He opens 2012-13 season as Radames in a new production of Aida for Edmonton Opera's 50th Anniversary season.
